Communication between and among bilinguals does not always take place in the same manner. In fact, interaction among bilingual individuals depends on the circumstances, topics under discussion, and even the mood of the interlocutors. For this reason, upon careful consideration of the communication between and among bilinguals, one will definitely have to deal with bilingualism in general and code-switching and code-mixing in particular. It is the objective of the present paper to introduce bilingualism in brief, and deal with code-switching and code mixing in detail, for bilinguals may follow different patterns in their conversation and adhere to one of the possible choices. Attempts will also be made to provide examples in either one of the cases when deemed necessary.

Some of the figures of speech in Persian language are those that show the rhetorical value of the bilingualism. Tarjema (translation), Molama (bilingual poem), Dhuloghatayn (readable by two languge), Eghtebas (borrowing), Darj (insertion), are these figures of speech. Unfortunately, in rhetorical sources and books, the aesthetic values of these figures have not been explained. However, the aesthetic aspects of these figures can be shown through several theories that discuss code switching; considering the fact that some of the theories are commonly used in literature and literary criticism. Therefore, in this essay, it is shown that from these figures, Eghtebas (borrowing) has a higher literary value and importance than others. Moreover, the literary significance of this figure is revealed through several theories.

This study investigated the phenomenon of Persian-English code-switching in the Persian conversation of adult Iranians living in the U.S. The primary objective of the study was to find out the relation between the two patterns of switching: intra-sentential and inter-sentential code-switching with the duration of residence in the speakers' second language society. The analysis of data, utterances produced by 18 Iranians living in the U.S. for a period of between 5 to 22 years, indicated that there is a relation between the period of residence and the patterns of 'code-switching. That is, those with less years of residence produce more intra-sentential switches compared to those whose period of residence is more. However, a closer look at the data reveals that switches for the bilinguals have the same discourse functions of style-shifting for monolinguals. In this study it is a sign of topicalization.

Four characteristics of language proficiency which are formal mastery, semantic mastery, communicative capacity, and creativity are best assumed to develop simultaneously from the start. They complement each other through the learning process. During the first stage of learning, the learner is preoccupied with language as a system of communication which is arduous and strictly limited. The learner is dependent on help both in learning and in using it for communication. This dependence phase ends as soon as the learner feels confident enough to use the language, however defectively, for his own purpose. The present study is an attempt to understand if code-switching conducted as a communicative strategy leads to earlier entrance of the students into communication phase and consequently to the establishment of early oral proficiency. The study was conducted on post-beginner female EFL subjects at a language school in Karaj, Iran. In order to have homogeneous subjects and to validate subsequent speaking test to be administered in the course of the study, a teacher-made achievement test was given to the subjects. After random assignment of the subjects to the control and experimental groups, the subjects were asked to deliver a five-minute description on a picture. The pretest was given to both groups to test their speaking ability at the beginning of the study and make sure that they belonged to the same population. In the posttest, which was run after giving the treatment to the experimental group, students took another speaking test with the same characteristics as the pretest. Comparing the means of the posttests indicated that the subjects in the experimental group had a significantly better performance in their speaking compared to the control group. It was concluded that the use of code-switching does improve the speaking skill of EFL learners and can be used as a technique to enhance this skill.

Following the previous research studies, the present study intends to investigate the positive function that code-switching to L1 (Farsi) performs in the EFL classes of three English institutes in Iran. The case study focuses on revealing the attitudes of teachers and learners towards the patterns, functions and factors of switching to L1 in EFL classes in the context of Iran. In this study, quantitative research method is employed in order to analyze code-switching to Farsi through questionnaires. The analysis of the collected data revealed that code-switching to L1 is a prevalent strategy used by most EFL teachers in English institutes of Iran. It was also concluded that code-switching to L1 plays a positive role in teaching and learning of the English language.

The use of L1 in language classroom has been traditionally repressed by applied linguists. However, in recent years, it is believed that switching to L1 can be considered a pedagogical instrument by teachers rather than a heterodox. Consequently, this two-phase study was an attempt to investigate the functions that are fulfilled by EFL teachers through their use of L1. In the first phase (i.e., theoretical phase), a thorough analysis of the available literature on teacher code switching was conducted with the aim of developing a typology which would encompass various functions of teachers’ L1 use. In the second phase (i.e., empirical phase), in order to test the construct validity of the typology, data was collected from four EFL teachers by video recording an entire session of their teaching. The instances of code switching in their performance were transcribed and coded in the light of the typology. The results of data analysis indicated that the typology has external manifestations in teachers’ instances of code switching. It was also discovered that, among the selected participants, L1 was mostly used to fulfill pedagogical functions rather than social ones. Implications of the findings are discussed and suggestions for further research are provided.

During the last three decades, code-switching has been one of the most interesting issues in the field of sociolinguistics. code-switching is a language contact phenomenon which can be seen in many bi/multilingual societies. Various definitions are suggested for code-switching that one cannot easily find a common point among them. Therefore, it is necessary to try to find a practical and comprehensive definition or a systematic classification of the existing definitions. The relationship between code-switching and other language contact phenomena is important as well. In the present study, we deal with the issue of code-switching and its various definitions, its previous studies, its relationship to other language contact phenomena (such as bi/multilingualism, linguistic borrowing, code-mixing, interference and mixed language), its functions as well as the advantages of studying it. This research is a part of a wider research project dealing with various aspects of code-switching which its other parts will be presented in the near future.