Welsh-English code-switching and the Matrix Language Frame model

The main aim of this paper is to test the Matrix Language Frame (MLF) model of code-switching with Welsh-English data, and to determine whether Welsh-English is a “classic case” of code-switching in that a matrix language can be clearly identified in bilingual clauses. The MLF model is currently one of the most influential in this field, and has been successfully applied to several other language pairs. Three principles associated with it, the Matrix Language Principle, the Asymmetry Principle and the Uniform Structure Principle, were tested on data collected from informal conversations by bilingual Welsh-English speakers located in north-west Wales. The results of the analyses suggest general support for the three principles and for labelling Welsh-English code-switching “classic”. These results are compared with those from other studies of classic and other kinds of code-switching. Finally, the implications for the MLF model are examined.