A different take on English-Only classrooms: High school learners’ use of mother tongue and their attitudes towards the English-Only classrooms in Turkey

Year 2019, Volume: 2 Issue: 2, 91 - 105, 30.12.2019

Münevver Yahşi

https://doi.org/10.33400/kuje.523588

Abstract

This article presents the results of a study on intermediate high school learners’ mother language use and their attitudes towards the only-English use in foreign language learning in Turkey. The participants of the study are 30 students who attend to different state high schools in the North-western region of Turkey. The study aims to investigate (a) learners’ amount of Turkish language use among specific interlocutors, (b) learners’ amount of Turkish language use in specific contexts, (c) learners’ attitudes towards only target language use, and (d) learners’ attitudes towards only target language use in specific contexts. The main data collection instrument is a questionnaire, while a semi-structured interview is conducted to supplement the primary form of data. According to the results of the questionnaire, the learners state that teachers should speak only in English in almost all circumstances, as the learners hold the belief that the maximum exposure to the foreign language is important.  However, they also state that the mother tongue should be used during English language instruction when necessary. Such a necessity for the use of mother tongue is felt by learners during grammar explanations and instructions about the details of tests or assignments. Moreover, the results of the semi-structured interviews show that the use of mother tongue is associated with the identity issue from a critical perspective as well as a facilitator of the L2 learning process. Further interpretations about students’ needs to shift to Turkish are also offered.

Keywords

use of L1, Turkish learners, the use of only English language in the class

Salt-İngilizce sınıflarına farklı bir yaklaşım: Türkiye’deki lise öğrencilerinin anadil kullanımı ve Salt-İngilizce sınıflarına yönelik tutumları

Abstract

Bu
makale, lise öğrencilerinin Türkiye'de yabancı dil öğreniminde anadil kullanım
miktarları ve salt İngilizce kullanımına yönelik tutumlarına ilişkin bir
çalışmanın sonuçlarını sunmaktadır. Katılımcılar Türkiye'nin kuzeybatı
bölgesindeki farklı devlet liselerine devam eden ve İngilizce seviyeleri orta
derece olan toplam 30 öğrenciden oluşmaktadır. Çalışmanın amacı; İngilizce
derslerinde (a) öğrencilerin farklı muhataplar arasındaki Türkçe kullanım
miktarını, (b) öğrencilerin belirli bağlamlarda Türkçe kullanım miktarlarını,
(c) öğrencilerin salt İngilizce kullanımına ilişkin tutumlarını ve (d)
öğrencilerin belirli bağlamlarda salt İngilizce kullanımına yönelik tutumlarını
incelemektir. Temel veri toplama aracı anket iken birincil veri formunu
desteklemek için katılımcılarla yarı yapılandırılmış görüşme de
yapılmıştır.  Anket sonuçlarına göre
öğrencilerin yalnızca İngilizce kullanımına yönelik tutumları incelendiğinde
yabancı dile azami şekilde maruz kalmanın önemli olduğuna inandıkları için
öğretmenin her koşulda yalnızca İngilizce konuşması gerektiğini belirttikleri
görülmüştür. Fakat aynı zamanda anadilin de İngilizce öğrenimi sırasında
kullanılması gerektiğini belirtmişlerdir. Anadilin kullanım alanları
incelendiğinde ise öğrencilerin en çok dilbilgisi açıklamaları ve test veya
ödevlerin detayları ile ilgili talimatlar verilirken anadilde açıklamaya ihtiyaç
duydukları görülmüştür. Yarı yapılandırılmış görüşme sonuçları ise yabancı dili
öğrenme sürecini kolaylaştırmasının yanı sıra, anadil kullanımının eleştirel
bir bakış açısı ile kimlik sorunuyla ilişkilendirildiğini göstermiştir.
Öğrencilerin Türkçe’ye geçiş ihtiyaçları ile ilgili diğer yorumlar da
tartışılmıştır.

