The Use of the Mother Tongue when Teaching English to Young Learners. The case of Second Year Middle School.

Abstract

The use of the mother tongue when teaching a foreign language to young learners has been a topic of discussion for several researchers. Some scholars claimed that it affects the target language acquisition. However, others assumed that it is useful in some particular situations. The purpose of this study is to investigate the way teachers teach English to young learners and whether they use the mother tongue in the classroom when teaching. In addition, it examines the situations in which teachers use the learners’ own language. In this study, two basic research instruments were used. A questionnaire for teachers of young learners and an observation for second year middle school classrooms. The findings revealed that despite the fact that teachers of young learners focus on the process of acquisition, they use the mother tongue as an aid in some situations like talking to individual learners, explaining difficult grammar rules and maintaining discipline. Further, this research have shown that a limited use of the mother tongue does not reduce the amount of exposure to English but rather can be helpful.