THE EVOLUTION OF SOCIOLINGUISTIC APPROACHES TO THE STUDY OF CODE-SWITCHING. A REVIEW OF KEY THEORIES AND CONCEPTS

In modern linguistics, the study of bilingual communication has gained growing importance as language contact becomes increasingly common. This article reviews the main sociolinguistic approaches to code-switching and traces its theoretical development within bilingual discourse. It outlines the key ideas of scholars such as Gumperz, Poplack, and Myers-Scotton, emphasizing that code-switching serves as an intentional communicative device rather than a sign of interference.