A comparative study on the perceptions of EFL teachers on the use of mother tongue

Abstract

The use of mother tongue in the L2 classroom is a controversial issue in the field of ELT. Therefore, the present study investigated the perceptions of four ELT teachers working at different private institutions on the use of mother tongue in the L2 classroom. The semi-structured interviews were conducted to gather the data. The gathered data, which were coded and labelled, were used to explore the perceptions of the teachers and the effect of school policy on the teachers and students’ feeling. The findings of the study revealed that EFL teachers have positive perceptions of using mother tongue if it is used in a limited and purposeful way. In addition, the results indicated that the English only policy has a negative impact on teachers. Yet, even if it is allowed to use L1 in the L2 classroom, EFL teachers suffer remorse. As for students, they feel comfortable and safe according to the teachers’ observation.