Learners’ L1 Use in a Task-based Classroom: Learning Chinese as a Foreign Language from a Sociocultural Perspective

Abstract

In the past two decades, strong theoretical and pedagogical arguments have been made advocating for task-based activities in the language-learning context. However, many teachers have been reluctant to in-corporate task-based activities into their teaching practices due to concerns about learners’ extensive L1 use and off-task talk. Informed by sociocultural theory, this study explored the extent to which L1s and their functions were used when performing tasks. The subjects were beginner-level lower-secondary school learners of Chinese. The data shows that learners have a high amount of L1 use, but with only a very small amount occurring for off-task talk across tasks. L1 use mainly occurred in learners’ efforts to mediate completion of the tasks. The findings highlight the role of L1 in foreign language learning and suggest that L1 use is associated with a number of factors, such as task types, learners’ proficiency, and learning context. Implications for language teachers and task designers are also discussed.