Codeswitching as a tool in teaching Italian in Malta

Abstract

This article addresses the issue of teacher codeswitching in the teaching of Italian in Malta. The analysis of teacher codeswitching shows that the learners' first language (L1), Maltese, is used as a pedagogical tool to enhance language learning. Teachers frequently resort to Maltese to provide more learner-friendly explanations of grammatical and other language points and to elicit an oral response from the learners and get them more directly involved in the activities. Furthermore, the L1 plays a role in discourse and classroom management, and also functions as a symbol of identity. The study reported here is based on lesson transcriptions, in-depth interviews with teachers and Italian language professionals and a student questionnaire. From the interviews it transpires that codeswitching and the use of the L1 are perceived by teachers and teacher educators as a useful tool with younger and weaker learners, but caution is advised when using the L1 with more advanced learners.

Keywords:

• Italian
• first language
• pedagogical tool
• codeswitching
• identity
• ability

Notes

1. For the purposes of this contribution no distinction is being made between second and foreign language teaching. Italian in Malta can be considered as either a second or a foreign language depending on various factors as outlined by Caruana (2012).

2. At the time of the study state secondary education was divided into two: schools called Junior Lyceums for the higher ability learners who pass the 11+ examinations, and area secondary schools for the rest. This study took place in one of the area seconday school for boys (state schools in Malta are not co-ed). The reason for choosing an area secondary school was based on Camilleri's (1993) finding that teachers tend to codeswitch more with weaker learners. Also, in my pilot study I discovered that codewitching was more relevant in classes with younger learners (Gauci 2011).

3. The first recorded lesson with each teacher was eliminated to avoid the observer's paradox as much as possible, and some other lessons had to be discarded due to unexpected interruptions or unsuitable length.

4. Bold is used to identify utterances in Maltese. Italian is in normal font. The use of English during the lesson, as well as the translation of the Maltese and English utterances is provided in English in italics. Normal writing conventions are used in the transcription excerpts for our purposes here. Names are fictitious.