Overusing Mother Tongue in English Language Teaching

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212 volume 2 • issue 3 July / September 2012 • pp. 212-218

Cristina – Georgiana Voicu

Abstract

This article focuses on the students’ use of the mothertongue as well as the teachers’ use of the mother tongueduring the English classes. A number of dimensions areaddressed: students’ perspective on mother tongue use,teachers’ perspective on mother tongue use, strategies for

encouraging use of the

target language and relevantimplications for teaching methodology. The reliance onsimilarities between the language being learnt and themother tongue can be both a help and a hindrance, andwill often lead to correct ‘guesses’. It can help the learnerto get things right. I want to concentrate in this paper onproviding solutions which have to overcome the overuseof the mother tongue. The conclusion calls for a balancedand flexible view of student use of the mother tongue.

Keywords: mother tongue, communication, targetlanguage.

1. INTRODUCTION

For many years, teaching Englishcrosslingually, i.e. using the students’ mothertongue (in monolingual classes) as a learning aid,was discredited in favour of an “English throughEnglish” (intralingual approach). However,there seems to have been a recent swing of thependulum towards a more flexible proposalwhich still admits that the more English is usedin the classroom, the better but considers L1 asan important teaching/learning tool. A goodexample of this is Mario Rinvolucri who used tobe an advocate of the Direct Method, but nowthinks that the students’ mother tongue has animportant role to play in foreign languageinstruction. Thus, the foreign language teachingfield is dynamic and the mother tongue can be auseful instrument in the communicative foreignlanguage classroom. For instance, where Englishgrammar is posing a conceptual difficulty, anillustration of a mother tongue equivalent can behelpful. Take the ways in which English usespresent tense simple, for example. Linking examples of each use of the present tense with

the mother tongue equivalent can help learnersunderstand how English works. If the use of themother tongue proves to be helpful in the classthen both the teacher and the students willbenefit from this. However, the mother tongue

should be used only in certain situations. It isa good idea to agree a policy on its use togetherwith the students at the beginning of the schoolyear and decide when and why mother tonguewill be used and by whom.

When confronted with something new,whether it is a different kind of music, or justnew information, it is a natural instinct to lookfor similarities with things that are familiar, totry and draw some comparison with what wealready know. Consciously or unconsciously, we

bring what we know to what we do not, makingit impossible to learn anything entirely fromscratch. This is certainly no less true when we setabout learning a foreign language. In many casesteachers’ explanations are in the students’ mothertongue, a bilingual dictionary is consulted in theearly stages, and even in the classroom using themost direct language-teaching methods, thelearner will still, of necessity, conduct an internaldialogue or rationalisation in his native tongue.It is not possible to learn a foreign language

without relying to some extent on your mothertongue, and the impulse to look for similaritiesand to draw conclusions based on them is asstrong here as in any other learning context. Thisimpulse will be stronger with the greater theincidence of apparent similarities. And theapparent similarities that exist between many ofthe languages of the world are innumerable.They are also in the eye of the beholder, since ourindividual perceptions of similarity are asindividual as we are. In this respect, the overuseof the L1 in the L2 classroom might be prejudicialfor the students’ learning process.

OVERUSING MOTHER TONGUE IN ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHING

Cristina – Georgiana VOICU

Assoc. Prof. PhD, Dept. of Communication, Public Relations and Journalism, “Apollonia” University of Iaşi, RomaniaCorresponding author: [email protected]

Cultural and Linguistic Communication



International Journal of Communication Research 213


There are, of course, many other influences atplay when we learn a foreign language, but theinfluence that the mother tongue has on thelanguage we produce when we use a foreignlanguage has become a very important area of

study for people interested in second languageacquisition, language teaching, ELT publishing,and language in general and is usually referredto as ‘Language Interference’, ‘Transfer’, or‘Cross-linguistic influence’. It is suggested thatthe language produced by foreign learners is sounavoidably influenced, and even distorted, bythe mother tongue of the learner that it shouldrather be termed an ‘Interlanguage’ since it willalways be a blend of the foreign language andthe mother tongue. The better the learner is atovercoming language interference, the moredilute that blend will be.

It is important for teachers to understand theerrors their students make and to target theirlessons to each student’s individual needs. Forthe persons who come into contact with non-native speakers of English, whether in the courseof business or simply when travelling, awarenessof the kinds of mistakes that learners make andwhy they make them will help towards mutualunderstanding.

A glance at the long and complex developmentof the English language as we know it today andat the many linguistic and cultural incursionsmade into it over the centuries, coupled with itsapparent eagerness to welcome words fromother languages into its lexicon, goes some waytowards explaining the vast number of trapsawaiting the English learner. And when weconsider the variety of different learners withdifferent mother tongues, together with thevariety of other forces at work in the languagelearning process, the task of defining, let aloneanalyzing, learner’s interlanguage becomes ahuge challenge.

