| IntroductionIn considering the use of L1 (the | | | | there are situations where its use is quite valuable. |
| learners mother tongue) in ELT (English Language | | | | In addition, at early levels a ratio of about 5 per |
| Teaching) on the part of the teacher, one of the | | | | cent native language to about 95 per cent target |
| first assumptions is that the teacher has a | | | | language may be more profitable than the use of |
| sufficient command of the students L1 to be of | | | | "English only". (Atkinson, 1987) On the first day of |
| value in the first place. Another assumption which | | | | class with a new group, I explain to the learners |
| may well impact this scenario is that all the | | | | that they are allowed to ask "How do you say |
| learners in a class or group have the same L1. | | | | ______ , in Spanish?" where the Spanish (L1) |
| While these assumptions may often be the case | | | | word or phrase is filled in the blank. This allows the |
| in numerous EFL (English as a Foreign Language) | | | | students to get key vocabulary in their written or |
| teaching / learning settings, many times they are | | | | spoken expression while limiting their use of L1 in |
| not. In the case of multi-cultural classes (i.e., in the | | | | class.When learners are stumped for abstract |
| USA, UK, Australia, Canada, India, etc.) where the | | | | lexis, a word or phrase which cannot be easily |
| learners have different L1s, or when the teacher | | | | elicited during the course of a lesson, I'll simply |
| does not have a working knowledge of the | | | | "give" them the word in Spanish to aid in |
| learners L1, a frequent occurrence in Asia, Africa | | | | continuing with the smooth flow of the lesson and |
| and eastern Europe, applied L1 use in the EFL | | | | not get "bogged down" in trying to come up with |
| classroom is severely limited or may be rendered | | | | the elusive lexis by other means. When a student |
| virtually impossible.Use of L1 in the ClassroomIn | | | | gives me production of incomprehensible language, |
| my case, I'll talk about those instances where I do | | | | i.e., I (nor the other learners) cannot decipher |
| in fact use the learners L1 in my EFL classes. I | | | | what the student is trying to say in English, I'll say |
| have acquired a working knowledge of Spanish | | | | "Tell me that in Spanish." Armed with this new |
| and all my university and independent students | | | | understanding I (or one of the other learners) can |
| have Spanish as their L1. Although I'm against any | | | | then provide that learner with corrected, |
| substantial use of L1 in ESOL (the teaching of | | | | comprehensible forms which otherwise might |
| English to Speakers of Other Languages) classes, | | | | elude both (or even all) of us. |