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The Use of Native Language in ELT Classrooms

Article · April 2012

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Parlindungan Pardede
Universitas Kristen Indonesia
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 THE USE OF NATIVE LANGUAGE
IN ELT CLASSROOMS

Parlindungan Pardede
parlpard2010@gmail.com
Universitas Kristen Indonesi

Abstrak
Penggunaan bahasa ibu atau bahasa pertama dalam pembelajaran bahasa
kedua/asing telah sudah lama menjadi kontroversi. Untuk memahami latar
belakang kontroversi tersebut, makalah ini mencoba meninjau perlakuan
terhadap bahasa pertama oleh metode-metode pengajaran bahasa terkemuka.
Setelah itu, tinjauan difokuskan pada hasil penelitian terkini yang menyoroti
tentang apakah penggunaan bahasa pertama menghalangi atau membantu
penguasaan bahasa kedua/asing. Hasil diskusi menunjukkan bahwa ide dan
hasil penelitian yang ada belum dapat mengakhiri kontroversi tersebut. Namun,
terungkap bahwa penggunaan bahasa ibu bersifat dinamis dan mencakup
berbagai hal kompleks. Dengan mempertimbangkan berbagai faktor yang
terlibat, guru dapat dengan bijak memutuskan untuk mengizinkan atau melarang
penggunaan bahasa ibu dalam pembelajaran bahasa kedua/asing.
Kata kunci: bahasa ibu, strategi belajar, metode pengajaran bahasa

Abstract
The use of mother tongue in learning second/foreign language classrooms has
long been a controversy in the field of language teaching. To understand the
background of the controversy, this paper tries to review the treatment of a first
language by leading language teaching methods. After that, the review is focused
on the results of current research on whether the use of the first language hinders
or assists second/foreign language acquisition. The discussion shows that the
ideas and results of existing research have not been able to end the controversy.
However, it is obvious that the use of a native language is dynamic and includes
a variety of complex things. Taking into account the various factors involved,
teachers can wisely determine to permit or prohibit the use of mother tongue in
second/foreign language classrooms.
Key words: native language, learning strategy, language teaching method

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Introduction
The use of students’ native language in a second or foreign language classes is
“one of the most long-standing controversies in the history of language pedagogy”
(Stern, 1992, p. 279). Some experts see it to be facilitative but some think that it
is counterproductive (Brown, 2000). Although that topic of cross-linguistic
influence has been widely discussed for many decades, linguistic researchers
have not reached consensus on whether the transfer of native language
knowledge has constructive or destructive influences in the acquisition of
second/foreign language. Different existing theories and researches results
revealed controversial opinions or findings about the role of native language
influences on second/foreign language learning.
This paper intends to present and discuss current theories and recent
researches findings related to the use of native language in a second or foreign
language. The presentation and evaluation of the ideas and findings will hopefully
provide an objective understanding of the nature of the native language transfer
and supply new pedagogical implications. Discussion begins with a brief historical
review of the use of native language in second/foreign language learning. It is
then followed by presentation and discussion on current researchers have found
on the issue. At the end, some conclusions are presented.

Native language Use Controversy in Second/Foreign Language Teaching

The controversy of the use of native language in second/language learning could
be easily traced back in the historical sequence of the most-recognized language
teaching methods. Under the domination of the Grammar Translation Method
(GTM) up to the nineteenth century, second or foreign languages were taught
through grammar illustration, bilingual vocabulary lists and translation exercises.
Since its fundamental goal is to help learners be able to read literature in the
target language, GTM emphasizes on the literary language, not to enable
students to communicate verbally in the target language. Stern (1983)
emphasizes that in GTM the students’ native language is freely used as “a
reference system” in the process of the target language acquisition (p. 455).

