Code-switching from English to Mandarin and Cantonese in\r\nKevin Kwan’s books

This article explores the impact of code-switching from English into Mandarin and Cantonese in\r\nKevin Kwan’s books to reflect the cultural component of Singaporean society. Our research is based on Kwan's\r\nbooks as most of the characters represent a highly educated circle, and they are all fluent in English, Mandarin,\r\nCantonese and French. These languages are usually used for stylistic and thematic reasons, as code-switching is\r\na tool used to express cognitive intentions or to change the topic of conversation. It is believed that speakers of\r\ntwo or more languages remember language systems and activate them simultaneously when they need to convey\r\ntheir message more clearly. Based on examples from Kwan’s books, we will try to link the theoretical context of\r\nsociolinguistic theory with its actual literary use and explore the terms that linguists use to give an accurate\r\ndefinition for each phenomenon.