Code-Switching in Hawaii Research Paper

Code-Switching: The linguistic ability to communicate effectively between two distinct languages.

IP 394 was a class that I took in the Fall 2020 semester that primarily focused on the aspects of Filipino Linguistics. In an individual final research project, I explored the presence of code-switching in a place where English is widely spoken. I wanted to gauge if being surrounded by English has an effect on one’s multilingualism. In order to understand this idea, I had to compile various pieces of data to arrive at a conclusion.

My data analysis involved surveying individuals in Hawaii and their multilingual abilities. Additionally, I surveyed how often the same individuals speak only English. The collection of data was also done in the economic and public spaces in order to gauge code-switching in these types of settings. Lastly, I also collected data from various research papers and articles that contributed some insight into the research. With all these pieces of data, I was able to compose an analysis of my findings in a research paper of my own and present it in a Powerpoint presentation to share with my professor and peers.

Through this research analysis, not only did I learn about the Filipino code-switching presence in Hawaii, but I also learned how to maintain a long-term project and not lose focus on the overall objective as time passes. Conducting this research also taught me how to compile various collections of data, ideas, and pieces into one single product. Additionally, in this COVID-19 era, I also adapted and learned how to perform tasks that would normally be done best in person. Though this project was in the field of linguistics, the strategies used for this research are those that I can certainly apply to long-term software engineering products as well.

Link to my Final Paper.

Link to my Powerpoint presentation.