An analysis of Algerian learners and teachers' beliefs and use of mother tongue in EFL classroom

Abstract EN

The focus of this study is to describe, explore, and analyze Algerian secondary school learners and teachers' beliefs and use of the mother tongue, Algerian Arabic, in the EFL classroom.

It also aims at identifying the amount and situations where the use of L1 is needed or avoided.

In order to meet these objectives, data were collected from 138 secondary school pupils and three teachers using questionnaires to learners, interview to teachers, and observation of teachers in their classrooms.

The findings reveal that both learners and teachers favor the use of L1 in specific situations and view L1 as an aid for overcoming language difficulties, checking learners' understanding and clarifying ambiguities.

Although the learners believe that L1 should not be used for giving instructions or explaining English grammar because these should be done in L2 to maximize target language learning, they agree that the mother tongue should not be completely excluded from the foreign language classroom because it can facilitate comprehension and provides them with a sense of belonging.

L1 also creates a relaxed and comfortable atmosphere in the classroom.

Forbidding the use of L2 in the L2 classroom may create frustrations and prevent learners from successful achievements.

The findings of the study would imply that the mother tongue is inevitable in a foreign language context where both learners and teachers speak the same language and share the same cultural background and is a valuable teaching strategy for successful learning.