What is 'code switching' and why do people do it?

Have you ever noticed someone changing the way they talk when they're around different people? You may even do this yourself, using different slang, intonation and articulation when you're at work versus when you're hanging out with your friends or family.

Sometimes those changes might be subtle, while other times they're obvious. People who grew up around different cultures or who straddle multiple racial/cultural/linguistic/geographic identities can sometimes have dramatic shifts in how they speak depending on who they're talking to.

This linguistic phenomenon is known as "code switching." It's not new, nor is it controversial, but there are some people who seem to scoff at it as an explanation for people switching up their speech patterns. They hear someone code switch and think they're being "fake" or pandering to a specific audience.

In reality, code switching is both a natural tendency and a means of navigating complex social dynamics.

What does code switching mean?

Britannica describes code switching as a "process of shifting from one linguistic code (a language or dialect) to another, depending on the social context or conversational setting."

One of the clearest and most cited examples of code switching we see in the U.S. is when Black Americans use AAVE (African American Vernacular English) with their Black friends and family and more "standard" American English with their white friends or coworkers. However, Black Americans are not the only people who code switch regularly.

In fact, most of us change up the way we speak depending on the circumstances and who we're talking to. We talk differently at work than we do at home. We use different language with our kids than we do with our spouses. We speak differently when making a business call than when calling up an old friend. Even if you don't think you ever code switch, you probably do, it may just be subtle.

Code switching in a cultural and racial context, however, has some specific nuances that may not be clear to those who aren't intimately familiar with different cultural spaces.

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Why do people code switch?

There are many reasons why people change the way they speak around different people. Here are five big ones that the NPR blog Code Switch identified:

1. Unconscious habit

Of hundreds of stories people shared that involved code switching with Code Switch, most were inadvertent. People often code switch automatically, slipping into a dialect or language that fits the circumstances or group dynamic they are in.

For instance, if someone is bilingual and speaks English around their friends, they will automatically switch to Spanish when talking with their Spanish-speaking grandparents. It's not consciously chosen, it's just like a switch that flips in the brain based on context and environment.

2. To fit in

It's a natural human instinct to fit in as a means of protection and/or to prevent feeling like a social outsider. We tend to adopt the language of those we spend a lot of time with, and if you spend a lot of time with different groups of people, you will naturally code switch to fit in with that group.

For minorities, code switching to fit into the dominant culture can be a habit not just for social comfort, but for safety and survival.

It's worth noting here that code switching to fit in can be advantageous but it can also be psychologically exhausting, especially when it's done to keep yourself from being subjected to prejudice or racism.

3. To get something

This is where code switching can get confusing and cause people to accuse politicians or others of "pandering," because yes, sometimes code switching is intentional. One example is using a cutesy voice to convince your partner to do something for you. Another is when people use certain words and even accents in the service industry to gain favor with customers. (Apparently, southern accents get more tips. Who knew?)

4. To literally talk in code

If you and a friend speak a common language and you want to say something in secret to one another, you may code switch to keep others from knowing what you're talking about.

5. To express a thought more clearly

Languages and dialects differ in vocabulary and meaning, and sometimes there's something you want to say that can best be expressed with a specific phrase from a specific dialect.

Is code switching a problem?

Code switching isn't inherently good nor bad, it's just a thing that people do. Where questions come in is when people try to code switch in a way that's not natural for them or that comes across as mocking a person's or culture's speech.

Have you ever known someone who picks up other people's accents super easily and mirrors them? Uncomfortable sometimes, right? Even if it's not intentional, putting on an accent that isn't part of one's identity or history can feel wrong, especially if it's an accent that has been ostracized or made fun of in popular culture.

Politicians code switching can open them up to criticism, whether it's instinctual or not. As United Language Group points out, "Code-switching is a powerful psychological tool, as well. When an individual uses a group’s dialect or accent, the audience is more receptive to the content. As a result, politicians have been known to code-switch to a casual tone around certain groups, with varying degrees of success."

"Much of this political code-switching has been criticized by pundits as pandering to crowds with fake affectations," the site adds. "While some of this might include calculated, disingenuous moves, most of it is simply a natural reaction to being around different groups."

If a Black person is speaking to a largely Black crowd, it's natural to code switch to Black American vernacular. If a southerner who has lost much of their drawl goes back to his hometown for a bit, he'll likely code switch back into his native accent without even trying.

Comedians Key and Peele even tackled code switching with humor in several of their skits, such as this one:

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Code switching is an expected, well-documented phenomenon and one that we should all understand better so we don't end up making unfair or erroneous assumptions.