L1 vs L2 in the English class

L1 AND L2 IN THE CLASSROOM

Some teachers might believe that if their students don’t use the target language in the classroom, it is because they, the
teachers, are doing something wrong. In fact, the Direct Method states that the only language to be spoken in the
classroom by teachers and students should be the target language. However, this idea is being left aside and the focus of
the discussion is not how much English is spoken in an English lesson but how and when it is used.

There are arguments in favour of the “English only” lesson such as: “English is the only means of communication in the
classroom” this means that the students will attempt to use it in order to communicate and as a result the process of
language learning will be automatic or “In classrooms where students have different first language backgrounds, the
policy of “English only” is the only alternative”. However, banning the use of a person’s first language is not the best
thing to do since our identity is partly shaped by our language and it is natural and instinctive to communicate in our
mother tongue. So, since the very beginning, language teachers must assume and accept that students are going to use
both, their first language and the target language.

A SMOOTH CHANGE: FROM A SIN TO A POSSIBILITY

During the Mid-80’s the golden rule was: AVOID THE USE OF L1 INL2 CLASSROOMS! Why? Well, here are four simple
and very old answers. First, translation encourages dependence on the L1. Second, the L1 system interferes with the
development of the L2 system. Third, through translation students get the meaning easily and they don’t do any kind of
mental effort for working it out. Fourth, the “natural” way of acquiring a language is through exposure and experience.

On the other hand, since the Mid-90’s this golden rule has been evolving, considering the use of the Mother Tongue in
Second Language classrooms a facilitative tool highly beneficial when learning a second language.

A PEACEFUL COEXISTENCE

In what way can L1 be used as a tool without transforming the L2 classroom into a translation-based one?

 Use L1 whenever it helps. Accelerate when things are similar, prioritize what is harder.
 Use cognates and false cognates. This will help students learn the language more quickly. There are false cognates
as well. Compare and contrast them! It will provide rich input.
 Make use of contrastive pronunciation such as comparing stressed syllables in both languages.
 Appeal to the mother tongue when there is no other way of explaining a word or concept.
 Languages have more similarities than differences, and translation encourages the positive transfer of the
similarities as well as alerting students of the differences.
 Build on students’ linguistic intelligences. Do not ignore their existing knowledge. Instead, turn it into a valuable
resource.

The use of the L1 with peers and teachers has a positive effect on the group’s dynamic. This will help to create a good
atmosphere by making a strong bond between both parties as well as helping students to self-evaluate and give
feedback more fluently.
 L1 vs L2 in the English class

As regards the learning of a new language, the use of L1 will allow students to notice the similarities and the differences
between their first language and the target language. Moreover, it might help compare both languages in order to
understand errors.

What teachers should take into account is that when explaining the aims of a lesson, making a learning contract with
students, when asking students what they need or discussing personal issues they should use L1 for a better
understanding.

A DELICATE BALANCE
- Teachers are the major source of comprehensible input for students and the over-use of L1 restricts the students’
exposure to English. Also, students’ natural inclination to communicate in the best way they can is in their mother
tongue. But it will not be useful for the communicative speaking tasks, where students are supposed to try the language
they have acquired.

Do you think it is impossible? Well, here is when teachers became “jugglers” who maintain the right balance of L1 in the
L2 classroom by describing the rules clearly from the beginning and agreeing clear guidelines, students must know when
to use L1 and L2, deciding where you place yourself in the classroom, remember the groups nearest you will probably
use English while those who are further will switch into their L1, making a habit of answering in English when students
ask questions in Spanish, monitoring more overtly by letting them know they will be assessed during the task, keeping
speaking activities short until they gain more confidence and fluency, moving from open pair work to closed pair work
for them to have a clear idea of what is expected and by making sure your students have the English they need to work.
Do not expect them to acquire structures or expressions during the main task.

REMEMBER

Our goal is to create successful language switchers, not just turn our students into native speakers.

MULTILINGUAL GROUP TEACHING

Advantages

-The communication is authentic since the only common language is English. Students make themselves understood and
there is no chance to talk in L1.

-A multilingual group is a multicultural group. Students are motivated to find things of other cultures.

-These classes usually take place in English speaking countries where students have the opportunity to use the language
outside the classroom making a much quicker progress.

Disadvantages

-It is difficult to make sure whether all the students have understood. So, teachers spend valuable time checking
meaning.

-Students have different language problems as regards pronunciation, vocabulary or grammar.

-Since students have different educational backgrounds, their approach to learning and study skills may be different.
 L1 vs L2 in the English class

MONOLINGUAL GROUP TEACHING

Advantages

-Students with the same mother tongue will have the same problems with pronunciation or grammar.

-They might have similar learning backgrounds and study skills.