2. APPROACHES TO THE USE OF L1IN L2 CONTEXT. THE MONOLINGUALAPPROACH

It has been argued that learners aquire foreignlanguages following basically the same path they

aquire their mother tongue. According to him,the use of the mother tongue in the learning

process should be minimized In fact a lot ofteachers believe that theL1 use in EFL classesmust be discouraged because of many reasons:• Use of L1 may become a habit that both

learners and teachers may resort to whenevera difficulty is encountred.

• L1 may be sometimes misleading whenlearning the target language. In spite of theexistence of universal governing languagesytems, languages differ more or less.

• When using L1 to teach EFL students, errorsmay emerge due to the L1 transfer. Examplesof errors range from vocabulary to grammar.French learners for example may be misledby the similarity between the French word

“actuellement” and the English word“actually”. In spite of the similarity, themeaning of these vocabulary items differ.The French “actuellement” means “now” or“at the moment” while “actually” in Englishmeans “really”. The Arab learners may alsoencounter difficulties related to the syntacticstructures of sentences. In Arabic, the sentencestructure is V-S-O while English sentencesare built following the S-V-O structure.

• The use of L1 in EFL classes hinders the

provision of enough comprehensible input, aprerequisite for aquiring any language.

The support for the monolingual approach toteaching can be summarized as follows:1. The learning of an L2 should model the

learning of an L1 (through maximizing theexposure to L2).

2. Successful learning involves the separationand distinction of L1 and L2.

3. Students should be shown the importance of

the L2 through its continual use.However, the monolingual approach is notwithout its criticisms. One of them is thatexposure to language leads to learning; excludingstudents’ L1 for the sake of maximizing students’exposure to L2 is not necessarily productive. Inaddition, Auerbach criticizes these toughexposures to the target language by calling them“all-or-nothing views”, and adds: “acquiring asecond language is to some extent contingent onthe societally determined value attributed to the

L1, which can be either reinforced or challengedinside the classroom” [1].





3. THE BILINGUAL APPROACH

The monolingual approach has been criticisedby many teachers who find that the use of L1 in

EFL classes is beneficial at various levels. EFLteachers working with monolingual students atlower levels of English proficiency findprohibition of the mother tongue to be practicallyimpossible. So instead of looking at the students’native language and cultural background asinferior or a source of errors, they must be usedas a tool to maximize foreign languagelearning. The mother tongue represents apowerful resource that can be used in a numberof ways to enhance learning but it must always

be used in a principled way. Sheelagh Deller andMario Rinvolucri’s book [2] Using the Mother

Tongue, which provides practical L1 activities,shows that judicious use of L1 can maximizelanguage learning.

The evidence suggests that some EFL teachersstrongly believe that they should never use evena single word from the mother tongue in theclassroom. These teachers are followers of theso-called ‘Monolingual Approach’, and otherswho are somehow skeptical about the use of L1or use it wisely in their classes are the proponentsof the ‘Bilingual approach’. In addition to thesetwo approaches, Nation [3] introduces anotherapproach called a ‘Balanced Approach’. Hebelieves teachers need to show respect forlearners’ L1 and need to avoid doing things thatmake L1 seem inferior to English.

During its history, the bilingual approachgained support and validation from manyscholars and research findings. Auerbach believes

that “when the native language is used, practi-tioners, researchers, and learners consistentlyreport positive results” [1]. In fact there has beena gradual move over the years away from the“English only” dogma that has long been a partof the British and American ELT movement.

4. JUDICIOUS USE OF L1 IN FOREIGNLANGUAGE LEARNING

Using L1 is not the problem. The problem iswhen and how to use it. Before answering thisquestion, it should be borne in mind that L1 use

must be considered “as a means to an end”. Thetarget language must be used where possibleand L1 when necessary. Here are some examplesof appropriate use of L1 in EFL classes.

• Beginners The mother tongue can be probably morebeneficial to beginners. As they progress intheir learning the target language will take thelead.

• L1 can be time-saving. Instead of going through long explanations in

the target language, it is sometimes easier andmore efficient to give a translation of avocabulary item or an explanation of agrammar point. Imagine a teacher who wantsto teach the word “car” to French studentsand starts by phrasing the explanation asfollows “a car is a road vehicle with an engine,four wheels, and seats for a small number ofpeople” while a simple translation of theword (or perhaps the use of visual aids) wouldbe enough.

