To Code Switch or Not to Code Switch? That is the Question. | Katelynn Duggins | TEDxMaysHighSchool

Some people are not familiar with how to handle themselves in societal conditions other than what they are used to and they will flop in social and cultural situations or be intimidated. But then there are some people who can maneuver easily in any social and cultural situation and blend in easily because they know understand how to code switch. Katelynn explains when and how to code switch. Katelynn is a senior at Mays High School. She was Raised in Cincinnati, Ohio and moved to Atlanta, Georgia in 2015. Growing up she faced many struggles that have shaped her to be the young woman she is today. Despite her struggles and ridicule by others, she stayed focused on her education and managed to obtain and maintain a spot in the top 10% of her graduating class while successfully balancing many extra curricular activities and strenuous academic courses. Throughout her journey the most important thing to her is staying humble and true to who she really is. She is a member of the BELLES Leadership club and served at Emory University during the summer as a junior intern. She aspires to become a pediatrician. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at www.ted.com/tedx

[@lindiwengwevela524]

Code switching goes a lot deeper than where you're from and where you are. I don't speak or behave the same way when I go to my grandmother's house, versus when I'm just chilling with my cousins. Same family, same neighbourhood. Different demeanour and different tone of language. I don't speak and behave the same way with my friends as I do with my mum. I swear a ton with my friends and never swear around my mom. I don't speak the same way with my boss as I do with my coworkers who are peers. Everybody code switches. It's just that people of colour have another layer to it. And even more, here in South Africa where I'm from, we code switch between actual languages. I feel comfortable being able to speak my home language or any other indigenous language with another African, but only speak English with people of other races. Anybody who has studied sociology, linguistics, or theatre knows that we all code switch, whether we know it or not. Maybe we're more aware of it as people of colour.

[@crappyaccount]

I never even thought of it that way. Well said.

[@howl2417]

Honestly, I always thought it was clear as night, that everyone does it depending on the social context around you. But for some reason, probably due to history, Americans constantly bring skin colour into the discission, although it has nothing to do with it, but with culture and other factors.

[@shamrock5725]

@@howl2417 Culture is so encompassing that color itself does has a factor (albeit possibly a minor one), but code switching has been around since the dawn of civilization and probably earlier. Many human beings speak different naturally when around a different culture that talks with an accent even when speaking the exact same language. You don't dress is casual for the military or go to the queen/king in pjs. This is normal, but people want to make issues about everything.

[@stina8485]

Codeswitching is ever evolving. Great presentation. Public speaking can be frightening for most of us humans!

[@ExCyberino]

Codeswitch is a survival tool that has degrees, sometimes being absolutely obligated to hard code-switch is to detrimental to one's mind, so exhausting that i don't think is healthy in the long run. Just saying, not all code switching is harmless

[@jasminealexia]

Totally agree

[@selenas_musings]

Agreed!

[@edwinamendelssohn5129]

Then just taunt with people who understand you without it. Narrow your world.

[@arxdeath773]

I would say it is also the accent/intonation that people use. Southerners are also looked down upon because of their intonation of English.

[@itztoru330]

I got assigned this for a homework assignment but I honestly really agree with what she had to say. Why be someone who you really aren't? Just be you and be happy with being yourself.

[@iboughtathing2001]

That's right! Why wear clothes? Why bathe or practice hygiene? Just be your authentic self 100% of the time.

[@rin-eri]

I think her point was that you can code switch and still be yourself, as long s as you’re mindful about how you do it

[@chakaburnett3251]

Well done, Ms. Duggins. You made me think about how much code switching has affected my life and the need to be authentically and respectably me with pride. Keep educating the masses. 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽

[@dinahhutson3855]

My girlll Katiee , love this

[@ms.sheribrown9646]

I appreciate the moral foundation undertone distinction presented by Ms. Duggins. The essential core must remain; the communication takes in the environment and how to effectively get your messages to others.

[@nicolebaby9920]

I heard your video and my eyes opened.

[@TheSuccessdoc]

Great presentation! I just discussed this in a training I did today. Am sharing your talk to help people expand their understanding of code switching.

