The L1-based integration towards the in-class support in an international classroom of Thailand

Year 2017, Volume: 2 Issue: 1, 53 - 69, 30.01.2017

Kittichai Nilubol Pragasit Sitthitikul

Abstract

The native-speaker fever influences the expansion of international schools all over Thailand and this incident brought about learning difficulties to students who have low English proficiency as students’ language ability is related to their academic success in many aspects. This mixed method research aimed at a investigating the practical ways that students’ L1 can be used in an international school context, b clarifying what learning situations that international school teachers and students function the L1 in the context, c and exploring the attitudes of international school teachers and students towards the implementation of students’ L1. 40 students were randomly selected using simple random sampling; while sixteen teachers were chosen purposively as the insights from the multiple angles could be discovered. Thus, five research instruments were used to collect the data in this study including: perspective questionnaire, semi-structured interview, and non-participant classroom observation. The results revealed that; students and teachers at the research site have different ways of thinking when they applied L1 in their lessons, reading and writing skills allowed the careful application of L1 to help students learn better, teachers use of Thai in facilitating students’ learning; however, they insisted that students’ L1 should be purposively used only when necessary, and the overall students’ attitudes towards L1 use in their lessons went to the positive side

Keywords

L1 use, language transfer, mother tongue-based instruction, international school

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