Using of the First Language in English classroom as a way of scaffolding for both the students and teachers to learn and teach English (original) (raw)

The Use of Mother Tongue in Foreign Language Teaching from Teachers' Practice and Perspective

There has been a longstanding debate over whether the use of mother tongue in EFL classes should be avoided or welcomed. To what extent the use of L1 facilitates L2 learning or poses a debilitating effect on learners has been a perennial issue in second language learning. In spite of a lack of substantial empirical evidence favoring or hindering the use of mother tongue, some avoid using L1(mother tongue) in foreign language classes due to the popular belief that the role of L1 in SLA gets in the way of or interferes with the learning of L2, while others take a different position for various reasons. The aim of this study was to explore the theoretical and practical positions of English teachers in the use of first language in their classroom instruction. A total of 44 teachers of English at Karadeniz Technical University were involved in the study. The data were collected by administering a questionnaire containing 35 items and analyzed in SPSS 16.00. An in-depth interview with 12 participants was also used to gain more insight into the teachers’ current classroom practices. Overall analysis indicates that a great majority of the teachers were found to take a practical and pragmatic position in the use of L1 instead of adhering to popular beliefs on this topic.

The Use of First Language in English as Foreign Language Classroom

Jurnal JOEPALLT (Journal of English Pedagogy, Linguistics, Literature, and Teaching), 2021

Discussions of the second language (L2) pedagogy have been studied not only in the language and education fields. Experts working in the psychology field also propose theories on applied linguistics because L2 acquisitions involve external and internal processes. However, despite numerous studies on the field, it appears that an issue regarding the use of first language (L1) still creates continuous debates. Although arguments opposing the use of first L1 present compelling theories as to their rationale, they appear to overlook the context in which teaching and learning process takes place. The studies were either conducted in English as a Second Language (ESL) or English as a Foreign Language (EFL), where teachers are native speakers who do not share the same L1 with students. Considering the uniqueness in classroom contexts, this paper is not going to argue or take sides on the conflicting views on the use of L1. Instead, it attempts to acknowledge the gap of the context in langu...

Role of Mother Tongue in Second Language Learning

International Journal of Research (IJR) Vol-1, Issue-11 December 2014 ISSN 2348-6848, 2014

The role of mother tongue in second language learning has been the subject of much debate and controversy. Most teachers feel that the use of L1 should be minimized and they feel guilty if they use it a lot. When challenged they find it difficult to say why. Against the use of L1, it is the general assumption that English should be learned through English, just as you learn your mother tongue using your mother tongue. But the idea that the learner should learn English like a native speaker does, or tries to 'think in English', is an inappropriate and unachievable thought. The role of mother tongue in teaching and learning of English has been discussed in literature. The influence of mother tongue is proved both positive and negative in teaching and learning of English. A learner's L1 is an important determinant of Second Language Acquisition. The L1 is a resource which learners use both consciously and subconsciously to help them arrange and re-arrange the L2 data in the input and to perform as best as they can. The cultural features connected with L1 use can be put to good effect when teaching L2. Second language acquisition is a developmental process; L1 can be a contributing factor to it. This paper makes an attempt to understand the role of L1 in the teaching and learning of English and also reports on different methods, classroom management and some activities that could help them in learning English.

The Ways of Using Mother Tongue in English Language Teaching

International Journal of Language and Linguistics, 2014

Humanistic views of teaching have speculated that students should be allowed to express themselves, and while they are still learning a language it is only natural that they will periodically slip back into their mother tongue, which is more comfortable for them. The support for an English-only policy has been declining recently and some researchers and teachers have begun to advocate a more bilingual approach to teaching, which would incorporate the students' L1 as a learning tool. Students will also naturally equate what they are learning with their L1 so trying to eliminate this process will only have negative consequences and impede learning. Inspired by these viewpoints and driven by my own interest, I decided to carry out a small study on the use of the mother tongue in the Croatian context. The purpose of this study was to support the fact that in the EFL classes Croatian plays only a supportive and facilitating role.

