Many EFL teachers believe that the native language should be avoided at all costs in the classroom. However, many students complain that they don’t understand some explanations given by the teacher in English. They suggest that, at beginning levels, some explanations take place in their native language. If you are an EFL student you may feel identified with these complaining students. But you first need to begin by understanding what EFL stands for. It’s the abbreviation for English as a Foreign Language. Most textbooks to learn English correspond to this category. EFL means that English is being taught to students who mainly live in a non-English-speaking country.
Some research has been carried out into this issue, and you may want to visit some web sites about it (see some of them at the end of this article) Most of this research may closely coincide with my view that learner’s first language is actually an elemental technique and strategy in the classroom. However, I think this matter needs to be discussed recognising at least three different contexts, calling for different skills and considerations:
1. The Full Immersion View: Which is, of course, more effective in English-speaking-countries, where learners have no shortage of spoken English around them; thus, it was meant to be an ESL method. (ESL=English as a Second Language. Considered as the process of teaching English within an English-speaking atmosphere/region/country. In the UK and New Zealand this is replaced by ESOL=English for Speakers of Other Languages)
So you may notice and tell that this method works best with children who live in an English-speaking area.
2. University Students in Developing Countries: Within whom there is a variety of differences regarding social class and international interaction. However, most of them have no access to an English-speaking environment, which is impossible to create or provide by their teachers, however much they make an effort to do so.
You can easily notice that certain teachers have always had fantasies about them creating an English-speaking environment wherever the learner may be, and forcing students to use English wherever the teacher may “control” them. Well, these students need to gradually communicate among each other in English and then use it as a friendly, easy-to-use and useful tool for their professional life; so, a more realistic strategy is to wisely use their first language in the beginning stage, and then along the course of their learning process when necessary.
3. No technique is wrong when appropriately used: This is true for every aspect of our lives. It is our job as teachers, but also as students, to consciously analyse which technique works best for certain aspects of the language to be taught/learnt/acquired. So, sometimes we may strategically make use of the traditional method (remember that this is a method. It's neither the devil nor evil at all), especially with older learners at the very low levels, and then gradually (or even alternatively) switch to task-based and more communicational methods. In the end, what really matters is how effective and useful the English Language is becoming for the student’s formative project, and how well he/she can achieve the competences expected (as the ones remarked in the CEF= Common European Framework)
No comments:
Post a Comment