Codeswitching with English: types of switching, types of communities

Types of codeswitching are defined, according to their social functions, with switching ‘as an unmarked choice’ receiving special attention. This type of switching occurs when bilingual peers make relevant their dual and simultaneous membership in the two groups symbolized by the two different linguistic varieties involved in the switching pattern. Structural constraints on switching are discussed across codeswitching types. Finally, it is argued that the types of codeswitching characterizing a community become predictors of the functional allocation of linguistic varieties and of intergroup competition in that community.