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Students' Perceptions On L1 Use by The Teacher in An Indonesian EFL Classroom Context
Students' Perceptions On L1 Use by The Teacher in An Indonesian EFL Classroom Context
Abstract
The goal of this study is to investigate students’ perceptions on L1 use by the teacher
in an Indonesian EFL classroom context. The debates about L1 use by teachers in EFL
classoom exist among English teaching scholars all over the world. In the case of Indonesian
EFL classroom context, junior high school students who are on the beginning level of English
proficiency are as question whether maintaining L1 by the teacher in English classroom cause
good impact or bad impact on the students’ English learning activity. Questionnaire result
from the students shows that most students are appreciated that the class are conducted in
Indonesian language. It also shows the students’ reason of being agree that the class are
conducted in Indonesian language in certain parts of learning activity.
Introduction
The first language or L1 use when teaching English as a foreign language in
classroom is a debated issue. Some scholars of English language teaching attempt to use
target language or L2 when teaching English, and some others attempt to use first language or
L1 when teaching English. There are reasons about the advantages of using L1 or L2 in EFL
classroom which make the use of L1 debatable. Littlewood, (1992:45) stated, “If the teacher
abandon the use of target language in the classroom, learners will not be convinced that the
foreign language they are learning could be an effective means of communication. It is only
through the actual usage that the students acknowledge its worth”. In other hand, Turnbull,
Miles and Jennifer Dailey-O’Cain, (2009:131) stated, “In contrast to earlier references to the
prohibition of all first language use in the foreign languaage classroom, many scholars are
now arguing that the first language can be beneficial as a cognitive tool that aids in second
language learning(Anton & DiCamilla, 1998; Blyth, 1995; Brooks & Donato, 1994; Cook,
2001; Swain&Lapkin, 2000)”. The explanations about reinforcing of the use of both L1 and
L2 have no sufficient evidence to approve which language is better to use in EFL classroom.
Based on the issue, the information about how students’ perception about L1 use is
something that could be used as a way to know how the importance of the use of L1 in EFL
teaching and learning context is. Kitjaroonchai, Tantip and Lmpadan Ritha Maidon,
(2016:16) stated, “Students themselves have developed their own opinions of L1 use, and
these perceptions seemed to be reflective of controversy surrounding the use of L1”.
Moreover, the information about students perception of L1 use is needed by teachers to
mediate teacher’s behaviors in order to support students’ achievement in learning English.
The use of L1 in EFL classroom has been on many discussions by many ELT
scholars. L1 has benefits related with students’ foreign language learning process. According
to Swain and Lapkin (2000:269) as quoted by Turnbull, Miles and Jennifer Dailey O’cain
(2009:6), “Judicious first language use supports second-language learning and production in
the second language. They insist that no use be made of the L1 in carrying out tasks that are
both linguistically and cognitively complex is to deny the use of an important cognitive tool”.
L1 in ELT classrooms also has beneficial roles in the form of some reasons of
why ELT teachers should use L1 in the classrooms. Cook, Vivian (2001:414-417) explains
the use of L1, as follows:
Based on the explanations of L1 role in EFL classroom, the use of L1 in EFL classroom is
believed as a useful way. According to Deller (2002:3), “The mother tongue taboo has been
with us for a long time, but fortunately now things seem to be changing. I believe that many
teachers have continued to use the mother tongue because it is both necessary and effective.”
It means that the overall doers of foreign language learning need to use L1 as complete way
Research Procedures
Method of the Research
The method is used in the research is descriptive case study research method.
According to Zainal, Zaidah (2009: 137), “Descriptive studies set to describe the natural
phenomena which occur within the data in question.” In descriptive case study, the researcher
describes the data as they occur.
Data and Sources of the Data
Data
The research result is acquired from the data. The data of this research are events
happening on participants serving needed explanation through behaviour, statements or
words which are transformed into written form.
Data Sources
In this research, eighth grade students at one of junior high school in Sumedang are
the data sources. The researcher chooses ten of the students in the class. They are as the
subject of the research that have beliefs about the cases studeied in the research that can be
analyzed by the researcher.
Research Instrument
In this research, the researcher uses questionnaire technique for getting the data. By
using this technique, the researcher can collect the data by giving questionnaire to the
students.
The researcher creates multiple choice questions to investigate the students to make
the answer objective. The questionnaire in this research will consist of 9 statements. In this
research, the researcher uses close-ended questions to investigate students’ perception on L1
use by the teacher. The questionnaires are adapted from Cook (2001) and are developed by
the researcher based on the research needs. The researcher translates the questions into
Indonesian version to make the respondents easier to fill the questionnaires
Technique of Analysing the Data
The data produced from questionnaire and interview are analyzed by appropriate
techniques of analysing the data. Miles and Huberman (1999:10) stated, “We define analysis
as consisting of three concurrent flows of activity: data reduction, data display and conclusion
drawing/verification”. It means that in qualitative research there are some activities in
analysing data
Data Reduction
The first step in analyzing the data is data reduction. Miles and Huberman (1994:10)
stated, “Data reduction refers to the process of selecting, focusing, simplifying abstracting,
and transforming the data that appear in written-up field notes or transcriptions”.
