This image by Da’Niyah Goodwin of a woman who, despite her words carrying the same meaning, is speaking in two vastly different styles of the English language. The shift in her choice of words, speaking style, and overall self-expression is called code-switching. This process is used by millions of people around the world who change their communication style to better suit their environment. Neuroscience and linguistics are only just scratching the surface of our current understanding of code-switching. In this article, we unpack the basics of code-switching: how it works, why it happens, and what we still have to learn. Image source: https://www.theodysseyonline.com/african-american-vernucalar-language
Being raised in the Philippines, I was taught to practice and actively speak two languages. At home, my parents would speak to me in both my first language (Filipino) and my second language (English). Attending private school, I would immediately switch to solely speaking in English. I was often commended for the fluidity in the manner in which I spoke English in my home country. This ability had opened doors for me and when I entered spaces wherein, I felt…
