Code-switching used to be strongly associated with bilinguals‟ perceived inability to master
two languages properly, hence moving from one language to the other whenever the speaker
didn‟t have the necessary linguistic skills in the language of the conversation. In language
classrooms, it would even be seen as detrimental to the mastery of the target language.
However, code-switching, i.e. the act of switching from one linguistic code to another within
the same discourse, has become the focus of recent research studies as a positive element of
teaching and learning in language classrooms. The current study investigated the acts of
code-switching by teachers in EFL classrooms in the English Preparatory School of a private
university in North Cyprus. With a sociolinguistic perspective, four different teachers‟ (two
bilinguals, one native speaker of Turkish and one native speaker of English) classroom
interactions were audio-recorded and analysed. Follow-up playback sessions were also
conducted to tap into the teachers‟ perspectives on their own use of code-switching in the
classroom. The results of the analysis revealed that all of the teachers code-switched for
different purposes and they all believed that it was an effective tool to enhance learning when
employed carefully.