code-switches
Shifts between tongues
Code-switches is the verb form of code-switch, meaning to alternate between languages, dialects, or communication styles depending on context.
A bilingual child code-switches between Spanish at home and English at school.
The term extends beyond language to shifting behavior or presentation: She code-switches between her corporate voice and how she talks with friends.
The practice is often unconscious, driven by social cues about what fits the setting.
Proficiency in two languages
- multilingualismMultiple language proficiency
- borrowingTemporary taking of another's
- diglossiaCoexisting language varieties, distinct roles
- registerRecord officially; vocal range
dialect · vernacular · slang · jargon · fluency · polyglot · pidgin · creole
Who someone is
- ethnicityShared cultural heritage group
- ingroupExclusive social circle
- outgroupNon-members of one's group
- belongingState of fitting in
cultural capital · assimilation · acculturation · solidarity · distancing · rapport · accommodation · context
bilingualism
Proficiency in two languages
- multilingualismMultiple language proficiency
- borrowingTemporary taking of another's
- diglossiaCoexisting language varieties, distinct roles
register · dialect · vernacular · slang · jargon · fluency · polyglot · pidgin · creole · loanwords
identity
Who someone is
- ethnicityShared cultural heritage group
- ingroupExclusive social circle
- outgroupNon-members of one's group
belonging · cultural capital · assimilation · acculturation · solidarity · distancing · rapport · accommodation · context · formality
context
Circumstances shaping meaning
formal · informal · professional · casual · audience · interlocutor · domain · topic · purpose · appropriateness