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Öz

The use of the mother tongue in teaching a foreign language is a controversial topic. While some researchers claim that the mother tongue should not be used in foreign language classrooms, others think that it makes a valuable contribution to the learning process.The purpose of this study was to investigate teachers’ and students’ perceptions on using the mother tongue in EFL classrooms and when to use it in the classroom. The present study was conducted at the end of the fall semester of the 2011-2012 academic year at European University of Lefke. Twenty five English instructors and one hundred and five students participated in the study. The relationship between the perceptions on English language instructors and the students was measured through questionnaires given to teachers and students. The interview was carried out with five preparatory students and five English teachers. The data revealed that the mother tongue was a mediating part of language teaching and learning and there was no significant difference between teachers’ and students’ perceptions on using it in language classrooms. Both teachers and students did not oppose the use of mother tongue in language classrooms. They all thought that the mother tongue should be used in emergency situations. Moreover, they believed that it can be effective in the right situations at the right time.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Use of the mother tongue (Turkish), target language (English), teachers’ and students’ perceptions, EFL classrooms.

The Use of Mother Tongue in EFL Classrooms

Öz

Ana dilin kullanımı tartışmaya yol açan bir konudur. Bazı araştırmacılar ana dil yabancı dil sınıflarında kullanılmamalıdır diye iddia ederken, diğerleri ana dilin öğrenme sürecine değerli katkılarda bulunduğunu düşünürler. Bu çalışmanın amacı yabancı dilde eğitim veren sınıflarda ana dilin kullanımında öğretmen ve öğrenci bakış açısının algısını incelemektir. Çalışma 2011-2012 akademik yıllının güz dönemi sonunda Lefke Avrupa Üniversitesinde uygulanılmıştır. Yirmi beş İngilizce öğretmeni ve hazırlık öğrencisi bu çalışmaya katılmıştır. İ ngilizce öğretmenleri ve öğrencilerin algıları arasındaki ilişki öğretmen ve öğrencilere uygulanan anket ve röportaj ile ölçülmüştür. Röportaj beş hazırlık sınıfı öğrencisi ve beş İngilizce öğretmenine yapılmıştır. Bulgular, ana dilin İngilizce öğretimi ve öğreniminde arabulucu bir rol oynadığını ortaya çıkarmıştır. Öğretmen ve öğrenciler görüşleri arasında önemli bir fark yoktur. Öğretmen ve öğrenciler yabancı dil sınıflarında ana dilin kullanımına karşı değillerdir. Onlar ana dilin acil durumlarda kullanılmasını düşünüyorlar. Dahası öğretmen ve öğrenciler ana dilin doğru zamanda ve doğru durumlarda etkili olabileceğine inanıyorlar.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Ana dil kullanımı (Türkçe), hedef dil (İngilizce), öğretmen ve öğrenci bakış açısı, İngilizce eğitim yapılan sınıflar.

Kaynakça

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