Opinions about code-switching as a phenomenon

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The majority’s outlook on the phenomenon of code-switching seemed to be rather positive.

The respondents did not seem to questions the role of English in Finnish society and rather recognized the benefits of being able to use another language even when interacting in a country where English is not an official language. The acknowledged functions of code-switching and the respondents’ thoughts on what English might offer to native Finnish language users are discussed in more detail later on in the analysis, but already based on the respondents’ initial comments about the whole phenomenon of code-switching, one can conclude that the overall attitude was positive.

Only a few respondents out of the 37 addressed the problem of using English at the expense of one’s native language competence by expressing concern for the demise of Finnish. Those students commented on the domination of English and how they felt about the phenomenon of English becoming a more visible part of language use also in Finland. However, even they admitted to mixing languages together and also felt that code-switching would probably

become even more common in the future. For example one respondent pondered on what might happen to Finnish if the visibility of English continues to grow (example 5).

(5)”Kyllähän sitä miettii joskus, että entäs jos pitkän ajan päästä suomen kieli katoaa, kun siihen sekoittaa niin paljon englantia”

One does sometimes wonder whether the Finnish language will disappear some time in the future due to the fact that so much English is being mixed with it (respondent 25)

For some, the reason to shun the phenomenon was a more personal one; respondents said that the ever-increasing use of English was uncomfortable because they felt that their own language proficiency was not enough for them to understand foreign expressions used in Finland. They said that because they lack language skills, the use of English can be troublesome and the activity of code-switching can seem both uncomfortable and pointless.

Some of these thoughts can be detected in the following examples 6–8:

(6)”En koe englantiani niin hyväksi että olisin tarpeeksi itsevarma niitä esim. lauseissa sekoittamaan, koska virheen tehdessään joutuu naurunalaiseksi ja sitä itsetunto ei kestä

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I don’t think my English is good enough for me to be confident enough to mix [languages] for example in sentences, because if you make a mistake you become a laughing stock and that’s too much for the self-esteem ! (Respondent 35)

(7)”en pidä siitä koska oma kielitaitoni on niin huono, että saattaisin ymmärtää jotain väärin mikäli kieliä sekoitettaisiin”

I don’t like it, because my own English skills are so poor, that I might misunderstand something if the languages were mixed. (respondent 27)

In the above examples (6 and 7) the respondents clearly state that they lack English skills, and thus do not care for the whole phenomenon of code-switching either. In the next example, the respondent does not comment on his/her own language competence, but questions the necessity of code-switching and the excessive use of English in general by bluntly stating the following:

(8)”joskus miettii sitäkin että miksei vaan voi kirjoittaa pelkällä suomen kielellä”

Sometimes you wonder why can’t we just write merely in Finnish (respondent 9)

As the previous example 8 shows, it can be difficult to justify the use of English if a perfectly adequate expression already exists also in Finnish. This aspect is perhaps emphasized when code-switching is encountered by a person who does not necessarily know the language that well, does not find the foreign language interesting or, all in all, considers using the foreign language a chore. However, the foreign language can also be considered as an interesting addition and used successfully side by side with Finnish. In fact, even a majority of those who expressed some discomfort regarding code-switching did not show aversion toward the phenomenon, much like the following example by respondent 10 suggests:

(9)”Minun mielestäni se [kielten sekoittaminen] on hauskaa ja mielenkiintoista.

Toisaalta kielet pitäisi pitää puhtaana, mutta maailman globaalistuessa se tuskin on mahdollista”

In my opinion, it [mixing languages] is on the one hand fun and interesting. On the other hand, language should be kept pure, but in a globalizing world that’s probably not possible (respondent 10)

As the example above shows, even though there seemed to be no real concern for the future of the Finnish language, a few students did bring forth the idea that the native language ought to be enough when communicating in Finland and that it is rather pointless to bring elements of a foreign language into Finnish talk, if it is not absolutely necessary. However, the reality that languages have in fact always had contact with each other was not recognized in example 9 and rather the present state of the language was considered the original one. Despite some of the reservations toward language change, most attitudes toward the phenomenon seemed to be rather positive and according to the responses, English seems to contribute to the participants’ own language use as well. The reasons for mixing languages, as experienced by the respondents, will be discussed later in more detail. It is worth noting here, that even though the majority’s opinion toward the English language and the phenomenon of code-switching seems rather positive, or at least neutral, evaluating actual situations and speakers is not quite so black-and-white. Moreover, there are a variety of elements that contribute to

the way people view code-switching and speakers. Possible stimulus for adapting negative views on code-switching, the foreign language or, even more so, the speaker, will be presented later on.