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Codeswitching and biocognitivism among successful Puerto Ricans: An exploratory study
Abstract
The present exploratory study attempted to investigate the frequency of codeswitching, preferred learning/cognitive style for decision-making processes and the relationship to the development of bicognitive skills among three categories of successful Puerto Ricans. Three categories of Puerto Ricans were identified as: Puerto Ricans who came from Puerto Rico to pursue a master of doctorate degree (Group I); Puerto Ricans who came to the United States during their teenage years and finished their education in the States (up to master's and/or doctorate degree--Group II); and second generation Puerto Ricans (born, raised and educated--master or doctorate degree--in the United States--Group III). A total of fifteen (15) subjects participated in the study: nine (9) in Group I, three (3) in Groups II and III. The criteria aforementioned was used for participants screening selection and specific answers to six research questions were sought. Data for the study were collected through audiotaped ethnographic interviews, Cultural Life Style Inventory (Mendoza, 1986), and transcript records. The results of the analysis of the frequency of codeswitching among all participants suggested the existence of codeswitching as a sociolinguistic phenomenon; topics, the content of the questions and whether the questions were asked in Spanish or English played an important role in generating switches to either English or Spanish. Codeswitching varied in frequency according to the questions asked to participants. The predominant topics that triggered the occurrence of codeswitching were philosophy of life, experiences in the United States, food, influences of three cultures on the development of bicognitive skills and language competency. Participants exposed to both (field independence/sensitive) learning styles are able to respond appropriately no matter what the situation; whether it is taking a standardized test, working by him or herself or working in groups. The results of the analysis of participants' responses of how codeswitching and bicognitivism relate to each other suggest that the exposure to two (2) cultures (Puerto Rican and American) positively influenced their ability to develop bicognitive skills. There seem to be more similarities between Group I and II and between either of them and Group III with regards to the frequency of switching from English to Spanish and vice versa when answering the interview questions. The preferred language to answer questions for Group I and II was Spanish. For Group III it was English. The overwhelming majority of the participants expressed that it was fine to codeswitch. The results were interpreted as indicating that the degree of bilingualism, degree of biculturalism, and learning/cognitive style contribute to the development and enhancement of bicognitive skills.
Subject Area
Educational psychology|Occupational psychology|Ethnic studies
Recommended Citation
Quinones, Agnes, "Codeswitching and biocognitivism among successful Puerto Ricans: An exploratory study" (1992). Doctoral Dissertations Available from Proquest. AAI9305886.
https://scholarworks.umass.edu/dissertations/AAI9305886