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A Comparative Study of Code-Switching Patterns Among Bilingual Speakers in Urban India

ABSTRACT

Code-switching, the practice of alternating between two or more languages within a conversation or utterance, is a common phenomenon among bilingual speakers in multilingual societies. This paper investigates the patterns of code-switching among bilingual speakers in urban India, focusing on Hindi-English and Bengali-English bilingual communities. Using a mixed-methods approach, this study analyzes conversational data and speaker attitudes to understand the social, linguistic, and situational factors influencing code-switching behaviors. The findings reveal distinct structural and functional code-switching patterns shaped by context, interlocutor relationships, and language proficiency. This comparative analysis contributes to sociolinguistic theory and has implications for language policy, education, and communication in multilingual urban settings.

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