-They will probably be more accepting of one another.

-Translating one or two words might save time.

-Instructions and explanations can be given in L1. This is highly useful with beginners.

-If the teacher is a foreigner or English native speaker, there is an authentic information gap to work with.

Disadvantages

-As all the students speak the same language they might feel self-conscious about speaking English.

-The make similar mistakes and it is difficult for them to correct each other and sometimes the teacher stops noticing
them.

-Sometimes it is difficult to stop students’ chatting in their L1.

USING L1 IN L2 CLASSROOMS.

It might seem counterintuitive to use L1 in an L2 classroom. After all, the more the students are exposed to the target
language, the more proficient they will become. As regards that last sentence, a new research will challenge it.
Nowadays, a broader understanding of L1 use in L2 learning will help both, learners and teachers to have a better
understanding of why in some cases the use of L1 is not only useful but also necessary.

Firstly, if a teacher forbids the use of the students’ L1 they might feel alienated because a person’s sense of identity as
an individual is completely tied up to a person’s native language. On top of that, a person who is told to completely
abandon his native language will see it as a threat to his own identity and culture.

Secondly, the use of L1 in an L2 classroom is necessary for making your students feel more comfortable and relaxed. It is
well known that lowering students’ affective filter is a part of Krashen’s monitor model. Furthermore, if a teacher limits
the use to only L2, many if not all of the students’ background and life experiences will be left aside as they do not yet
have the language to express themselves.

Thirdly, both students and teachers feel the need that L1 is (especially at lower levels) necessary to clarify instructions,
explain abstract concepts and save time that can be later used to work in class more efficiently. In addition to that,
students’ L1 can be very useful when it comes to compare idioms or proverbs as they might have the same abstract idea
but with totally different words. For example: “it’s raining cats and dogs” has a different counterpart in Spanish.

Fourthly, students’ L1 is a very useful tool to boost debates. In CLIL classes is difficult to motivate students to debate
complex topics in the target language because of their language limitations, in these cases, the teacher will carry out the
 L1 vs L2 in the English class

debate in the students’ L1. Additionally, the teacher can use the students’ L1 to reflect upon the language and the
learning process.

Finally, although it is not an issue at tertiary or university level, most teachers agree on the use of L1 when it comes to
enforce disciplinary actions in the classroom. Moreover, a clear use of L1 in these situations will help to pacify the
classroom as the instructions are carried out in the students’ L1 there will be little room left for ambiguity and confusion.

To conclude, the use of students’ L1 in the classroom is more than welcome if it is used rationally; its advantages far
outshine its disadvantages. Through this, teachers will not alienate themselves from their students. And their students
will be able to share their experiences with them and the rest of the class.

THE PEDAGOGICAL IMPLICATIONS OF L1 USE IN THE L2 CLASSROOM

How much L1 should be used in the classroom? What is more, what is the language classroom? According to Harry
Meyer, the language classroom is not one classroom, but many, encompassing both second and foreign language
instruction, as well a variety of levels from novice to near native proficiency.

In classes where there are students who have different mother tongues, employing their L1 in the language classroom
could be difficult, though not impossible. Even in the case of linguistically homogeneous classes, there is still
controversy over L1 use because:

 Students need exposure to the L2.

 Sometimes the classroom is the only place where students are exposed to the L2.

However, it is important to consider the purpose of the language class: are students preparing for a stay abroad? Is it a
class full of beginners? Is it a class of students preparing to become translators/interpreters?

The classroom environment should determine the amount of L1 spoken and how it should be employed. The L1 provides
scaffolding that should gradually be dismantled as the students’ progress: if teachers do not use enough L1, affective
filter may be raised; if teachers use too much L1, progress will be slowed. The L2 should be used as much as possible and
maximizing L2 use should be the goal in every classroom.

Considering that the classroom can be an intimidating place –even for adults- and that it takes some time to become
accustomed to the new environment, the primary role of the students’ L1 in the language classroom is lowering
affective filters. Delivering a whole class in L2 could develop confusion and anxiety.

It is important to bear in mind Krashen’s Monitor Model (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ZyfIgBFFFk) when

considering how much L1 will be use in the class: the fifth hypothesis –the affective filter hypothesis- implies that
students (acquirers of a language) will filter or block out the target language if they become tense, angry, or bored.
Students who are confused will become upset and resentful at the environment of the language classroom and,
inevitably, learning will stop. This has immediate implications and negative consequences far into the future. It is
imperative that the students comprehend what is happening both administratively in the classroom, and pedagogically
with the target language.
 L1 vs L2 in the English class

The fourth hypothesis –the input hypothesis- asserts that an important factor for acquisition of another language is
comprehensible input. Optimal acquisition will occur when the student of the language can understand most of the
input, while being challenged by some new vocabulary. Krashen calls this “i+1”, where i represents the student’s
knowledge and 1 the material that is just beyond his/her competence. Teachers should reflect on what happens if (i+1)
becomes (i+2) or (i+3). According to Nunan “An item only be acquired, and therefore should only be taught, when the
learner is developmentally ready to acquire it.”

