Channels, Fall 2018

Channels • 2018 • Volume 3 • Number 1 Page 11 and review old material, and it can be beneficial for long-term instruction. However, he noted, L2-only instruction has a steep learning curve and causes slower language acquisition initially. He also stated that such instruction may cause some students not to want to speak L2 because they are intimidated. CM, then, is a sort of happy medium, he said, where learners have the opportunity to use L2 as much as possible without needing to reach a certain level of proficiency before they can begin expressing themselves. CM was described by the language teacher as “training wheels” for language development: it is helpful and sometimes even necessary at first, but it should be used less and less until it is no longer needed, and the learner progresses to full expression in L2. The language teacher warned against the possible effects of CM in more advanced stages of language acquisition, saying that CM could lead to a plateau in one’s L2. Therefore, in his opinion, CM should only be used as a jump-start into L2-only instruction rather than a constant throughout language classes. Discussion In the questionnaires, participants gave their insights on CM relating to language development. They mentioned pros and cons that aligned with my previous research findings, such as CM being used as scaffolding for L2 (Keller, 2016; Kustati, 2014; Nguyen, Grainger, & Carey, 2016). One participant touched on the idea of CM lowering a learner’s affective filter, a theme identified in Keller’s (2016) and Makulloluwa’s (2013) studies, by saying CM could have been beneficial for her when she first began language learning to get over her fear of speaking L2. In other words, CM would have lowered her affective filter so that she could start using her TL sooner. The language teacher interviewed also highlighted the idea of CM relating to the affective filter by stating that L2-only instruction may cause some students not to want to speak L2 because they are intimidated. Participants noted the limitations of CM in language development by saying CM can eventually become a crutch in language acquisition. Therefore, language learners should decrease CM as they increase language proficiency. These participants implied that if language learners rely too much on CM, they might have less motivation to continue improving their TL. This can result in plateauing in one’s L2 and/or constantly needing to supplement with L1, as mentioned in Keller’s (2016) and Kustati’s (2014) research. CM can be a useful tool in language development if it is used wisely. According to the data presented here, CM is encouraged and even necessary at the beginning stages of language acquisition, as it allows language learners to scaffold for their TL using L1 and to speak L2 where possible. As the language learner progresses to greater fluency and more advanced stages of language acquisition, CM ought to be used less and less lest it become a crutch, as the questionnaire participants said, and cause negative transfer or plateauing in L2. However, respondents and researchers do not consider CM to be a sign of low language competence, necessarily; proficient multilinguals can code-mix with others who share their languages for the purpose of better communication, more precise language, or identity formation (Ahire, 2015; Al-Azzawi, Saadoon, & Mahdi, 2017; Casielles-Suarez, 2017; Daniel, 2016; Gilead, 2016; Hasan & Akhand, 2014; Lu, 2014).