Activity 14 - Essay: The Use of the Mother Tongue in the English Class

The clash between the mother tongue and the target langauge in monolingual classes is an important topic to bear in mind. The aim of the paper I wrote was twofold: to discuss the advantages and disadvantages of the use of the students' first language (L1) in an English-language (L2) classroom and to explain how and when to allow the students' L1 in class. The last part of the paper was a research based on a questionnaire which focused on the use of L1 in an English class (L2).

In general terms, it seems to be useless to deny the importance of the students' L1 when they are learning a second language, since all learners rely on their mother tongue while acquiring a second language. Besides, the prudent use of L1 in an English class shows students that the two languages can coexist without any problems, that is to say, that acquiring one language does not mean the exclusion of the students' mother tongue. However, teachers should not overuse or depend too much on the students' L1, since the main goal is for them to communicate in the L2.