Code-switching is most characteristic of which stage of second-language acquisition?

Code-switching is most characteristic of which stage of second-language acquisition?

• A. Stage Two
• B. Stage Three
• C. Stage Five
• D. Stage One

Answer: (A)

Code-switching—the practice of mixing languages within a sentence or conversation—appears most clearly when learners are starting to speak but haven’t yet built a large vocabulary in the new language. In this early production stage, students can express basic ideas but still rely heavily on their first language to fill gaps, retrieve words, or convey nuances. Because their L2 is limited, they naturally switch back and forth between languages as they try to communicate, which makes code-switching a hallmark of this stage. As learners gain more vocabulary and control, they shift toward longer, more accurate sentences in the new language and code-switching decreases. In the very earliest stage, there isn’t much productive speech to observe, so code-switching isn’t as evident.

Code-switching—the practice of mixing languages within a sentence or conversation—appears most clearly when learners are starting to speak but haven’t yet built a large vocabulary in the new language. In this early production stage, students can express basic ideas but still rely heavily on their first language to fill gaps, retrieve words, or convey nuances. Because their L2 is limited, they naturally switch back and forth between languages as they try to communicate, which makes code-switching a hallmark of this stage. As learners gain more vocabulary and control, they shift toward longer, more accurate sentences in the new language and code-switching decreases. In the very earliest stage, there isn’t much productive speech to observe, so code-switching isn’t as evident.