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Authors: Shanti Bruce
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the situation becomes one in which the languages seamlessly blend together, perhaps changing the sense of “unidirectional monolingualism” to one of “multidirectional bilingualism.”
The Sound of Bilingual Sessions: Code-Switching and Code-Mixing in Action
To examine how and when bilingual tutors and students were employing Spanish during writing center conferences, Aileen and I decided to gather data via three primary research methods: observations, surveys, and interviews. We applied for a research grant from the International Writing Centers Association (IWCA), which we received, to purchase a recorder, transcription machine, and $10 gift cards for participants, and we applied for approval from our university’s Institutional Review Board, which we also received.
For our observations, we decided to audio record tutoring sessions between tutors and students who could speak both English and Spanish. We asked staff members for their permission ahead of sessions, and then one of us asked for the student’s permission at the beginning of each session, reviewing IRB protocol and asking the student to sign a consent form; therefore, all sessions were recorded with both the student’s and tutor’s permission. After the sessions, we asked the tutor if any instances of code-switching occurred during the session. Not all sessions included code-switching. The tutors and students discussed in this section, though, did use both languages during their sessions, as the observations captured instances of metaphorical code-switching and code-mixing.
Yessica and Ashley: Metaphorical Code-Switching
When Yessica entered the university as a first-year student, she was placed in a developmental writing course for which she needed tutoring. That semester, she became a regular at the writing center, and she continued to visit regularly into her junior year. While she worked with most of the tutors, she developed a strong rapport with Ashley. For their tutoring session discussed below, Yessica brought an assignment from one of her upper-level English classes, taught by Professor González, to the center hoping to get assistance with citations. In this session, you will see the student introduce an example of metaphorical code-switching in order to create a moment of solidarity between her and her tutor.
About six minutes into the session, Yessica and Ashley discussed the use of quotation marks when quoting a resource. Ashley explained how to use quotation marks and when Yessica should and should not use them. Here is an excerpt:
ASHLEY: And why is that italicized? You don’t know? (laugh)
YESSICA: It’s not a quote. Well, it is a quote from what I read but is not, you know, it’s like a saying.
ASHLEY: You could just put quotation marks. You don’t need to italicize, and this is part of your writing, so you don’t have to italicize that either. None of that actually.
YESSICA: González me tiene loca . [González is driving me crazy.]
(mutual laughter.)
YESSICA: I swear to God. When this like . . .
ASHLEY: (laughing) Yeah, but you’re almost finished.
YESSICA: Yes, I can’t wait.
ASHLEY: Okay (speaks softly while reading the revised text) . Okay, good.
YESSICA: (continues to read text)
In her moment of frustration, Yessica code-switches, initiating in Spanish a conversational comment to Ashley: “ González me tiene loca . ” Ashley acknowledges the moment of solidarity by laughing with Yessica about her feelings toward the professor. Yessica then code-switches back to English, transferring her emotional claim to her academic/professional language (“I swear to God. When this like . . .”). There is a moment of conversational overlap, as Ashley speaks over Yessica during the second half of Yessica’s complaint. Still laughing, Ashley interjects some reassurance in English: “Yeah, but you’re almost finished.” This may be in conjunction with Yessica’s most recent language use, Ashley’s understanding of
The Sound of Bilingual Sessions: Code-Switching and Code-Mixing in Action
To examine how and when bilingual tutors and students were employing Spanish during writing center conferences, Aileen and I decided to gather data via three primary research methods: observations, surveys, and interviews. We applied for a research grant from the International Writing Centers Association (IWCA), which we received, to purchase a recorder, transcription machine, and $10 gift cards for participants, and we applied for approval from our university’s Institutional Review Board, which we also received.
For our observations, we decided to audio record tutoring sessions between tutors and students who could speak both English and Spanish. We asked staff members for their permission ahead of sessions, and then one of us asked for the student’s permission at the beginning of each session, reviewing IRB protocol and asking the student to sign a consent form; therefore, all sessions were recorded with both the student’s and tutor’s permission. After the sessions, we asked the tutor if any instances of code-switching occurred during the session. Not all sessions included code-switching. The tutors and students discussed in this section, though, did use both languages during their sessions, as the observations captured instances of metaphorical code-switching and code-mixing.
Yessica and Ashley: Metaphorical Code-Switching
When Yessica entered the university as a first-year student, she was placed in a developmental writing course for which she needed tutoring. That semester, she became a regular at the writing center, and she continued to visit regularly into her junior year. While she worked with most of the tutors, she developed a strong rapport with Ashley. For their tutoring session discussed below, Yessica brought an assignment from one of her upper-level English classes, taught by Professor González, to the center hoping to get assistance with citations. In this session, you will see the student introduce an example of metaphorical code-switching in order to create a moment of solidarity between her and her tutor.
About six minutes into the session, Yessica and Ashley discussed the use of quotation marks when quoting a resource. Ashley explained how to use quotation marks and when Yessica should and should not use them. Here is an excerpt:
ASHLEY: And why is that italicized? You don’t know? (laugh)
YESSICA: It’s not a quote. Well, it is a quote from what I read but is not, you know, it’s like a saying.
ASHLEY: You could just put quotation marks. You don’t need to italicize, and this is part of your writing, so you don’t have to italicize that either. None of that actually.
YESSICA: González me tiene loca . [González is driving me crazy.]
(mutual laughter.)
YESSICA: I swear to God. When this like . . .
ASHLEY: (laughing) Yeah, but you’re almost finished.
YESSICA: Yes, I can’t wait.
ASHLEY: Okay (speaks softly while reading the revised text) . Okay, good.
YESSICA: (continues to read text)
In her moment of frustration, Yessica code-switches, initiating in Spanish a conversational comment to Ashley: “ González me tiene loca . ” Ashley acknowledges the moment of solidarity by laughing with Yessica about her feelings toward the professor. Yessica then code-switches back to English, transferring her emotional claim to her academic/professional language (“I swear to God. When this like . . .”). There is a moment of conversational overlap, as Ashley speaks over Yessica during the second half of Yessica’s complaint. Still laughing, Ashley interjects some reassurance in English: “Yeah, but you’re almost finished.” This may be in conjunction with Yessica’s most recent language use, Ashley’s understanding of
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