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Due to the high increase of transnational commercial contact and travel in

Europe in the late of the nineteenth century, a great need of the ability to
communicate with people of different nations emerged. Different from the
previous trend, people now wanted to learn a second or foreign language in order
to communicate, not to read the literature of the target language. This led to the
appearance of the Direct Method (DM), which totally concentrates on the spoken
language. The basic premise of the DM was that one should attempt to learn a
second language in much the same way as children learn their native language.
In this light, learners should be immersed in the target language through its use
as a medium of instruction and communication. According to Harmer (2001), “the
idea that all use of the mother tongue in the language classroom should be
avoided stems from the advent of the Direct Method …, and from the training of
native-English speaker teachers who either had to deal with multilingual
classes…” (p.131). Translation, therefore, was thought as uncommunicative,
boring, pointless, difficult, and irrelevant. Although the DM began to decline in
first quarter of the twentieth century due to its impracticality (it needs high cost,
the class size is small, class hour is very long it laid foundation upon which many
of the later methods and approaches expanded and developed. Among them are
the Audiolingual Method and Communicative Approach.
The Audiolingual Method (AM), originated from a U.S. Army program
devised after World War II to produce speakers proficient in the languages of
friend and enemies, aims to help learners “to be able to use the target language
communicatively” (Larsen-Freeman, 2000, p. 43). Grounded in the habit
formation model of behaviorist psychology and on a Structural Linguistics theory
of language, the AM emphasized on memorization through pattern drills and
conversation practices. It forbade translation at early level and the use of the
students’ native language in the classroom.
Beginning from the last decade of the 20th century, Communicative
Language Teaching (CLT) approach emerged and become the most popular in
the language teaching profession the present days. This approach focuses on
the use of the target language during authentic, functional, communicative
activities. However, the use of native language is allowed where feasible and

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translation may be used when learners find it essential or helpful (Finocchiaro &
Brumfit in Ellis, 2003, pp. 84-85). This is in line with the fact that more and more
researches in applied linguistics indicated that learners’ mother tongue can be
very useful in a second/foreign language teaching (Malmkjaer, 1998). Cook
(1996), for instance, asserts that translation promotes multilingual competence,
and, therefore, serves as a valuable tool in language teaching.
Based on the brief review of the language teaching methods history above,
it is obvious that the use of native language in the teaching of second/foreign
languages is controversial because different theories of second/foreign language
acquisition afford different hypotheses about the value of mother tongue use in
second/foreign language classes. Some theorists who believed in the similarity
of the process of second/foreign language and first language (mother tongue)
learning have promoted a monolingual approach. They argued that maximum
exposure to second/foreign language and least exposure to mother tongue are
very essential because interference from first language knowledge obstructs
second/foreign language learning process (Cook, 2001). Krashen (in Brown,
2000), a pivotal advocate of the only target language use in the classroom and
also an expert in the field of linguistics, emphasizes that “comprehensible input
is the only causative variable in second language acquisition” (p. 280).
However, some language educationists have argued against the complete
elimination of the learners’ first language from second/foreign language classes
(e.g., Nation, 2003; Larsen-Freeman, 2000) and have reiterated
that a judicious and well planned use of native language can yield positive
results (Cook, 2001). That idea is in line with Atkinson (in Harmer 2001) who
claims that judicious use of the mother tongue can provide some general
advantages. He suggests that activities like grammar explanations, checking
comprehension, giving instructions, discussing classroom methodology and
checking for sense are included into this category. He claims that if teachers can
use the students’ language, these tasks will be expedited more efficiently.
The essence of a judicious and well-planned use of native language in
foreign language teaching is also emphasized in a statement published on its

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website IATEFL Conference in Aberdeen on 18-20 April 2007, which summarizes

the opinion of the famous British linguist, Cook (2007):
“The most important statement was the fact that English teachers tend to
take a monolingual approach thus neglecting the importance of translation
in the process of teaching English. The ESL classroom cannot follow the
motto “One nation, one people, one language”, a somewhat overrated
statement since it implies that a classroom is a state. Quite contrary to that,
the L1, i.e. the mother tongue of the students, should by all means be
acknowledged. The importance is highlighted even more by the fact that the
students’ culture is part of their language and by neglecting their language,
the teacher, in a monolingual classroom, neglects their culture which leads
to the danger of neglecting their identity as well. What is more, there is no
valid database that could confirm the standpoint that the monolingual
approach in teaching is the best one. The disregard of the students’ mother
tongue can in fact de-motivate the students and be counterproductive.
Therefore, there is neither a scientific nor a pedagogic reason to exclude L1
from the teaching process”.

Recent Research Findings

The results of the rising research on learning strategies have indicated that
translation is a cognitive learning strategy. The study of O'Malley et al. (1985),
revealed that translation a common learning strategy in second language
learning. Of the total 11 cognitive strategies identified by the researchers,
translation accounted for 11.3% of all strategies used by secondary school
learners of English as a second language. Only three other strategies were used
in higher frequency, namely repetition (19.6%), note taking (18.7%), and imagery
(12.5%). While Kobayashi and Rinnert (1992) found that the scores obtained by
Japanese students who wrote English essays through the translation from
Japanese were higher than the scores of students who wrote directly in English.
The students felt it was easier to develop ideas, to express thoughts clearly, and
to find more suitable dictions by translating when they were writing essays.
Prince’s (1996) research revealed that translation enabled students to learn
vocabulary in greater numbers. Such findings led researchers to believe that
students can utilize their native language’s elements to learn a new language.
Those findings are consistent with the findings obtained from a survey of
the teaching of translation in nineteen out of twenty-one British universities. The
results indicate that translation was taught as a way of improving students’

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linguistic proficiency; and that translation was used to consolidate the target
language constructions for active use and monitor and improve comprehension
of the target language, Based on these findings, Anderman (1998) emphasizes,
“language teaching through translation is now reasserting its position on the
school curriculum after a few decades in the cold…”
Experimental research conducted Liu (2008) regarding the effects of the use
of Chinese in English vocabulary learning by Chinese college students revealed
that the native language provided many advantages. For these students,
translation was an easy and efficient strategy to express the essential meaning
of a word. Their knowledge of the equivalent words in Chinese with the English
word being studied provided certainty to them about the meaning of the word.
Such certainty is naturally very helpful in the students’ effort to keep the meaning
of the word in the long-term memory. In relation to that, it was concluded that
there is no solid theoretical basis to avoid the use of translation in vocabulary
enrichment as well as in efforts to check students' understanding of the meaning
of those words.
Although the majority of those research findings tend to support the
usefulness of native language use in second/foreign language learning,
researchers provided varied opinions about when the use of translation is most
beneficial to students. Husain (1995) suggested that translation gives a very
positive effect on students with elementary and intermediate mastery levels. To
students with higher levels of mastery, translation seems not very beneficial.
Some other researchers found that translation strategies can enhance English
language learning in almost all levels of mastery. It was also discovered that
translation strategies is more suitable in learning vocabulary and phrases, but not
so disadvantageous in the study of 'tenses'. These findings indicate that the
semantic aspects of language are more common among languages than the
structural aspects. In addition, other researchers warn that the use of mother
tongue may possibly lead the students to think that the vocabulary and structure
of the target language are equivalent to the vocabulary and structure of their
native language, whereas in most cases they are not. It is therefore important to

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raise learners' awareness about that inequality. This could possibly be done by
letting them to think comparatively.

Students and Teachers’ Perceptions

Empirical studies which specifically examined the beliefs of students and
teachers about the use of native language in learning a foreign language have
recently conducted extensively. The results of these studies indicate various
views of students and teachers. Horwitz (1988) found that the majority of German
and Spanish students (70% and 75%) supported the idea that learning English is
nothing more than translating from English, while the French students who
agreed or strongly agreed with the same idea is only 15% . Meanwhile, Kern
(1994) found that although the foreign language teachers and their students were
aware of the involvement of mental translation while reading the target language
texts, both parties often viewed translation as unwanted ‘disturbing’ elements.
In addition, Prince’s (1996) research, which compared the use of translation
and context in learning foreign language vocabulary, indicated that learning
vocabulary using context was widely accepted by teachers as an effective
strategy, but students preferred learning by translation, i.e. by linking the word
studied with the equivalent word in their mother tongue. For them, translating the
words into their native language is more effective to enrich vocabulary. Schweers’
(1999) study supported that idea. His study revealed that the majority (88.7%)
students stated their mother tongue should be used in teaching English as a
second language. They also said that they would feel their identity threatened
threatened if their mother tongue was prevented in the foreign language learning
they were doing. The same idea was indicated by Januleviþienơ and
Kavaliauskienơ’s (2004) research. Conducted in Lithuania using 110
respondents, the study revealed that 86% of respondents said their mother
tongue should be used in the classroom, especially in the explanation of difficult
concepts (90%), the introduction of new materials (57%), explanation of new
materials (74%) and the explanation of the relationship of English and their
mother tongue (55%).

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Because students have often encouraged by their teachers to think in the

target language, some students may have believed that relying on their native
language while learning a foreign language is harmful. The results of a research
on student perceptions of writing in English by translating from Japanese than
writing directly in English conducted by Kobayashi and Rinnert (1992) indicated
that 88% of Japanese students with high proficiency preferred to write directly in
English rather than through translation, and 53% of low-capable students also
preferred direct composition. Some students said that they preferred direct writing
because they wanted to be able to think in English.
In a study conducted to see the profile differences between high and low
achieving Chinese students in learning English, Wen and Johnson (1997) chose
ten students majoring in English in Chinese as subjects. Based on the data
collected through interviews, diary studies, and strategies used during reading
tasks, they found that the low-achieving students did not think the use of
translation strategies impede the progress of their learning. In contrast, high-
achieving students explicitly stated that the use of Chinese language interfered
their learning of English. Wen and Johnson concluded that Chinese students
should be encouraged to reduce the use of their native language. This conclusion
is in line with results of Mahmoudi & Amirkhiz’s. (2011) study of the use of Persian
in the EFL classroom at pre-university level in Iran. The study revealed that the
pre-university students of different proficiency levels (high achieving & low-
achieving) were supportive of English domination in their English classes and
were critical of an excessive use of Persian in the context of Iranian schools.
In contrary to Wen and Johnson’s conclusions, Hsieh (2000) found the
translation to their native language helped Taiwanese students in learning
English, especially in reading comprehension, reading strategies, vocabulary
learning, and the development of cultural background understanding. At the end
of EFL learning by using the translation method, 52 students were asked to fill a
questionnaire dealing with their attitudes and perceptions. The results showed
that 85% of the participants said that translating into their native language
(Chinese) helped them to see the coherence and contextualization of the English
text; 73% of students said that they felt the importance of their native language

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through translation; 65% thought that translation aided them to better understand
the meaning of some words in English, 62% felt translation helped in vocabulary
and reading skills development. In general, students believed that the use of
native language had a positive effect on English reading proficiency and
vocabulary enrichment.
Quite different from studies on students’ perception, the number of studies
on teachers’ perception is still very limited. One of them is Anh’s (2010) study on
the attitudes of Vietnamese university teachers toward the use of Vietnamese in
English Language Teaching (ELT) in the context of Vietnam. Findings of this
study support the judicious use of Vietnamese in some situations in ELT.
Vietnamese appeared to be very advantageous in the activities of explaining new
words, especially terminologies and abstract words

Conclusions
Based on the discussions on the ideas and research findings above, it is obvious
that the role of native language in second/foreign language learning is dynamic
and multifaceted. As a consequence, the complete rejection of the use of native
language could be accepted. With a multidimensional perspective in mind,
teachers could wisely determine whether they will use native language in their
second/foreign language class or not. In general, the students’ mastery level of
the target language should be taken into the first consideration. The lower their
mastery, the more tolerant the teacher should be with their reliance on their native
language. Then, the use of the mother tongue should gradually be reduced in line
with the students’ better mastery of the target language.
Last but not least, it is important to note that since the ideas and current
research findings discussed in this paper were obtained from outside of
Indonesia, there is a need to conduct studies in Indonesian context in order to
evaluate the actual role of Indonesian in English teaching.

References
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