Advantages of Using L1 in L2 Classes
¨Learning another language is not only learning different words for the same things, but learning another way to think about things¨ - Flora Lewis. When teachers use speaker's first language (L1) in speaker's second language (L2) classes, it facilitates students’ awareness of the concepts, vocabulary, and grammatical structures of the target language (Hung, 2012). Saying this, teachers implementation of the mother tongue in a balanced way will facilitate the learning process of students and efficiently solve their doubts. However, most of the teachers disagree on using the mother tongue because using L1 will decrease students' opportunities to improve the target language. Instead of banning the use of L1, applying accurate times and techniques of using it will improve students' comprehension of complex concepts and their development in classes. Besides, using L1 in L2 classrooms should be allowed to improve students learning process and make it easier by teachers because it helps in giving an accurate translation of words, explaining grammatical structures, and checking comprehension between students.
Giving an appropriate translation of a word to students facilitates the comprehension of difficult words and helps them to connect their prior knowledge with the new one. Making a combination of L1 and L2, which works effectively, helps students to understand in a better way the abstract or difficult concepts in a short period (Khati, 2011). Most of the times, students relate their knowledge about their mother tongue when taking L2 classes to have a better comprehension (Khati, 2011). Through the use of students' mother tongue in translating complicated words for the teacher to explain has two superb sides, such as, giving a proper meaning and saving class time in trying to explain the words. Besides, as the student is going to recognize the words in L1, when reminding the concept will be easier because he pictures the words in his mind and immediately makes a connection. Hence, teachers take advantage of the benefits that give to the class and considerate the use of L2.
Using L1 as a tool to explain structures helps teachers to clarify students doubts. When students analyze a grammatical structure, they tend to create relations between the two languages to have a clearer idea of how it works (Hanakova & Metruk, 2017). Due to students relating both languages to compare similarities and differences, teachers can implement short and clear explanations to enhance comprehension and to use of the target language. Therefore, employing the use of L1 in classes decrease the number of misunderstandings which helps in the fluency of the activities and the class (Hanakova & Metruk, 2017). Keeping students working in class with no or few interruptions about troubles with L2 using L1 will helps students to understand faster and easier the English structures and components. Thus, using the mother tongue in English classes does have effective results in improving students' understanding, and when they explain each other, their development increases faster.
Students co-operating between each other while doing an exercise and using a mixture of their L1 and L2 benefits their understanding of the target language. When students work in teams, most of the times they share their doubts in L1, because of the confidence between each other and to understand better the word, concept, or structure (Schweers, 1999). Moreover, students answered if they like to use L1 or not in classes, and 86% percent of students says they would like that the teacher uses Spanish to explain complex concepts (Schweers, 1999). Whereas students agree on teachers using the mother tongue to explain difficulties in the language, making a combination of both languages is effective to increase students' knowledge and development in the classroom. Keeping students working in groups has constructive results because they enhance their cooperating skills and besides that, explanations between students, sometimes, work better than when the teacher explains. Therefore, the implementation of L1 in L2 classes functions as an effective tool for students while learning a new language because helps learners to have a better explanation and makes them feel comfortable while using the target language.
Implementing the mother tongue in L2 classes helps as a tool for the learning process in students such as giving an accurate translation of words, explaining grammatical structures, and checking comprehension between students. Hence, teachers should look forward to using L1 as a beneficial tool in the classroom, because students tend to compare differences and similarities even though the teacher avoids the mother tongue, on the other hand, makes students feel comfortable while learning a new language. Many tools exist to increase students knowledge, but why not to use L1 as a resource if it has proven effective results. In brief, a combination of the mother tongue and the target language helps learners feel comfortable while learning, increasing their knowledge, and comprehending in classes.
**References**
Hanakova, M. & Metruk, R. (2017). The use of l1 in the process of teaching English. Modern Journal of Language Teaching Methods, 7(8), 380-389. Retrieved from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/318826935_The_Use_of_L1_in_the_Process_of_Teaching_English
Hung, N. V. (2012). Mother tongue use in task-based language teaching model. English Language Teaching, 5(8), 23-30. Retrieved from https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1079743
Khati, A. R. (2011). When and why of mother tongue use in English classrooms. Journal of NELTA, 16(1-2), 42-51. Retrieved from https://www.nepjol.info/index.php/NELTA/article/view/6128
Schweers Jr, C. W. (1999, April). Using l1 in the l2 classroom. In English Teaching Forum *37(*2), 6-9. Retrieved from https://www.academia.edu/3447217/Using_L1_in_the_L2_classroom
Problem Statement
I wish to learn more about the use of the mother tounge in L2 classrooms because I want to find out techniques of how and when learners can use L1 in the classroom in order to help English teachers to use it effectively to take advantage of its benefits.
NOTE: don't include anything in your significance that is going to be in the 3 paragraphs
Skeleton outline
Using L1 in L2 classrooms should be allowed to improve students learning process and make it easier by teachers because it helps in giving an accurate translation of words, explaining grammatical structures, and checking comprehension between students.
Giving an appropriate translation of a word to students, will facilitate the comprehension of difficult words and helps them to connect their prior knowledge with the new one
Learning a new language with different structures can be stressful for some students but using L1 as a tool to explain will help to clarify doubts
Students co-operating between each other while doing an exercise and using a mixture of their L1 and L2 will benefit their understanding of the target language.
transition from the context of the problem to the thesis statement
Focus on the concepts not the autor
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paraphrase
language tools: appositives, introductory phrases, relavite classes
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First Draft -Rethorical Patterns -MEAL plan
5-8 sentences per paragraphs
Main Idea
Evidence (Citations: what, how, why, when, where)
Analysis (this evicence aplies with this main idea in this way)
Link/Summarizing (link to the next paragraph)
synonyms/hyponym
Indirect Citation
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