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

Year 2012, Volume: 32 Issue: 32, 25 - 35, 01.04.2012

M. Naci Kayaoğlu

https://doi.org/10.9779/PUJE492

Cited By: 13

Abstract

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.

Keywords

Mother tongue, L1, foreign language teaching, language teachers

Öğretmen Uygulama ve Perspektifinden Yabancı Dil Öğretiminde Anadil Kullanımı

Abstract

Yabancı dil sınıflarında anadil kullanımından kaçınılması veya dahil edilmesi konusunda uzun süredir devam eden tartışmalar vardır. Anadilin ikinci dil öğrenimini kolaylaştırdığı veya öğrencilerin dil öğrenme sürecini zayıflatan bir etkiye sahip olduğu konusu, ikinci dil öğretiminde uzun yıllardır süregelen bir olgudur. Yabancı dil öğretiminde anadil kullanımını destekleyici veya da engelleyici rol oynadığını gösteren yeterli deneysel kanıtlar olmamasına rağmen, bazıları dil öğrenim sürecinde anadilin ikinci dil öğrenimini engellediği ya da öğrenim sürecine müdahale ettiği düşüncesinden dolayı ana dil kullanımından kaçınırken, bazıları da çeşitli sebeplerden dolayı farklı tavır almaktadırlar. Bu çalışmanın amacı, İngilizce öğretmenlerinin sınıf içinde anadilin kullanımıyla ilgili teorik tutumları ile uygulamadaki tavırlarını araştırmaktır. Çalışmaya Karadeniz Teknik Üniversitesinden 44 İngilizce öğretmeni katılmıştır. Veriler 35 maddeden oluşan anket aracılığıyla toplanıp ve SPSS 16.00 ile analiz edilmiştir. Ayrıca, mevcut sınıf uygulamalarıyla ilgili derinlemesine bilgi edinmek için 12 katılımcıyla geniş kapsamlı görüşme yapılmıştır. Sonuç olarak, analizler öğretmenlerin bu konuyla ilgili geleneksel görüşlere bağlı kalmak yerine, ana dilin kullanımıyla ilgili pratik ve faydacı bir tavır aldıklarını göstermiştir.

Keywords

Ana dil, L1, yabancı dil öğretimi, dil öğreticisi

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