Codeswitching response

I can identify with quite a bit of what was discussed by Zentella. It is only until now that I have heard of codeswitching, yet it is something I personally and my family have done frequently. My first language was German, and then having spent most of my life in the States, my second first language became English.

In a conversation with a family member I might be saying something in English but then switch over to German, it could also be the other way around, I might be saying something in German and then switch over to English, or even commit the abominable, amalgate both languages.

The reasons I do it is as mentioned by Zentella's article is group identity, and the other reason is that I might be short on vocabulary. But not only in conversation, I've even switched even on thoughts though, even though I speak English better because every now and then the German came easier.

When I first came to the States at a young age, I couldn't understand a word of English and I remember sitting in school class not knowing what the teachers were saying. Learning English was a challenging task, but that suceeded through Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles series. Cartoons were a great source for learning English.