The Use of L1 in the Classroom

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The use of L1in the Classroom Edson Horta University of Cape Verde António Moreira English Studies 2/2/2012 EFL learners’ reluctance to speak English in the classroom is one of the problems that EFL teachers face in when teaching in EFL contexts. Students have few opportunities to practice English outside of the classroom, and the use of L1 during these classes reduces even more the chances of putting in practice what they are learning or have learned so far. Regarding the use of mother tongue in class by students and sometimes teachers the academic community is still divided, some defend that students learning English should be taught only in English and others suggest that when teaching EFL students we should use L1 as a tool to be used when it is really necessary. The monolingual approach is one that is against the use of L1in the classroom. They believe that the target language should be used only as a medium of communication and the prohibition of the native language would increase the effectiveness of learning the target language. Also they believe that the frequent use of L1 may influence both the learner and the teacher leading them to use the L1 whenever a difficulty is encountered; L1 may be sometimes misleading when learning the target language and using L1 to teach EFL may result in students’ error due to L1 transfer. The defenders of the monolingual approach are not the only ones to see the use of L1 in class as something that can negatively affect students learning and understanding of English. Some teachers defend that the approval of L1 use in the class room will result in its consistent use by students. If allowed to insert words or phrases in their native tongue whenever confronted with a difficulty, students may make it a habit failing to see the balance between fluency and accuracy in communication. In this case students will overuse the
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