• Comparison A comparison of English and the mother

tongue can be a very enriching experience. In

fact, discovering the similarities anddifferences of both languages can enhanceacquisition. This comparison can be done atdifferent levels:¦ Vocabulary

– Exploring the nuances of vocabularyitems in both languages

– Building bilingual (or even multilingual)semantic maps

¦ Grammar

– A commparison between L1 grammarand L2 grammar yields interesting results. – This comparison will highlight the

differences between the two languages.Teachers and learners may build on thesedifferences to avoid negative transfer.

– The comparison also shows thesilmilarities which will undoubtedly boostthe internalization of L2 grammar.

• Culture Language is a vehicle for cultural aspects. If

teachers ban the use of the mother tongue, thisunderlies an ideological conception of L1





culture as being inferior. Alternatively,cultural differences and similarities can behighlighted to help learners accept and toleratedifferences while at the same time preservetheir culural uniqueness. This can be donethrough various activities where L1 plays animportant role.¦ Proverbs

Students may be given a set of proverbs inthe target language and be asked to find thecorresponding ones in their mother tongueif they exist. If not they try to translate theproverbs into their language.

¦ Idiomatic Expressions Again, finding the corresponding idioms or

a translation of target language idiomsmight be very helpful to detect culturaldifferences or similarities

¦ Songs The translation of lyrics from the students’

favouorite songs can be a pleasantexperience.

¦ Jokes Funny EFL activities can be built on jokes.

Students may translate and tell or act jokes

to create an environment where there is nostress.

• Classroom management

Management of conduct and discipline issometimes hard to be done in the targetlanguage. For instance, if a serious problememerges in the classroom, will the teacherreally insist on an English-only policy whencoping with it?

• Grammar

L1 can be of great help when teachinggrammar. Translation exercises for examplemay be the perfect practice when there is agrammar point that is causing trouble tostudents.

• Instructions

Many failures in tests are due to learners lackof understanding of instructions. L1 can beused to redress this issue, helping students tounderstand what is exactly asked from them.

• Rationale

Students need to understand the rationalebehind activities or methods. They should

understand what lies behind the methods theteacher is using. This can only be done at thislevel through their native language.

• Errors

The discussion of some recurring errors canbe a helpful activity for the students. It is truethat a lot of errors are caused by L1 transfer.French students, for example, say “I’m agree”instead of “I agree” which is an error due toL1 transfer (in French “Je suis d’accord”.) Adiscussion in L1 of such errors will helpstudents overcome these problems.

5. ROLE OF L1 IN TEACHINGMETHODOLOGY

EFL teachers manage the process of languageinstruction in their classrooms by exploring thestudents’ L1. Here, the aim is to first categorizedifferent language teaching methods and thendiscuss the role and the use of L1 in each of thembriefly. A common classification of methods is:traditional, alternative and current communi-cative methods. In the field of English languageteaching the traditional methods of teaching a

language are: Grammar Translation Method,Direct Method, and Audiolingual method.Examples of alternative methods are: Silent Way,Suggestopedia, Total Physical Response, andCommunity Language Learning. Furthermore,communicative approaches are CommunicativeLanguage Teaching and Natural Approach. Thegrammar translation method known as “GTM”is the method in which nearly all phases of thelesson employ the use of students’ L1 andtranslation techniques. As Celce-Murcia [4]

believes, in GTM there is little use of the targetlanguage and instruction is given in the nativelanguage of the students. In addition, the processof evaluation occurres when students cantranslate the readings to the first language andif they knew enough to translate especiallyselected and prepared exercises from the first tothe second language [5]. Applying translationwas excessive when GTM was a common methodin teaching English. A sudden and immediateremoval of L1 from the classroom happened at

the time of ‘Reform Movement’, when reformersbelieved that translation should be avoided,







acquisition. Here are some activities whichinvolve the use of both L1 and L2 in EFL classes.

Ø 15 minute activities

Conversation Starters (pre-intermediate +)

Using mother tongue newspapers forconversation practice. Choose or get students tochoose an article from today’s newspaper andexplain what it is about in English. Dependingon the difficulty of the text this may generatevocabulary work as the students work oncommunicating key points of the text to theteacher. This is similar to (but usually moreeffective than) using pictures. The L1 text, likethe picture is a fast way of stimulating ideas forconversation.

Dubbing (intermediate +)Show students a clip of a popular mother

tongue TV programme (e.g. a soap) and tell themthey have been commissioned to dub it intoEnglish for BBC. With larger classes get studentsto work in teams. The best version gets thecontract! The students can work on translatingthe script and taking on the roles of the actorsand literally dubbing with TV sound off.