The use of L1 can assist in making the classroom a more comprehensible place when used in the following roles:

 To mitigate a possible perceived threat posed by the L2 to the cultural identity of the students: some students
may feel resent the L2 if they feel it is forced on them; as a result, they raise their affective filter. In the case that
the instructor is a native speaker of the L2, students can better identify with him/her if s/he speaks the students’
L1. In this way, the teacher shows respect and appreciation for the student’s mother tongue. The instructor can
be seen as a model of someone who successfully learned another language. https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=5HU80AxmP-U
 To provide administrative / managerial knowledge and for discipline: while the first few classes (for novice
students) may be conducted using the students’ L1 for administration, they should be gradually encouraged to
use the target language. Using the L2 for classroom management is a good opportunity for the students to learn
through meaningful input. However, using the L2 for disciplining a class may be questionable. Cook says: “Saying
“shut up or you will get a detention” in the L1 is a serious threat rather than practice of the imperative and
conditional constructions.”
 To allow the teacher to conduct comprehension checks: different authors agree on the use of the L2 for
presenting new structures but they also recommend using the L1 to check comprehension. In monolingual
classes, it is quicker and more accurate than concept questions.
 To allow students to request clarification from the teacher regarding a specific issue (i.e. grammar,
instructions for an activity): according to Brown “while a child’s language ego is flexible, growing and dynamic
through the age of puberty, an adult’s is defensive and protective”. In this context a student must be willing to
risk looking like a fool in attempting to understand and speak a foreign language, which could result in high
affective filters. Nation says: “…using the L2 can be a source of embarrassment particularly for shy learners and
those who feel they are not very proficient in the L2.” Allowing for the use of the student’s L1 may help students
who would otherwise not speak out of embarrassment. It is also important to consider the students’ language
anxiety: the absence of the student’s first language when explaining the unfamiliar can raise the level of anxiety
the students feel. Language anxiety can be broken down into three components: 1) Communication
apprehension, arising from learners’ inability to adequately express mature thoughts and ideas 2) Fear of
negative social evaluation, arising from a learner’s need to make a positive social impression on others 3) Test
anxiety, or apprehension over academic evaluation. Allowing the use of the first language in the classroom will
mitigate all three components since students will feel that they can adequately express their thoughts and ideas.
 To provide schematic and contextual/situational knowledge: according to Nunan “Schema theory suggests that
cognitive knowledge is organized into interrelated patterns. These are based on an individual’s previous
experiences regarding a given aspect of the experiential world (i.e. their first language) and allow them to
hypothesize about future experiences.” Meaningful learning occurs when new material is related or anchored to
“relevant established entities in cognitive structure. Using the student’s L1 is possibly the best way to make new
material relatable to the learner’s structure of knowledge, especially at low levels.
 To allow students to attain grater fluency and make learning meaningful by allowing them to engage code-
switching: Code switching in the classroom involves students substituting vocabulary items from their own L1,
 L1 vs L2 in the English class

when they have yet to acquire sufficient knowledge of the L2. Code switching techniques can be an extremely
useful way of employing the students’ L1 to emphasize important concepts, reacquire the students’ attention
when they become distracted, and to praise and reprimand as required. Its use can be gradually phased out as
students become more proficient in the L2.
 To contrast / raise consciousness of similarities or differences between the students L1 and L2: Raising
awareness of the similarities and differences between the student’s first language and the target language can
be a useful way of accessing the students’ schema, and alert them to potential challenges the new language may
present them with.
Translation exercises are regarded as a useful reinforcement of the conceptual, sociolinguistic, and structural
differences between the L1 and L2. Translation of words or phrases in context can be a useful way of illustrating
such differences. Nonetheless, the L1 can play both positive and negative roles in L2 learning, depending on how
similar the two languages are: the beginning stages of learning a second language are especially vulnerable to
interlingual transfer from the native language, or interference (for example, “I have 15 years old”, inmigrant
instead of immigrant).

One way to help minimize the use of the L1, while expanding the use of the L2 is through teaching communication
strategies. Students can be taught to employ such strategies as circumlocution, synonyms and antonyms, mime and
gesture, and word coinage. The use of the L2 should be maximized whenever possible. The L1’s primary role is to supply
scaffolding to lower affective filters by making the L2 and the classroom environment comprehensible. The L1 plays a
secondary role by helping students to anchor L2 concepts to the L1.