The Lived Experiences of Senior High School Students in Code- Switching Practices in the Classroom

This study explored the lived experiences of Technical-Vocational-Livelihood (TVL) Senior High School students in their classroom code-switching practices using a descriptive phenomenological approach. A blend of purposive and snowball sampling was employed to select seven (7) TVL students from a selected public secondary school under the Department of Education Division of Siquijor. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and were analyzed using Colaizzi’s method. Two emergent themes were identified: (1) Code-Switching as the Learning Compass; and (2) Holding On to CS When CS (Confidence Shakes). The findings revealed that behind moments of silence, hesitation, and language shifting lies a deliberate and meaningful process in which students return to their first language to regain confidence and remain engaged. The study demonstrated that code-switching goes beyond a linguistic strategy, functioning as a holistic learning tool that supports comprehension, emotional security, and mental well-being, and emphasizes the need for classroom practices that compassionately and strategically integrate code-switching in English-medium instruction.