Phonetics, Phonology and Prosody of Code-Switching:: A Scoping Review

Despite growing interest in bilingual phonetics, limited attention has been given to the phonetic characteristics of code-switching. To inspire and direct future research, this study presents a scoping review of the phonetics and phonology (including prosody) of code-switching. The review aims to identify the language combinations studied and describe the demographic and bilingualism-related characteristics of the participant populations. Furthermore, it intends to outline common experimental methods used to elicit phonetic data and identify the segmental and suprasegmental features investigated. Two researchers systematically searched 7 academic databases, following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Protocol (PRISMA-P). Additionally, sources were identified through mailing lists and social media outreach. A total of 54 relevant studies were included in the final analysis. The review reveals a strong bias toward studies involving Spanish-English...Show moreDespite growing interest in bilingual phonetics, limited attention has been given to the phonetic characteristics of code-switching. To inspire and direct future research, this study presents a scoping review of the phonetics and phonology (including prosody) of code-switching. The review aims to identify the language combinations studied and describe the demographic and bilingualism-related characteristics of the participant populations. Furthermore, it intends to outline common experimental methods used to elicit phonetic data and identify the segmental and suprasegmental features investigated. Two researchers systematically searched 7 academic databases, following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Protocol (PRISMA-P). Additionally, sources were identified through mailing lists and social media outreach. A total of 54 relevant studies were included in the final analysis. The review reveals a strong bias toward studies involving Spanish-English bilinguals, particularly in North America. It also shows a predominant focus on segmental analyses, specifically voice onset time in word-initial voiceless consonants. In contrast, studies investigating suprasegmental features such as intonation remain scarce. Findings also indicate limited information on the influence of the matrix and embedded language on each other at the phonetic level. Finally, a terminological consensus on code-switching is yet to be reached, mirroring trends across code-switching research more generally. Based on these findings, the study offers recommendations such as diversifying language combinations, exploring underrepresented phonetic features, and improving reporting of participant demographic data. These recommendations may be used to refine and expand future research on the phonetics, phonology and prosody of code-switching.Show less

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Phonetics, Phonology and Prosody of Code-Switching: A Scoping Review