Theme #18-19. The use of the mother tongue

Disadvantages of Using the Mother Tongue – L1 in the ESL Classroom
However, it is just this kind of tendency that could lead to the development of an excessive dependency on the students’ mother tongue (Harbord, 1992) by both teachers and students. Consequently, students lose confidence in their ability to communicate in English: They may feel that the only way they would understand anything the teacher says is when it has been translated, or they use their mother tongue even when they are perfectly capable of expressing the same idea in English. This can significantly reduce students’ opportunities to practice English, and students fail to realise that using English in classroom activities is essential to improve their language skills.
Translation also regularly creates the problem of oversimplification because many cultural and linguistic nuances cannot be directly translated (Harbord, 1992). For example, the sentence, “That’s so cool!” in English means that something is amazing or incredible. This phrase is the product of the continual evolution of the English language that was affected by the specific culture at a certain time. A direct translation of this sentence into Chinese, for example, would not have the same meaning; in fact, it would not make sense at all.
While the argument from both sides are equally compelling, it is clear, that despite the numerous advantages of students using their L1 in English-language learning, they do not outweigh the disadvantages. Is it possible to maximize the benefits and minimize the repercussions? Part II will provide suggestions for using the mother tongue judiciously in the English-language classroom.
Handout 3

Advantages	Disadvantages

Handout 4
Situation # 1
A teacher who works at the language center, uses only English for elementary level. She explains even grammar rules in English. Some skilled students could understand and get success but others didn’t. Is it right to use only English for elementary level?

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Situation # 2
Anvar wanted to learn English in abroad. But he was a beginner . He spent three months in England but couldn’t get the success. Because, during his study he’d met difficulties and didn’t understand speeches of teachers. What do you think what would he do firstly?

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Situation # 3

While preparing for the exam Guli’s English teacher used only Uzbek . After entering the University she had some problems in her speech ( lack of vocabulary , accent, incorrect pronunciation and etc).What must the teacher do when she taught her?