The Effect of using code-switching on EFL learners' paragraph writing performance

Abstract

Over the development of studying language skills, writing represents a one important skill to be improved in order to achieve a sccessful communication. Thus, EFL teachers have to provide their learners with some strategies so that they can perform better and more effectively in writing. Accordingly, the current study is a quasi-experimental investigation, the fact that comes for the purpose of investigating the effect of using Code-Switching during classroom interaction on enhancing EFL learners' paragraph writing performance. Moreover, third year pupils in Dif Laamri middle school have been selected to conduct the experiment. Both groups number was 41 pupils. The control group contains 21 pupils whereas the experimental one consists of 20 pupils. Furthermore, both groups were pre-tested through asking them to write a paragraph. Then, the control group received a treatment that relies on the use of the ordinary method of teaching written expression, however, the experimental one has received a different treatment that is using Code-Switching during interaction. In other words, the control group interaction has been in the target language (english), whereas, the experimental group was taught using the alternation between english and learners' L1 (arabic). Thus, the findings showed that using Code-Switching during classroom interaction has no significant effect on learners' paragraph writing performance. So, this strategy of facilitating the learning process by switching to the mother tongue can have an effect on other skills or language features (like the acquisition of vocabulary) rather than writing.