The Use of Persian in the EFL Classroom–The Case of English Teaching and Learning at Pre-university Level in Iran

Leila Mahmoudi,Seyed Amirkhiz

doi:10.5539/elt.v4n1p135

Abstract

Inspired by the rise of Communicative Language Teaching, some scholars have vehemently rejected any use of L1 in L2 learning classes (e.g., Atkinson, 1987) while others have advocated the use of L1 as an efficient tool to facilitate communication (e.g., Nation, 2003). However, caution has been raised against the excessive use of L1 (Nation, 2001). This study was conducted to observe classroom dynamics in terms of the quantity of use of L1 in two randomly-selected pre-university English classes in Ahvaz, Iran. The objective was to seek both students and teachers’ perceptions and attitudes towards the use of L1 in L2 classes. The classes were observed and video-taped for 6 sessions and the teachers and four high-achieving/low-achieving students were interviewed. The findings showed that an excessive use of Persian could have a de-motivating effect on students. Hence, the interviewed students voiced dissatisfaction with the untimely use and domination of L1 in L2 classes.

Highlights

The use of L1 in L2 classes has always been a matter of “to be or not to be.” It is controversial because different theories of L2 acquisition afford different hypotheses about the value of L1 use in L2 classes
This paper is a small attempt in this direction: to reflect the perceptions and attitudes of both teachers and high-achieving/low-achieving students at pre-university level with regard to using L1 in English classes
Observing the class A revealed that the teacher had a lot of emphasis on reading, grammar exercises, and translation

Summary

Introduction

The use of L1 in L2 classes has always been a matter of “to be or not to be.” It is controversial because different theories of L2 acquisition afford different hypotheses about the value of L1 use in L2 classes. The use of L1 in L2 classes has always been a matter of “to be or not to be.”. Teachers’ and learners’ attitudes on use of L1 in L2 classes have been sought in different countries and contexts (as explained in detail in literature review section below). This paper is a small attempt in this direction: to reflect the perceptions and attitudes of both teachers and high-achieving/low-achieving students at pre-university level with regard to using L1 in English classes. The most experienced teachers usually teach at this level Students at this level could be assumed to be in a better position to provide a bird’s eye view of English classrooms as they have learnt English for more than six years and under different teaching methodologies (at both junior and senior high schools)

Objectives

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion