What is the Role of the First Language in Second Language Education?
Teaching a second or foreign language can be challenging: Developing a good rapport with students, maintaining interest, ensuring comprehension, and managing behavioural issues are especially difficult to accomplish when speaking a language that is both new and unfamiliar to our students. For all of the reasons listed above, I admit to “lapsing” into the first language (L1) on many occasions during second language (L2) instruction. And, the guilty feeling that always follows the L1 “lapse” never changes. I always feel immediate regret and wonder if my “lapse” diminishes my effectiveness as an L2 instructor. Thus, it is my own professional struggle that leads me to ask the question: Is there a place in L2 education for the learner's L1?
L2 instructors have been forever plagued by the inner conflict stemming from their desire or perceived need to “lapse” into a child’s L1 and the school or district policies that dictate otherwise. Either in the interest of saving time, because Johnny looks confused and lost, or simply because it has been a long day of speaking another language and it would be a relief to speak one’s native language for a brief minute: L2 instructors occasionally use the L1. Despite what they may say when asked during staff meetings, teacher in-services, or in a one-on-one conversation, L2 instructors rarely use or demand use of the L2 all of the time. In fact, in most cases it would be impossible to have such expectations.
The reality is that children enrolled in L2 programs rarely have the level of proficiency required to communicate effectively on a consistent basis, especially at lower grade levels, nor can they understand every instruction or explanation given in the L2. True, enlisting the help of gestures and other visual aids, and even inventing dances may assist comprehension, but sometimes there is no picture or sign that can illustrate what it is we are attempting to explain. Thus, despite our best intentions to provide an L2-rich learning experience for our students, the occasional instance does arise when using only the L2 is simply not an option. The question is: Do we continue to avoid use of the L1 even though we know some of our students are lost and are becoming unmotivated, or do we allow the occasional “lapse” into the L1 when the benefits of doing so possibly outweigh the drawbacks?
Teaching a second or foreign language can be challenging: Developing a good rapport with students, maintaining interest, ensuring comprehension, and managing behavioural issues are especially difficult to accomplish when speaking a language that is both new and unfamiliar to our students. For all of the reasons listed above, I admit to “lapsing” into the first language (L1) on many occasions during second language (L2) instruction. And, the guilty feeling that always follows the L1 “lapse” never changes. I always feel immediate regret and wonder if my “lapse” diminishes my effectiveness as an L2 instructor. Thus, it is my own professional struggle that leads me to ask the question: Is there a place in L2 education for the learner's L1?
L2 instructors have been forever plagued by the inner conflict stemming from their desire or perceived need to “lapse” into a child’s L1 and the school or district policies that dictate otherwise. Either in the interest of saving time, because Johnny looks confused and lost, or simply because it has been a long day of speaking another language and it would be a relief to speak one’s native language for a brief minute: L2 instructors occasionally use the L1. Despite what they may say when asked during staff meetings, teacher in-services, or in a one-on-one conversation, L2 instructors rarely use or demand use of the L2 all of the time. In fact, in most cases it would be impossible to have such expectations.
The reality is that children enrolled in L2 programs rarely have the level of proficiency required to communicate effectively on a consistent basis, especially at lower grade levels, nor can they understand every instruction or explanation given in the L2. True, enlisting the help of gestures and other visual aids, and even inventing dances may assist comprehension, but sometimes there is no picture or sign that can illustrate what it is we are attempting to explain. Thus, despite our best intentions to provide an L2-rich learning experience for our students, the occasional instance does arise when using only the L2 is simply not an option. The question is: Do we continue to avoid use of the L1 even though we know some of our students are lost and are becoming unmotivated, or do we allow the occasional “lapse” into the L1 when the benefits of doing so possibly outweigh the drawbacks?
Created March 25, 2010
by Heidi Cooper
by Heidi Cooper