Own-language use in language teaching and learning

Abstract

<jats:p>Until recently, the assumption of the language-teaching literature has been that new languages are best taught and learned monolingually, without the use of the students’ own language(s). In recent years, however, this monolingual assumption has been increasingly questioned, and a re-evaluation of teaching that relates the language being taught to the students’ own language has begun. This article surveys the developing English language literature on the role of students’ own language(s) in the language classroom. After clarifying key terms, the paper charts the continuing widespread use of students’ own languages in classrooms around the world and the contemporary academic and societal trends which have led to a revival of support for this. It then explores key arguments which underpin this revival, and reviews a range of empirical studies which examine the extent and functions of own-language use within language classrooms. Next, the article examines the support for own-language use that a range of theoretical frameworks provide, including psycholinguistic and cognitive approaches, general learning theory and sociocultural approaches. Having explored the notion of ‘optimal’ in-class own-language use, the article then reviews research into teachers’ and students’ attitudes towards own-language use. It concludes by examining how a bilingual approach to language teaching and learning might be implemented in practice.</jats:p>

Metacognition in Language Learning and Teaching

“…Theories and practices of second and foreign language teaching have differed in their views on the role of the learner's first language (L1) in the process of acquiring the new language, both as a medium of communication and as a basis for comparison. In brief, the use of the language learners' first language in second language teaching is a contentious issue; see Hall and Cook (2012) for an overview of the debate and Scheffler et al (2017) for a recent survey of student attitudes. Particularly in the teaching of English as a foreign language (EFL) in English-speaking countries there has been a tradition of monolingual foreign language instruction (Hall and Cook 2012, 272).…”

Implementing Bilingual Pattern Practice

“…Butzkamm and Caldwell, 2009;Butzkamm, 2011;Hall and Cook, 2012). It also made clear the need for a closer cooperation between the teachers in the school where the course was taught: had the grammar syllabus been aligned with the speaking class syllabus, then the learners could have been given more opportunities for communicative practice of selected grammatical categories.…”

Towards a plurilingual development paradigm: from spontaneous to informed use of translation in additional language learning

“…This exclusion was based on two main assumptions (see Richards and Rodgers 2001/2005, Cook 2010, Cummins 2008, Hall and Cook 2012, Skinner 1985, amongst others):…”

“…The main aim of this paper is to contribute to bridging the gap in the literature by taking research and good practices in translation beyond the field of Translation Studies and explore its potential as a skill in its own right as well as a spontaneous or informed learning strategy for the development of (inter)linguistic and 2 The use of the L1 and translation in ALL has been systematically rejected by most scholars since the advent of the Direct Method (cf. Hall and Cook 2012). Therefore, exploring whether they are valid learning strategies is not such an obvious endeavour.…”