ABSTRACT
This chapter explores the social and pragmatic functions of Code switching (CS) in the Arab context and outlines the theoretical approaches to CS in sociolinguistic research with an overview of social phenomenon. Such an overview is essential for gaining proper perspective on the relationship between the global study of CS and its study in the Arabic sociolinguistic context. Many Arabic sociolinguistic studies used these frameworks in their approaches to bilingual CS between Colloquial Arabic (QA) and distinct languages, and to bidialectal CS between Standard Arabic (SA) and QA. The chapter highlights the intricate relationship between CS, diglossia, and identity. The proliferation of CS in written discourse in Egypt may be seen as reflective of the generally positive attitudes of many Egyptians toward their dialect and their strong sense of national identity. The chapter notes that some patterns of bidialectal CS can be explained by the existing models of CS, even though these were based on the experiences of bilingual communities.
