Code switching and code meshing

After reading Michael-Luna and Canagarajah's descriptions of both phenomena ( 2007: 58) we can understand  what the implications of using both code switching and code meshing in communication are. Apart from the fact that code switching refers more to the lexical level of language interaction (that is why it is more common to find it in oral communication, I believe) whereas code meshing is embedded in discourse, the pragmatics of these two phenomena also vary a lot. While code switching is employed to "negotiate identities", code meshing is an act of resistance (2007: 58). From my point of view, it could be related to the cognitive realm of language use due to the complexity of the skills needed to produce discourse in which  local and vernacular aspects of a language are integrated. In other words, when people switch codes they do not have to make the same cognitive effort as when they try to integrate communicative devices for code meshing. This can also apply to the hearer or reader of that discourse. When someone switches codes in oral communication for example, it is very likely that the interlocutor knows both codes as well, so the efforts both the speaker and hearer have to make is not really big. They share the same knowledge. Thus, code switching is employed in a particular communicative situation because it is natural to do it, it is more spontaneous, I would say. Code meshing, however, as an act of resistance is not necessarily directed at people who belong to the same social/linguistic community as the speaker, so the cognitive efforts readers would have to make in order to fully understand the discourse would vary a lot depending on who the readers are.

Although, code meshing can be ascribed to the lexical level as well, another aspect that makes me think about code meshing as a device related to cognitive linguistics is the fact that it has to do with frames of thought. Last week I found out a page on facebook which could be seen as an example of code meshing. It is called "Spanish sayings" and it consists of posts about how to express popular Spanish sayings or proverbs in English. So, though the meaning of those expressions makes no sense in English when translated literally, am explanation is provided in order to understand what they mean. For instance, "enterarse de lo que vale un peine" , whose literal translation is " to realized what a comb is worth" is explained as it follows: "You may have heard this more than once from your parents. When someone has a bad behavior or has done something wrong, spaniards use this saying in a threatening way, to let you know you're about to receive your punishment. There are several theories about where it comes from. The value of the material old combs were made of and an ancient object called comb, whose utility was to torture are the main ones" (https://www.facebook.com/SpanishSayings). 


As for the pedagogical issues of introducing code meshing in the classroom, from my personal experience I would say that it does not only work but also it is a great way to lower the affective filter of students. Although we are thinking about English teaching and learning, we can use code meshing when teaching other languages. In my classes of Spanish 112 I was told to only use Spanish in the class. However, students feel under pressure if they are always told to speak the 2L and most of the times they do not have the knowledge enough to express themselves, which produces frustration and the possibilities for them to acquire the language. So, as Michael-Luna and Canagarajah point out, code switching was seen as a deficiency rather than as a resource "2007: 64). From what I have experienced, either in Spanish or English classes, if the teacher favors code meshing and code switching in the appropriate way, students start making connections in their minds and feel much more comfortable with both languages. Besides, they start using the L2 much more by themselves.

Apart from the activities and strategies Michael-Luna and Canagarajah propose, using visual support or even listening support materials in the class can help teachers to integrate code meshing in the class.
One of the problems of the strategies proposed by Michael-Luna and Canagarajah is the fact that finding linguistically and culturally relevant texts can be a hard task to do when students do not have they same background.