Keywords

ana dil kullanımı, sınıfta salt İngilizce kullanımı, Türk öğrenciler

References

• Arenas-Iglesias, L. M. (2016). Students´ opinions about the use of L1 in an intermediate level course (Master's thesis, University of St Mark and St John).
• Atkinson, D. (1987). The mother tongue in the classroom: A neglected resource?. ELT journal, 41(4), 241-247.
• Auerbach, E. R. (1993). Reexamining English only in the ESL classroom. TESOL quarterly, 27(1), 9-32.
• Cook, V. (2001). Using the first language in the classroom. Canadian modern language review, 57(3), 402-423.
• Cummins, J. (2007). Rethinking monolingual instructional strategies in multilingual classrooms. Canadian Journal of Applied Linguistics/Revue canadienne de linguistique appliquée, 10(2), 221-240.
• Debreli, E., & Oyman, N. (2016). Students' Preferences on the Use of Mother Tongue in English as a Foreign Language Classrooms: Is It the Time to Re-Examine English-Only Policies?. English Language Teaching, 9(1), 148-162. Eldridge, J. (1996). Code-switching in a Turkish secondary school. ELT journal, 50(4), 303- 311.
• Eldridge, J. (1996). Code-switching in a Turkish secondary school. ELT journal, 50(4), 303- 311.
• Guthrie, E. M. L. (1984). Six cases in classroom communication: A study of teacher discourse in the foreign language classroom. In J. P. Lantolf & A. Labarca (Eds.), Research in second language learning: Focus on the classroom (pp. 173-194). Norwood, NJ: Ablex.
• Harbord, J. (1992). The use of the mother tongue in the classroom. ELT journal, 46(4), 350-355.
• Kafes, H. (2011). A neglected resource or an overvalued illusion: L1 use in the foreign language classroom. International Journal on New Trends in Education and Their Implications, 2(2), 128-140.
• Kavaliauskienė, G. (2009). Role of mother tongue in learning English for specific purposes. ESP world, 8(1), 2-8.
• Kayaoğlu, M. N. (2012). The use of mother tongue in foreign language teaching from teachers‟ practice and perspective. Pamukkale Üniversitesi Eğitim Fakültesi Dergisi, 32(2), 25-35.
• Lado, R. (1957). Linguistics across cultures. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press.
• Larsen-Freeman, D. (2000). Techniques and principles in language teaching. Oxford University.
• Levine, G. S. (2003). Student and instructor beliefs and attitudes about target language use, first language use, and anxiety: Report of a questionnaire study. The Modern Language Journal, 87(3), 343-364.
• Macaro, E. (2001). Analyzing student teachers' code-switching in foreign language classrooms: Theories and decision making. Modern Language Journal, 85, 531-548
• McMillan, B. A., & Rivers, D. J. (2011). The practice of policy: Teacher attitudes toward “English only”. System, 39(2), 251-263.
• Nzwanga, M. A. (2000). A study of French-English code-switching in a foreign language college teaching environment. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, The Ohio State University, Columbus.
• Oflaz, Ö. (2009). Teachers and students’ views on using mother tongue in ELT classrooms (a case study at Gaziantep University). Unpublished master’s thesis, University of Gaziantep.
• Osburne, A., & Harss-Covaleski, S. (1991). Translation in the ESOL composition class. Unpublished manuscript, Central Connecticut State University, Britain.
• Paker, T., & Karaağaç, Ö. (2015). The use and functions of mother tongue in EFL classes. Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences, 199, 111-119.
• Piasecka, K. (1988). The bilingual teacher in the ESL classroom. In S. Nicholls & E. Hoadley-Maidment (Eds.), Current issues in teaching English as a second language to adults (pp. 97-103). London: Edward Arnold.
• Rolin-Ianziti, J., & Varshney, R. (2008). Students' views regarding the use of the first language: An exploratory study in a tertiary context maximizing target language use. Canadian modern language review, 65(2), 249-273.
• Sali, P. (2014). An analysis of the teachers' use of L1 in Turkish EFL classrooms. System, 42, 308-318.
• Schweers, W. Jr. (1999). Using L1 in the L2 classroom. English Teaching Forum, 37(2), 6-9.
• Storch, N., & Wigglesworth, G. (2003). Is there a role for the use of the L1 in an L2 setting?. TESOL quarterly, 37(4), 760-769.
• Swain, M., & Lapkin, S. (2000). Task-based second language learning: The uses of the first language. Language teaching research, 4(3), 251-274.
• Tang, J. (2002). Using L1 in the English classroom. English Teaching Forum, 40(1), 36-43.
• Taşkın, A. (2011). Perceptions on using L1 in language classrooms: A case study in a Turkish private university (Doctoral dissertation, Middle East Technical University).
• Tsukamoto, M. (2012). Students' perception of teachers' language use in an EFL classroom. Retrieved from http://ir-lib.wilmina.ac.jp/dspace/bitstream/10775/2438/1/d2011_08.pdf
• Tunçay, B. (2014). Teachers' attitudes towards and practices of L1 use in EFL classroom (Doctoral dissertation, Bilkent University).
• Şenel, M. (2010). Should foreign language teaching be supported by mother tongue?. Journal of Language and Linguistic Studies, 6(1), 110-120.
• Üstünel, E., & Seedhouse, P. (2005). Why that, in that language, right now? Code‐switching and pedagogical focus. International Journal of Applied Linguistics, 15(3), 302-325.
• Varshney, R., & Rolin-Ianziti, J. (2006). Student perceptions of L1 use in the foreign language classroom: Help or hindrance?. Journal of the Australasian Universities Language and Literature Association, 2006(105), 55-83.
• Yavuz, F. (2012). The attitudes of English teachers about the use of L1 in the teaching of L2. Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences, 46, 4339-4344.