CODE SWITCHING PATTERNS AMONG PAKISTANI WOMEN: THE COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS ACROSS UNIVERSITY DISCIPLINES

Abstract

This study explores code-switching behaviour of Pakistani women enrolled in university programmes across the disparate fields in seek of three sets of interlocking benefits: the productiveness of bilingual academic discussion, negotiation of layered cultural allegiance, and maintenance of supportive peer networks. By means of a qualitative research design, inquiry captures how language rotation within lecture, laboratory, and informal study group contexts shapes teacher-student & student–student dynamics. Systematic data gathering, comprising verbatim interviews, makes visible the cognitive and social motivations, persistent hurdles, and observable gains that code-switching appears to offer participants. The analysis of codes and patterns reveals a pragmatic adaptation to curriculum pressures, a negotiation of cultural identity, and a gently assertive style of peer adaptation summoned whenever disciplinary English and national linguistics collide. This research highlights the role of code-switching as an integral part of multilingual communication in higher education landscape of Pakistan, emphasizing its implications for academic and professional success. It argues for policies that embrace linguistic diversity & inspire bilingual practices in institutions. The study contributes to broader discourse on language, identity and education in multilingual societies by shedding light on the nuanced experiences of Pakistani women.