[@williesutton1555]

Great job young lady! Real Talk!

[@Royalbeasthood]

Good job Katelynn!

[@AngelicTroubleMaker-LaVooDoo]

My quote is ," I can go to the WHITE HOUSE or the TRAP HOUSE without skipping a beat" 😉

[@jasminealexia]

Love it sis!

[@AngelicTroubleMaker-LaVooDoo]

@@jasminealexia 😁🙌🏾💯 Thx sis!! 👍🏽

[@AngelicTroubleMaker-LaVooDoo]

@Veronica DeBoest ❤❤❤❤❤💯

[@adrian-linisteanghel750]

Brilliant love it chica

[@AngelicTroubleMaker-LaVooDoo]

@@adrian-linisteanghel750 Ayee!!! 🤣💯🤩

[@RealityCheck1980]

From a seasoned code switcher- That was absolutely EXCELLENT presentation!

[@iboughtathing2001]

Which code are you using now in this comment??

[@tempesneverns3355]

Well said loved your presentation you put it right on the map you said everything that needs to be said but if anyone disagree they are wrong these are Facts of Life.

[@sherimasherian6004]

Came here from a school vídeo, and I thought id be bored but this is interesting

[@kyla5530]

Me too!! I learned a lot

[@pbk977]

Wow, incredible!

[@hollymaluk1964]

Fantastic!

[@nicolec1803]

Very well said young lady!!

[@gerrardgibbs6897]

Is code switching not just a function of the double conciousness that W.E.B Dubois spoke of?

[@yoso5934]

Love this 👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾🤘🏾💜

[@0tto9]

Code Switching used to be called fitting in.

[@marilyngentle2777]

Excellent presentation will be sharing with some young people soon. We all do it, if I am surrounded with my south east London phrase the phrases I use when surrounded with my Grenadian family are wasted, I want to enjoy both, and know I can switch in a professional situation too to be clear and share. I love that she points out you do not change your morals by having multiple ways of speaking. My mother said in her heavy Grenadian accents "take your time and speak so they remember you". Jamaicans have a phrase "speeky spokey" when their parents try to go very very posh English in certain situations, it is the same thing they are code switching

[@vibesofspartanburg3742]

Good job😀

[@thomaskearney6385]

Outstanding

[@biancaalexander8907]

im so proud of her

[@MegaDiva1999]

amazing.She's roughly the same age as my teenage daughters and this is so impressive

[@PorscheAbraham]

Yaaaass ma'am sis!!! [Awesome Job Katelynn! I'm so proud of you!]

[@jessesaffold1165]

Very good

[@grantdillon3420]

Yeah for the most part I think of code switching as one of the tools you can use to effectively navigate the politics of life.

[@lollymagg]

A colleague of mine made me aware of this as I was not even thinking of it

[@Mobin92]

Why is this such an issue in the US again? Dialects are a normal thing everywhere! And it's normal for people to code switch to the proper language when talking to strangers. E.g. I'm Italian and the code switch is so strong that I really really have to force myself to speak in my native dialect around people that don't speak my dialect. It's annoying when people want to hear it out of curiosity, but I literally can't.

[@Te_Ma_To]

YGG, she did that! 🤜🏾

[@tsw_wolf1772]

Makes me proud to be from Nati😊

[@ahaley3292]

I show this to my students every year. It has a wonderful message embedded within it about being true to yourself by sticking with your morals and values regardless of who you are with. This Ted Talk definitely spurs great conversations too.

[@monikadonald8725]

I love your sister. She sounds like a great sister.

[@MrPickledede]

she is your sister?

[@StevinSto]

Why can't we all just accept the way ppl speak and not judge because its different from your speach, and if you don't understand what's being said politely ask for clarification? That's what I try to do.

