Code Switching in Multilingual Pakistani Classrooms: A Study of Pedagogical Harms

Abstract

This study reviews how code-switching is practised in higher education English classrooms in Pakistan and explores how it affects the pedagogy of language learning, student agency, and power structures in the classroom through a critical pedagogical lens. The study helps determine patterns of code-switching, assesses whether the intensity of language alternation can influence students' attitudes toward English, and measures potential harms associated with code-switching. A qualitative case study design was employed, using classroom observations and unstructured interviews with a sample of postgraduates. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the data to unearth patterns and effects on English exposure, as well as hierarchical structures of authority. The results show that although code switching may be effective in ensuring instant understanding and classroom control, over-reliance on language switching will lead to decreased exposure to English, increased student dependency, and teacher-centred control. The research points out that unregulated routine code-switching may hinder the possibilities of an active use of linguistic activities and critique. The implications of these insights here are that reflective and strategic language management must be applied in multilingual classrooms. Such implications encourage dialogic interaction in English, strike a balance between comprehension support and target-language practice, and establish autonomy through empowerment-oriented pedagogic means. The research contributes to the development of the field by examining the intricate relationships among linguistic practice, pedagogy, and power in higher education.