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oa Living in two worlds
Code-switching amongst bilingual Chinese-Australian children
- Source: Australian Review of Applied Linguistics, Volume 32, Issue 1, Jan 2009, p. 5.1 - 5.18
Abstract
This paper is based on an analysis of interviews, conducted at three primary schools in Melbourne, which sought to explore the determinants of code-switching between English and Chinese. Specifically, it examined school education and other specific possible determinants of code switching amongst Chinese-Australian bilingual children. The specific determinants of codeswitching that emerge from this study include: the length of residence in an English speaking community; the exposure to languages in schools and family communication patterns. The nature of school education played a leading role in Chinese language maintenance for the bilingual children.
© 2009 John Benjamins Publishing Company