CODE-SWITCHING IN MODERN COMMUNICATION

Abstract

This article offers a comprehensive examination of code-switching — the alternation between two or more languages or language varieties within discourse — and its role in contemporary communication. The review covers definitional boundaries, typologies, linguistic and cognitive mechanisms, sociocultural functions, manifestations in digital media, pedagogical implications, methodological approaches for research, and directions for future study. Drawing on classic and contemporary sociolinguistic theory, the paper argues that code-switching is a structured, purposeful, and adaptive communicative strategy that reflects and shapes identity, social relations, and communicative efficiency in multilingual societies.