Arabic-English Code-Switching in Moroccan Higher Education: Implications for Multilingual Education

Abstract

This study investigates Arabic-English code-switching among university students in Morocco, focusing on its implications for multilingual education. The research examines how students in the Department of English Studies at Sultan Moulay Slimane University engage in code-switching, and the factors influencing its frequency and context, particularly gender and age. The study employs a mixed-method approach, combining a survey with individual participant analysis. Data were collected through the questionnaire and recorded spontaneous speech to analyze code-switching frequency, gender influence, code-switching types and the grammatical categories involved in it. The findings indicate that females tend to engage in more frequent code-switching than males.  Intra-sentential codeswitching, especially involving nouns and verbs, was the most used form, with code-switching occurring in informal conversations. The results suggest that code-switching can be an effective tool in multilingual contexts, supporting the flexibility of language use in higher education. The implications of these findings highlight the role of code-switching as a natural and beneficial practice in multilingual education, particularly in fostering a more comprehensive and dynamic learning environment.