Students’ Perceptions on the Role of Teachers’ Code-Switching in Facilitating Comprehension in EFL Classroom

Abstract

Code-switching is a common linguistic phenomenon in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) classrooms where teachers alternate between English and the students' native language. While previous studies have discussed its general functions, there is still a need to deeply explore how senior high school students specifically perceive these switches as a tool for cognitive scaffolding and emotional support in real classroom situations. This research aims to explore students' perceptions regarding the role of teachers' code-switching in facilitating comprehension and its impact on their learning experience. This study used a descriptive qualitative approach. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with six eleventh-grade students at Senior High school selected using purposive sampling. The findings revealed that students perceive teacher code-switching as a vital cognitive tool that accelerates their understanding of complex materials and grammatical rules. Additionally, it plays a significant affective role by reducing classroom anxiety, increasing self-confidence, and building a better rapport between the teacher and students. However, students also expressed a strategic awareness that excessive use of the native language could potentially limit their exposure to English Overall, these findings suggest that teacher code-switching is valued by students as a supportive pedagogical practice for facilitating comprehension, provided it is managed judiciously to maintain adequate exposure to the target language.