What is Inter-sentential code-switching

The present study explores first- and second-generation Turkish speakers' reasons for code-switching in the United States (U.S.) as well as the effects of social variables (age of arrival and length of residence in the U.S.) on the speakers' reasons for code-switching. The speeches of Turkish speakers were analyzed via interviews, focusing on their reasons for code-switching. A total of 20 Turkish speakers participated in the study. The study adopted a qualitative research approach to determine the reasons for code-switching. The data were based on spontaneous corpus data consisting of 10 hours of interviews with the Turkish speakers. According to the results, the participants used code-switching for the following reasons: lexical need, emphasizing and clarifying a particular point, and filling a gap in speech. Significant effects of length of residence on the use of code-switching were also observed suggesting that the longer the speakers lived in the U.S., the less items they recalled in Turkish.