Use of the first language in the EFL classroom as viewed by English philology students
Use of the first language in the EFL classroom as viewed by English philology students

Summary/Abstract: For years there have been debates among applied linguists and in-service teachers as to whether to allow any inclusion of learners’ mother tongue in the process of foreign language teaching. Since second language acquisition theories do not offer a precise answer, the actual use of the first language in the classroom depends on the beliefs of teachers and learners. Recent research studies concerning teachers and students’ views on whether learners’ L1 should be present or avoided in the teaching context seem to suggest that at present the controlled use of the L1 is perceived as beneficial. This article presents the results of a survey study on the perception of the usefulness of the L1 conducted among pre-service teachers of English at the University of Białystok. The findings support the view that the purposeful employment of the L1 may result in an increase in learning outcomes.

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