Language Attitudes and Educational Implications A Study of Code-Switching Among College-Level Bilingual Students in Karachi

The prime objective is to explore the language attitudes of students in Karachi, Pakistan, in the context of bilingual education using Urdu and English as mediums of instruction; particularly, the study delves into how code-switching phenomenon between Urdu and English influences students' attitudes during English-based subject classes at the college level. Additionally, the study examines how these language attitudes impact students' academic performance. To gather inclusive insights, a mixed-method approach was employed for data collection. The gathered data underwent analysis to distinguish the variations in students' language attitudes towards each medium of instruction. Furthermore, the study assesses how these attitudes potentially affect the learning of English-based subjects at the college level. The findings reflect that learners strongly preferred code-switching because they felt it helped them better comprehend difficult subjects and they could perform better academically. Although students appreciated being able to communicate in English, they thought bilingual education was more beneficial to learning. To improve student engagement and learning outcomes, the study recommends that educational institutions implement controlled code-switching as a component of their instructional technique, maintaining a balance between English and Urdu.