Living in two worlds: code-switching amongst bilingual Chinese-Australian children

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 code-switching 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. Copyright 2009 Lin Zheng. No part of this article may be reproduced by any means without the written consent of the publisher.