Some days I speak Spanish well. Some days it's bad. Some days I code-switch. Sometimes feels really natural and flowing. Other times I give up in Spanish & switch to English... admittedly maybe for lack of confidence. I am not a native speaker of Spanish, I began learning at 22. Sometimes it feels innate & sometimes really foreign. I wonder if this is how "native" code-switchers feel?
So is it legit when I code-switch... or does the material only apply to those who are native speakers or both languages? How do we determine these kinds of things, like who is "native" and who isn't?
Amber, haber aprendido español a los 22 años y hablarlo tan bien como tú lo haces es realmente magnifico. Creo que el hecho de que puedes cambiar de un idioma a otro demuestra tu destreza en ambos idiomas. Antes pensaba que las personas cambiaban de un idioma a otro porque no tenían el conocimiento para poder expresarse bien pero con los años me he dado cuenta que, como lo hemos comentado en clase, es todo lo contrario. Así que debes de estar orgullosa de ser una persona bilingüe :)
ResponderBorrarestoy de acuerdo con Karla!
ResponderBorrarand yes I think it is legit!
In the past I used to have similar ideas and shared similar opinions. However, after reading and learning about code switching it has become more clear to me as well that someone who code switches needs to know the grammatical structures well enough in both languages in order to manipulate them. I think as we experiment with language our understanding becomes better and our ability increases to express ourselves in whatever code we choose. I believe the ability to be able to use a mixture of codes to express yourself is a very unique concept and I found it very appealing. As a result, I have found myself experimenting a lot with code switching, trying to practice as much as I can to gain facility, whereas in the past it was something that I rarely did. I don't know if this has happened to anyone else or if anyone else's experience is similar?