False friends word search / Crossword puzzle

(intermediate +)Prepare a series of sentences with a falsefriend in them. Write the sentence in English.Prepare a crossword puzzle with the correctwords in English. Give the puzzle to the studentsand let them figure it out.

Shadow and a doubt (all levels)Have the students rehearse a communicative

activity (shadow) in mother tongue beforeattempting it in English and then afterwardscompare. This can be a very effective way of

challenging advanced learners, as it helps toraise specific awareness of the difference betweentheir ability to express themselves in English andin the mother tongue (doubt).

Ø 10 minute activities

Sight translation (intermediate +)Prepare a series of interesting quotations (for

example, 10) on a piece of paper. Show them tothe students one by one (using a videoprojectorwould work nicely, otherwise write them on

the board or prepare a piece of paper thatstudents look at little by little). Give the students

30 seconds to read it, then take it away. Theymust each individually write what theyunderstood but in their own language. Comparetranslations afterwards.

Reverse translations (intermediate +)Group A are given a short text in mother

tongue to translate into English. Group B aregiven a similar length of text in English totranslate into the mother tongue. Groups thengive their translations to each other to betranslated back into the original. Finally groupscompare the originals with the translatedversion.

Interpreters (all levels)This can be adapted to any oral pair work

situation. The students work in groups of three(minimum). One person is the interviewer, andspeaks only in English. The interviewee speaksonly in L1. The interpreter works as a go-between,translating the interviewer’s questions into L1and the interviewee’s answers back into English. Variation: Arrange a press conference, withseveral interviewers. The interviewee plays therole of a famous film star, politician etc. Teenagersespecially like this activity and recognise thescenario from TV interviews with pop stars and

sports personalities.Restaurant role play (all levels)Use a mother tongue menu so that natives

have to explain the dishes to English speakingguests.

Translating pop songs (intermediate +)The students translate the lyrics (or small

sections of the lyrics) of their favourite songs intothe mother tongue. Teenage magazinessometimes include songs with mother tonguetranslations so you can use these to do it theother way round as well.Ø 5 minute activities

Broken telephone/Telegram (all levels)Devise a sentence that might cause translation

problems into the students’ L1. Whisper it to thefirst student in English. The first studenttranslates it into L1 and whispers it to the secondstudent, who translates it back into English andwhispers it to the third. Go round the class in thesame way. At the end, compare the final English

version with the original. Variation: Do the sameexercise, but in writing.





6. CONCLUSIONS

The debate over the use of L1 in foreignlanguage teaching hasn’t been settled yet. On the

one hand there are teachers who reject the use ofL1 or fail to recognize any significant potentialin it and on the other hand, there are those whomassively overuse it. Both are abusing a resourceof great importance. My view consists of usingthe target language as the medium of instructionwhen possible and switching to the mothertongue when it is really necessary. A rational and

judicious use of L1 in EFL classes can only beadvantageous. L1 use must be tuned up witheffective target language teaching, taking into

consideration the learners’ mother tongue andcultural background and using them to the bestof their interest.

Most important, we must remember thatstudents’ errors are a precious resource for theteacher, which inform him about the state of hispupils’ interlanguage. This is why it is soimportant to avoid negative marking , where thestudent simply learns that if he makes an errorhe will lose points. The foreign language teachershould use the students’ mother tongue only in

certain situations, for example:• When comparing English grammar with the

mother tongue’s grammar;

• Beginners will probably progress at a quickerpace if the use of the mother tongue is allowedin the classroom;

• Translation exercises may also be the perfectpractice when there is a grammar point thatis causing trouble to the students.

References

1. Auerbach, E. (1993) “Re-examining English only inthe ESL classroom” TESOL Quarterly, 27(1), 9-32.

2. Deller, S.; Rinvolucri, M. (2002) Using the MotherTongue: making the most of the learner’s language, DeltaPublishing.

3. Nation, P., „The role of the first language in foreignlanguage learning” In The Asian EFL Journal, 5(2).

4. Celce-Murcia, M. (1991) Teaching English: as a second

or foreign language (2nd

ed.), Newbury HousePublication.5. Chastain, K. (1988) Developing second-language skills:

Theory and Practice (3rd ed.), San Diego, California:Harcourt, Brace, Jovanovich.

6. Richards, Jack C. & Rodgers, Theodore S. (2001) Approaches and methods in language teaching (2nd ed.).Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

7. Butzkamm, W. (2003) “We only learn languageonce. The role of the mother tongue in FL classrooms:death of a dogma” Language Learning Journal, 28, 29-39.

8. Larsen-Freeman, D. (2000) Techniques and principles

in language teaching, New York: Oxford UniversityPress.

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Overusing Mother Tongue in English Language Teaching