A practical reading method
Mark What Code-Switching Changes in a Scene
Mark the page and speakers present before and after the language shift. Record which words are translated, left untranslated, or explained by context. Ask what the shift changes for each listener without treating bilingualism as a puzzle to solve.
Use this when a character shifts languages or registers within one scene. The shift can change audience, intimacy, safety, or power; translating words alone may miss the social action.
Use case
When this method helps
Use this when a character shifts languages or registers within one scene.
The shift can change audience, intimacy, safety, or power; translating words alone may miss the social action.
Method
Build the note
1. Mark the page and speakers present before and after the language shift.
2. Record which words are translated, left untranslated, or explained by context.
3. Ask what the shift changes for each listener without treating bilingualism as a puzzle to solve.
Example
See the boundary in practice
On page 72 the daughter answers her grandmother in Cantonese while the visitor remains outside the exchange; the group tracks the audience change.
Quality check
Before you trust the note
The note should preserve the language choice and social context without ranking a speaker's fluency.