Content Introduction Chapter The Role of Translation and Mother Tongue in flt

Introduction

Using the mother tongue and translation in foreign language teaching do not currently belong to trends in FLT methodology. Although methodologies usually do mention translation as an option in foreign language teaching, the main focus is, naturally, on the communicative competence as this is the primary goal of foreign language usage. In the past we could see a radical shift from using translation and mother tongue in foreign language teaching, leading at times even to their ban. Today´s attitude is not so strict and the mother tongue is not repudiated from foreign language classrooms but still, its use is all but favoured.
Guy Cook, one of the advocates of translation in language teaching, begins his book "Translation in Language Teaching" with describing his own experience, which he calls a communicative disaster, when an inadequate understanding of a foreign language term by him led to an intercultural clash between himself and his counterpart in communication, which could have been avoided if a proper explanation in his mother tongue were provided to him. In connection with this experience of his he raises a question, why students of foreign language classes should be refused a translation if they
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feel it might be helpful.. And this is something language teachers actually come across daily in their classes, whether they do realize it or not, especially with pupils and students (henceforth commonly referred to as "learners") of lower levels who do not always understand either instructions made by the teacher in the foreign language or anything else related to their work in the foreign language classroom.
The aim of this thesis is to explore the different aspects of using the mother tongue in the foreign language classrooms. It is divided into two parts. The theoretical part deals with different views of this issue in different areas of foreign language teaching and that mainly from the perspective of the communicative approach to language teaching. The aim of the practical part is to become familiar with the views of teachers of the Czech primary and lower secondary schools on this topic and find out about the extent and purpose they use mother tongue in their classes. It will provide the learners´ point of view and by trying to find out the attitude of lower secondary school learners towards the teacher's use of language in the foreign language classrooms.