First Language Use in Teaching a Foreign Language: Theoretical Perspectives and Empirical Findings

Although theoretical perspectives and empirical findings support the facilitative role of first language use in teaching a foreign or second language, in some contexts practitioners are reluctant to make use of this resource and those who use it feel guilty. This shows that language teaching follows social norms and expectations rather than principles of language teaching and learning. To demystify the role of mother tongue in language education, this study aimed at: reviewing the theoretical perspectives and empirical finings related to first language use; drawing implications for practitioners and other interested stakeholders. The review clearly shows that, among other things, teachers can use the mother tongue judiciously and reasonably to: arouse a sense of security in learners; build background prior to reading, listening, speaking, and writing tasks and activities; maximize intake by using L1 (first language) to make the input comprehensible; avoid giving learners the feeling of identity-threatened by the total rejection of their mother tongue; and help students with comprehension problems when L2 (second language) fails or is not effective.

The Use of L1 in the Process of Teaching English

2016

This article explores the use of the mother tongue in the process of teaching and learning English at lower-secondary and upper-secondary school levels in Slovakia. The main aim of this paper is to ascertain to what extent and in which instances L1 is used, and how EFL teachers react when they hear L1 in their classes. The first part of the article discusses the arguments for and against the use of L1 in the process of teaching English as a foreign language, along with its main advantages and disadvantages. The second part interprets the data obtained by observation, which seem to indicate that the native tongue is always present at the lessons-to a greater degree at lower-secondary school levels, and to a lesser degree at upper-secondary school levels. The study also emphasizes the importance of establishing the rules for using L1 in EFL classes as this appears to be an important and yet neglected aspect of EFL teaching.

THE USE OF FIRST LANGUAGE IN ENGLISH CLASSROOM

There is an issue about whether or not the first language can be used in teaching and learning English. However, it is often found that the first language is used in English classroom to mediate foreign language learning. This study aims to find out the use of first language by the teachers and the students, as well as the reasons, which underlie the phenomena in English classroom. Case study is used as the research method, with classroom observation and interview as the techniques to collect the data. The result of this study shows that the first language is used in several occasions during teaching and learning process. It is because of some reasons such as it is easier to use in explaining complex concept, lack of understanding and ability to use english, shyness and afraid of making mistakes. However, it gives positive contribution to mediate language learning and language teaching. In conclusion, when it is used appropriately, L1 has facilitating role that can support teaching and learning process in English classroom.

THE ROLE OF MOTHER TONGUE IN SECOND LANGUAGE TEACHING

The idea of using mother tongue (MT) in English Language Teaching (ELT) classrooms is not something new to the critics concerning with the beneficial or non-beneficial sides of it. This idea has been a popular topic of discussion since the methodologies of teaching a foreign language existed as a dissident to a previous or any one and began to have polemic with each other about teaching styles. While one permits an unlimited use of MT in the classroom, the dissident may put a callous ban on the usage. The existence of the debate dates back to the appearance of Direct Method (DM) which stands as a counter about the use of MT in the classroom to the previous method which is known as Grammar-Translation Method (GTM) with the principals that allow even direct translations from the target language to the native language. The debate then goes on with the existence of the Audio-Lingual Method (ALM) which is accepted as the modification of Direct Method and which is originally designed to teach the army officers in order them to be able to understand different languages during the World War II in the USA. Most probably, the best way to make a decision whether the use of native language in the classroom is beneficial or not is to look deeper into the uttered sentences of verse theories and to present the advantages and possible disadvantages of using it. To do so, in the beginning of the paper we will state the views of some theories and opposing ones regarding the issue and later we will discuss the advantages and possible disadvantages of using it in the ELT classrooms. Thus, this is what we aimed in the paper from introduction to conclusion with chasing the path which will lead us to the answer these questions:  What is the role of mother tongue in ELT classroom?  What are the major teaching theories’ views towards the use of MT in ELT classrooms?  What are the advantages and disadvantages of the use of MT in ELT classrooms?