Introduction
As English teachers or teachers-to-be, whenever we use the mother tongue (L1) during our classes, a sense of guilt comes up. This is because of the “Monolingual Approaches” to language teaching. Let’s start by digging more into this concept. Monolingual means that only one language is used in the class. We can encounter this kind of approach in “The Direct Method” where the use of native language is strictly forbidden and explanations are made by gestures, pictures, etc.(Anderson, M., Freeman-Larsen, D., 2015). When we analyze the other approaches to English language teaching, there are different points of view. To begin with, in Grammar-Translation Method (GTM), translation from L1 into the target language is emphasized. In other words, the meaning or concepts being taught are made clear with the help of the native language. On the other hand, in the Audio-lingual method, the use of L1 is not suggested as it is thought to interfere in the use of L2. For this reason, contrastive analysis is used to detect the predictability of L1 interference. However, in the Silent Way, there is more flexibility than the previous method. That is, the mother tongue of students can be used during the feedback sessions and/or whenever a similarity is detected between the languages. For instance, when the teacher realizes that both of the languages have similar sound systems, she/he can turn it into an opportunity and make connections between the previous/background knowledge with the new one. Finally, when it comes to the recent approaches such as Communicative Language Teaching (CLT), there are not any strict rules that dictate us to use the target language. Instead, CLT suggests that if needs be, L1 can be used. However, L2 should be used whenever it is possible. For example, when presenting the elements of the target language (e.g., vocabulary, grammar) or dealing with the classroom management, teachers should expose students to the target language. Besides, by doing this, students become aware of the fact that a language is not just something to be learned but it is a way to communicate and transfer messages.
Before presenting some practical ideas on how to integrate L1 into English classes, certain benefits of mother tongue should be stated. First of all, when working with the learners, it is crucial to provide a safe and relaxing environment. To do that, as a teacher, we should find ways to make connections with our students and to reach their feelings. It can be done via L2 but using the mother tongue in this kind of situation can be more genuine and effective. What is more, according to a research conducted by Knight (1996), the students who made a preparatory discussions before starting to do the task outperformed the ones who did not. This finding shows that using L1 while discussing the essence of the topic and the task can help learners perform better and deal with the obstacles (Nation, P., 2003). In contrast with these findings and the benefits of L1, it does not justify the use of the mother tongue in each and every situation. Especially in EFL context where students are not exposed to the target language outside the classroom, it has a great importance to expose the learners to the target language as much as possible (Solhi, Mehdi & Büyükyazı, Münevver. 2011). For that reason, there will be some practical ideas on how to use L1 in a more balanced way that does not hinder the use of the target language (L2). One of the tasks can be reading a newspaper or the news in Turkish as homework and then presenting to the whole class in English. In this way, the teacher can assess to what extent the student understands texts or dialogues in English. The other activity is to translate a short text into L1 and after some time, it can be one or two weeks later, students try to translate it back into the target language. The benefit of doing such a task is that it provides a chance to determine whether the students have internalized the structure or not. Finally, during the feedback sessions, L1 can be preferred.
In addition to the ways of using L1, as it was mentioned above, exposure to L2 has far more importance. However, students may have some difficulties or they may feel demotivated because of their lack of knowledge and proficiency level. For that reason, activities and tasks should be prepared based on the proficiency levels and interests of the students (Nation, P., 2003). As Nation (2003) suggested pre-teaching tasks should be integrated so that it becomes more manageable for the low proficiency students. To exemplify, before doing a role-play activity, students should be provided with the necessary structure and vocabulary. Otherwise, they probably switch to their first language during the activity. In addition to these strategies, students should be made aware of the benefits of using the target language via some concrete examples such as the before and after recordings of a student to observe the improvement (Nation, P., 1997). What is more, the teacher can allow the students to choose their partners to feel more secure and motivated, and also the teacher can assign one of the students to each group as a leader to monitor and detect the use of L1 (Nation, P., 1997).
As it is stated above, there are certain benefits of using the first language and some of them were proven via a research. However, it does not mean that L1 should be used in each part of the language learning process. Instead, the emphasis needs to be given to the target language especially in the EFL context. Therefore, the use of L1 can be balanced and kept to a minimum while the use of target language is maximized.
References:
Anderson, M., Freeman-Larsen, D., 2015. Techniques and Principles in Language Teaching. Oxford University Press.
Knight, T. 1996. Learning vocabulary through shared speaking tasks. The Language Teacher 20, 1: 24-29.
Nation, Paul. (2003). The role of the first language in foreign language learning.
Nation, Paul. (1997). L1 and L2 Use in the Classroom: A Systematic Approach. TESL Reporters, pp. 19-27.
Solhi, Mehdi & Büyükyazı, Münevver. (2011). The use of first language in the EFL classroom: A facilitating or debilitating device?.
Teaching and Learning English 