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Using the First Language in the Classroom

2001· article· en· 1,386 citations· W2105088257 on OpenAlex· 10.3138/cmlr.57.3.402

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Canadian venueIt was published in a Canadian venue.

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Abstract

This paper argues for the re-examination of the time-honoured view that the first language should be avoided in the classroom by teachers and students. The justifications for this rest on a doubtful analogy with first language acquisition, on a questionable compartmentalization of the two languages in the mind, and on the aim of maximizing students' exposure to the second language, laudable but not incompatible with use of the first language. The L1 has already been used in alternating language methods and in methods that actively create links between L1 and L2, such as the New Concurrent Method, Community Language Learning, and Dodson's Bilingual Method. Treating the L1 as a classroom resource opens up several ways to use it, such as for teachers to convey meaning, explain grammar, and organize the class, and for students to use as part of their collaborative learning and individual strategy use. The first language can be a useful element in creating authentic L2 users rather than something to be shunned at all costs.

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The record

Venue
Canadian Modern Language Review/ La Revue canadienne des langues vivantes
Topic
EFL/ESL Teaching and Learning
Field
Arts and Humanities
Canadian institutions
Funders
Keywords
GrammarClass (philosophy)Computer scienceMeaning (existential)Comprehension approachLinguisticsAnalogyLanguage educationMathematics educationLanguage acquisitionPedagogyPsychologyArtificial intelligence
Has abstract in OpenAlex
yes