Data Display
The step after data reduction is data display. Miles and Huberman (1994:11) stated,
“Looking at display helps us to understand what is happeninng and to do something – either
analyze further or take action – based on that understanding”.
Conclusion Drawing/Verification
The last step of analyzing the data is conclusion drawing/verification. The researcher
makes conclusion and verification t the end of the research after the data have been displayed
during the research Fraenkel, Jack R. and Norman E. Wallen (2009:427) argued, “In
qualitative research, interpretations are made continuously throughout the course of a study.
... as a result, one finds the researcher’s conclusion in a qualitative study more or less
integrated with other stps in the research process”.
Finding
A questionnaire is survey of 30 students. The questionnaire describes students’
perceptions the use of L1 by the teacher while English language teaching. The data of
questionnaire show that teacher utilized the L1 is used almost half of the whole lesson. L1
still has important role in teaching a second language particularly English.
N Option
o. A % di %
Qgree sagree
1 2 9 1 3
9 7
2 2 8 5 1
5 3 7
3 2 9 3 1
7 0 0
4 2 8 6 2
4 0 0
5 2 8 6 2
4 0 0
6 2 8 4 1
6 7 3
7 2 9 2 7
8 3
8 2 8 1 3
4 0 0 3
9 2 7 8 2
2 3 7
1 2 9 1 3
0 9 7
The analysis result of data from questionnaire regarding to the first research question
which was aimed to investigate students’ perceptions toward teacher’s use L1 in EFL.
1. The use of L1 by the teacher in English classroom makes you easy to
understand new vocabularies in English. 97% very Strong
2. The use of L1 by the teacher in English classroom helps you in grammar and
structure in English. 83% Very strong
3. The use of L1 by the teacher in English classroom makes you easy to
understand the instruction given by the teacher. 90% very Strong
4. The use of L1 by the teacher in English classroom helps you to be more
comfortable in learning English. 80% very Strong
5. The use of L1 by the teacher in English classroom makes you easy in English
and to improve your self confidence. 80 % very Strong
6. The use of L1 by the teacher in English classroom makes you understand
toward the meaning of every sentence which is explained by the teacher. 87% very
Strong
7. The use of L1 by the teacher in English classroom makes you understand how
to do your homework and repare it when you do some mistakes. 93% very veryStrong
8. The use of L1 by the teacher in English classroom helps you to explain the
English material that she given. 80 % very strong
9. The use of L1 by the teacher in English classroom helps you to manage the
class to be conducive. 73% strong enough
10. The use of L1 by the teacher in English classroom helps you to offer the
assessment after the material given by the teacher. 97% very strong.
Table 4.3
The result of data from questionnaire done by 30 students
N Material % C
o at.
English 7 S
3 S
teacher 0 S
0 S
0 S
teacher 0 S
3 E
0 7 S
In the conclusion, process series and the result of this research are explained. Based
on the questions of the research, this research asks about students’ perception on teacher’s L1
use that has been explained in chapter four. In the conclusion, process series and the result of
this research are explained.
The result of this study serves information about students’ perceptions on L1 use by
the teacher, so the teacher could be more aware about the use of L1 in English teaching and
learning process in the classroom. The students show positive perception towards the use of
bahasa Indonesia by the teacher in EFL classroom. The use of L1 by the teacher is
implemented by the teacher of a Junior High School in Sumedang in certain parts of English
learning activity in the classroom.The result of this study helps teachers to know the
information about in what part/when L1 useful to use by the teacher in English learning
activity. These reasons could be recognized from the result of students’ perceptions about the
moments of the teacher in using L1. The result of students’ perceptions on the teacher’s use
of L1 in English classroom activity could be used by the teacher to make it as aid for students
in order to be able to comprehend English material in easier way by including the use of L1.
This research focuses on second grade of junior high school students’ perception on
the teacher’s L1 use in an Indonesian EFL classroom context. The writer hopes that the next
researcher can develop the research scope with various students’ character such as
investigating students’ perception on L1 use by teacher in different students’ social identity
and in different level of students’ English proficiency.
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Nama : ……………….……………….
Pilihlah salah satu pendapat antara “setuju” atau “tidak setuju” terhadap pernyataan-
pernyataan di setiap nomor!
Beri tanda ceklis pada salah satu pilihan jika kalian setuju atau tidak setuju atas kalimat yang
ada di bawah sesuai dengan pendapat kalian sendiri!
Tidak
No. Pernyataan Setuju Alasan
Setuju
1. Saya setuju bahwa saat guru
bahasa Inggris saya berbicara
bahasa Indonesia di dalam kelas
bahasa Inggris adalah untuk
menjelaskan arti dari kosa kata
yang baru kita ketahui.
Tidak
No. Pernyataan Setuju Alasan
Setuju
5. Menurut saya saat guru bahasa
Inggris saya berbicara bahasa
Indonesia di dalam kelas bahasa
Inggris adalah untuk membuat
kami disiplin dan mau
mendengarka penjelasan materi
Tidak
No. Pernyataan Setuju Alasan
Setuju
9. Saya percaya bahwa saat guru
bahasa Inggris saya berbicara
bahasa Indonesia di dalam kelas
bahasa inggris adalah untuk
memuji performa belajar kami
ketika kami menjalani kegiatan
belajar dengan baik.
TERIMA KASIH….!!!!