Code-Switching as a Pedagogical Tool in Multilingual Indian Classrooms: An Applied Linguistics Perspective

Abstract

Indian classrooms are inherently multilingual environments where teachers and students routinely draw on multiple languages, including English, Hindi, regional languages, and home dialects. Code-switching, the alternation between two or more languages within a single conversation or instructional episode, has been a contested but persistent feature of Indian educational practice. While historically marginalized as a sign of linguistic deficit or pedagogical weakness, recent applied linguistics scholarship has increasingly recognized code-switching as a productive pedagogical resource, particularly in contexts of bilingual and multilingual education. This article examines code-switching as a pedagogical tool in Indian classrooms through an applied linguistics perspective, with particular reference to the implementation of the National Education Policy 2020 and its emphasis on multilingual education. Drawing on a critical literature review methodology, the study analyses peer-reviewed scholarship and policy documents published between 2010 and 2025, including international research on translanguaging and Indian-context studies of classroom code-switching. The analysis identifies four functional categories of pedagogical code-switching: cognitive scaffolding for content comprehension; affective and relational functions; metalinguistic awareness and language-specific instruction; and inclusion of linguistic minorities and home languages. The study draws on translanguaging theory, Cummins’ interdependence hypothesis, and Indian sociolinguistic scholarship. Findings indicate that principled code-switching, when guided by clear pedagogical purpose, can enhance comprehension, participation, and equity in multilingual classrooms. The article concludes with recommendations for teacher education, curriculum design, language policy, and assessment practice in multilingual Indian schools.