An Investigation into the Perspectives of EFL Teacher Candidates compared to Vocational High School Students on L1 Use in English Classrooms

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to reveal the perspectives of EFL teacher candidates in comparison to those of a group of vocational high school students on the use of Turkish as mother tongue in English language classrooms. The study also investigates the English language skills for which both of those groups find the use of Turkish relatively more useful, their justifications behind the use of Turkish in English courses, and the extent to which it is used in English classes. By means of t-tests, ANOVA, and a post-hoc test, the study analyzed similarities and differences through a comparison of EFL teacher candidates’ perspectives to those of vocational high school students according to several factors, including class levels. A total of 182 EFL teacher candidates and 136 vocational high school students participated in the study. The findings indicated that the majority of the participants support the use of Turkish in English courses, and that there is a significant difference between the perspectives of EFL teacher candidates and vocational high school students on the use of Turkish in English language classrooms.

 

Keywords

• Turkish as mother tongue,EFL teacher candidates,L1 use,vocational high school students

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