Abstract
This study deals with one of the most contentious phenomena in English language teaching, meaning here the use of mother tongue, Arabic, in teaching English as a foreign language. The study at hand aims at examining the degree to which Arabic is used in Moroccan High School classes of English. It reflects and explores the attitudes of high school instructors towards the usage of Arabic and their reasons behind using it. It also aims at investigating which gender uses Arabic more in classes of English. Besides, this paper tries to discuss the relationship between the use of the mother tongue and years of teaching experience. The findings of this study which were accumulated through a questionnaire and classroom observations suggest that Arabic is rarely used in the high school classrooms of English by teachers. Furthermore, the findings indicate that Arabic is used more by teachers in order to translate vague or difficult words and concepts.
Highlights
Despite the fact that the use of Arabic is seen as defective means for learning a foreign language, it is helpful in particular situations when communication breaks down
This paper investigates the factors contributing to the use of Arabic as a mother tongue in English language teaching; that is to say, the determinants such as gender, age and years of teaching experience that may arise as dynamics governing the use of Arabic
Through the results of the data discussed above, this study has revealed that the use of Arabic is a phenomenon in Moroccan classrooms of teaching English
Summary
Despite the fact that the use of Arabic is seen as defective means for learning a foreign language, it is helpful in particular situations when communication breaks down. Using Arabic as a method for teaching English might happen in the beginning of learning English, but such use must be framed by some rules. The use of Arabic should be done mainly by the teacher and not by the student. It is advisable not to use literal translation, meaning here word by word. This does not happen only in the form level and in meaning. We might find a student who sometimes if not often thinks in Arabic. A student searches in his or her mind for the equivalent in Arabic. When he or she finds it, he or she is
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