[@Da_Black_Man]

💪🏾💪🏾💪🏿💪🏿💪🏾💪🏾

[@shanitrabrinson2276]

Code switching is apart of who we are as individuals and it is something we all do just to fit in based upon the situation we are in or who we are around. The good about code switching is if someone doesn't know you then it's okay because they don't know if that's the real you or not. The bad of code switching is if you do it around family and friends who know you then they give a side eye because you have never acted this way or spoken this way before. The presenters example of Barack Obama speaking so eloquently at a press conference but when he is speaking to athletes or people like him he changes his tone and acts differently. Is code switching good or not? Should everyone do it or should we just be ourselves and hope for the best?

[@sahkalifiya]

Her voice when the video started 😍

[@alwaysv]

EXCELLENT! please share this with your person going out here in this white man's world. Because yes, we all code switch!

[@fuckno.]

my young eloquent goddess 💚

[@PoseidonKross2009]

The folks that couldn't fill some of those empty seats missed out

[@mintmojito14pieces]

Tell em!

[@zamanium7517]

Code switch

[@ArturoStojanoff]

Code Switching is indeed a linguistic term too though. In the field of linguistics it's used not for this, but for actual linguistic processes in bilingual (or bidialectal) populations. If you're studying linguistics that is important, otherwise probably not so much, so whatever, go off.

[@jaminwaite3867]

code switching as she's using it and as we commonly use it in monolingual circles is really heteroglossia/biglossia

[@SunnyIlha]

Jus don' be talkin all dat, Yu kno, gangsta mess comin outta da mouth F-words, & violence & all. The rest is Alrite and Rite-On!!

[@AhmedAlzkrah96]

Is that the girl from bad boys 2

[@undrtakr900]

Lol, you're thinking of Gabrielle Union and no that is not her.

[@MrPickledede]

People dont code switch to survive but to thrive

[@HerrinHanne]

True but there are some where code switching is necessary for their survival. Like wearing disguises to fit in and changing their persona to not stand out.

[@edwinamendelssohn5129]

@@HerrinHanne of common among all of us. We are more comfortable at home with familiar speech and use the common speech in professional settings.

[@BlackLabelSlushie]

She's very good. I love how matter of fact she was. She did not engage in any SJW 'how can I come off as being victimized here.' She is just accurately portraying a fact of life.

[@Cagon415]

She didn't make you feel guilty for judging. Good job.

[@Rejectcolinization]

I don’t code switch. What I do is challenge the “superior race” to look up everything I’m saying to them. Like we had to do during colonization.

[@jeffjohnston1961]

Yea that’s what the do “go look up everything thing you say “ Your dreaming

[@edwinamendelssohn5129]

Yea, try that while traveling the world where we all make an effort for others to understand us.

[@MisterMannerisms]

When in China, don't ask for a fork. The utensils you ate with back home are irrelevant.

[@edwinamendelssohn5129]

Someone gets it

[@hannahscarlettt]

its crazy how no one believes this anymore

[@karenetienne3611]

nowadays kids (in America)act the same no matter the race

[@johnsinclair6170]

I’m white and “code switch”. It’s about culture, not skin color.

[@edwinamendelssohn5129]

I know. They think this stuff is unique to their culture. I was raised in California by country people from the south. I spoke one way at home and another in public

[@Crabbyslitzy]

NOBODY CARES.

[@MrPickledede]

Increasingly competitive people from third world countries from all of the work seek to be competitive in the world of multinational business they are determined students of the English language; when one of the students that I teach English to, whether from Eriteria or China have questions, they ask me about what to say on job interviews not whether its okay to code switch. It is so sad that people are deluding young people just like this young person that being angry and demanding that everybody adapt to you is a great goal to strive for. Leftists and liberals at work....very sad.

[@samsooms.1796]

What's that? I appreciate your speech, but please next time just don't use a title that could be misleading. In sociolinguistics, code switching is a thing which I wanted in a video. My time has been wasted by this title.

[@jeymiah8468]

I agree. Code switching in linguistics means to switch from one language to another within a sentence or conversation.

[@ishahcanah7351]

That’s what code-switching really means. “Code” meaning “language”. When we use two different languages within a sentence or two different environments.

[@nicolebaby9920]

I heard your video and my eyes opened.