Thinking About the Use of L1 in the L2 Classroom

The topic this article discusses is questioning the Immersion Model and the use of L1in the L2 classroom. L1 is your student's native language and L2 is the target language. The reason this particular topic peaked my interest was because of the long term "no questions asked" policy in the TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) world on total L2 immersion in the classroom. The use of L1 in the L2 classroom is so controversial that in some countries it is illegal. "The monolingual principle, the unique contribution of the twentieth century to classroom language teaching, remains the bedrock notion from which the others ultimately derive" (Howatt, 1984).

The question I am constantly asking myself is "Why is the use of L1 in the L2 classroom forbidden?" During my day to day TESOL teaching I find the L1 to be quite useful in the L2 classroom. Additionally, according to the Second Language Acquisition Handbook, it is easier for ESOL students, when they are already familiar with the words, to learn new L2 vocabulary when they are presented side by side in their native language. It seems logical enough to me. If I know what a "duck" is in my native language, why should the teacher make their students guess at the meaning and perhaps get it incorrect? If you show them a picture of a duck but they interpret the picture as a goose, no one has been helped and the student has the wrong definition in their mind.

I use some L1 in the L2 classroom and feel guilty about it because of the high place total immersion has in current TESOL literature. Apparently I am not alone, "Those interviewed by Mitchell (1988, p. 28) 'seemed almost to feel they were making an admission of professional misconduct in "confessing" to low levels of FL (L1) use" (Cook 2001). Although we are told to teach by higher ups in a total immersion environment, as hands-on teachers in the classroom we can see the direct benefits of using L1 in the L2 classroom. I believe there is a use for L1 in the L2 classroom and there is research to support that position. But "there seems to be a lack of awareness on the part of teachers as to how, when and the extent to which they actually use L1 in the classroom" (Polio and Duff 1994).

*If you enjoyed this interesting and informative article L1 in the L2 classroom,, please view my other articles on this topic by clicking on my name "Tesl Goddess" to read more of my expert advice.

References:

1) Howatt, A. (1984). A history of English language teaching, Oxford: Oxford University Press.

2) Mitchell, R. (1988). Communicative language teaching in practice. London: CILTR.

3) Polio, C. & Duff, P. (1994). Teachers' language use in university foreign language classroom: A qualitative analysis of English and target language alternation. Modern Language Journal, 78, 313-326.