摘要：Why L2 learners rarely initiate discussions, avoid raising new topics, do not challenge the teacher, ask fewer questions, and are reluctant to volunteer could be attributed to many factors. However, one possible reason could be their shyness as a social dysfunction. Code switching, which has been investigated widely in second language learning and bilingualism, is rarely scrutinized in relation to this psychological barrier, i.e. shyness. This article intends to focus on code switching as a strategy used by some English learners to express words that cannot be easily uttered via their first language (Persian in Iran), just because of shyness. Also, it aims to highlight English teachers' awareness of teaching English as an effective tool for students to overcome their possible shyness. Forty English graduate students, forty English undergraduate students at the University of Isfahan, Iran, and twenty English conversation teachers working in two language centers in Isfahan participated in this study. A questionnaire consisting of six different short scenarios was used to elicit the participants' responses. The percentage of code-switching from Persian to English differed across different situations. Data analysis revealed that the participants were more willing to use English for uttering non-conventional words, asking for a favor and expressing romantic words. This study pedagogically establishes that ability to use English words in an EFL environment can be a suitable tool for students to overcome their shyness in certain occasions.
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