Teacher Discussion Forums

What is the role of the first language in second language aquisition? What's its practical worth to language teachers?

That will depend on the L1. Students whose first language is Indo-European will have different issues from those faced by a Chinese speaker, for example.

Joanna0501 wrote:What is the role of the first language in second language aquisition? What's its practical worth to language teachers?

If the teacher also knows the students' L1 well, the L1 can be very useful in class.

On the contrary, I feel it is better if the teacher doesn't know the student's L1. Better still if the teacher and the students share no other language (in case of multi-lingual students and teachers).
And even better if the group is heterogeneous in their L1.

Anuradha Chepur wrote:On the contrary, I feel it is better if the teacher doesn't know the student's L1. Better still if the teacher and the students share no other language (in case of multi-lingual students and teachers).
And even better if the group is heterogeneous in their L1.

I disagree. Your view is one that has supported the myth of native speaker being the best teacher one could have.

There will always be a tendency to fall back on the L1.

Anuradha Chepur wrote:There will always be a tendency to fall back on the L1.

"Fall back" sounds too accidental to me. I purposefully allow L1 into my classrooms. Have done so for 25 years - no matter which fashionable philosophy advised the opposite.

I feel a language is best learnt in the same language.

I suppose you speak English. When your child didn't understand something, did you explain it to him in English or some other language.

Anuradha Chepur wrote: I suppose you speak English. When your child didn't understand something, did you explain it to him in English or some other language.

Do you think that NES children's acquisition is the same as adult NNESs' aquisition?

BTW, my child is a she.

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We seem to be back to point where teachers such as you do not give power of any kind to students regarding the creation of the teaching program or criticism of the style/methodology taught. And yet, there are some of us who work in a different way:


"Some educators advocate allowing learners to judge for themselves which tasks are better performed in L1 and which ones can only be completed in L2. For example, learners might choose to use L1 when generating ideas for a writing assignment. When listening to lectures where the speed, density, and familiarity of the material exceeds the skill of English language note-taking, learners might find it useful to take notes in L1 or to code switch, writing key words in English and explanatory information in L1. When reading, translation of terms or L1 reflective margin notes may promote learning of concepts and new vocabulary."


http://www.cal.org/caela/esl_resources/ ... RANCE.html

O sorry, you are lucky your child is a she.

Maybe we give over importance to the point that it is different.
I think, if they have no other way to communicate, bu the target language, then things should fall in place faster.

I am in a good mind to maroon myself with a group of heterogeneous (with respect to their L1) students on a remote island. Atleast to survive, they would learn to communicate faster.

I think, if they have no other way to communicate, bu the target language, then things should fall in place faster.

But thought and research are often different things.

When I began learning Spanish, I used my English (my L1) to get me quickly to a good level. It's natural. It's obvious, and totally denying the use of L1 is just a nonsense coming from ESL/EFL fashions.

I have observed that when we allow for L1, they tend not to venture at all.
Then it ceases to be an English class.

Anuradha Chepur wrote:I have observed that when we allow for L1, they tend not to venture at all.
Then it ceases to be an English class.

That is more about you than them.

But thought and research are often different things.

In my experience, students have picked up faster when I didn't know their L1, and we didn't have any other choice but English.

Anuradha Chepur wrote:

But thought and research are often different things.

In my experience, students have picked up faster when I didn't know their L1, and we didn't have any other choice but English.

With what did you compare the speed of development? With which group of students did you compare your non-L1-using students?