Code-switching is the process of shifting from one linguistic code to another depending on the communication setting or context. Identity researchers are interested in the way that code-switching, particularly among ethnic groups, is used to shape and maintain a sense of community and identity. To develop a better understanding of code-switching, the history of code-switching and the ideological perspectives surrounding code-switching are discussed in this entry.

From a linguistic perspective, code-switching was originally thought of as the process of ...