Code-Meshing Across Contexts: Pedagogical Applications and Suggestions

Although Young initially defined code-meshing as “allowing Black students to mix a black English style with an academic register” in 2004, instances of the rhetorical strategy can be found in academic literature as early as the 1970s. The conceptual framework of code-meshing continues to evolve to this day. In response, this article offers an expanded definition of code-meshing, framing it as a bi-directional interaction between the mesher and the audience, with context emerging as a central element in fostering a more inclusive understanding of the practice. The authors present a literature-informed conceptual investigation that examines code-meshing examples and their applications in four distinct contexts: place-specific, student-specific, institution-specific, and discipline-specific. The place-specific context considers languages indigenous to a place and the implications of code-meshing pedagogy for examining the intersection of language, cultural-political sovereignty, and ecosystem stewardship. The student-specific context evaluates characteristics of student groups (e.g., international, adult learners, young multilingual learners). The institution-specific context gauges how code-meshing can be used meaningfully in different types of writing classrooms across different types of institutions (e.g., small liberal arts college [SLAC] and Historically Black Colleges and Universities [HBCU]). The discipline-specific context questions how code-meshing works with specialized vocabularies and considers the way code-meshing is used across and within disciplines. This article aims to explore how code-meshing operates across these four pedagogical contexts and demonstrates how the different contextual components influence pedagogical and communication strategies. We conclude by highlighting two overarching principles that emerge across all contexts for code-meshing: association and adaptability.

-with support from Working Group LLC41: Code-Meshing