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INTERNA'nONALJCMJRNAL OF LANGUAGE, LITERATURE AND CULTURE RESEARCHES
E-ISSN: 2667-4262
Atif/Citation: Aybirdi, N., Han, T. & Çahin, P. (2023). Non-native English language teachers' L1 use in L2 classroom in Turkish middle school context: amount, purpose and beliefs. Uluslararasi Dil, Edebiyat ve Kultur Ara§tirmalari Dergisi (UDEKAD), 6 (2), s. 158-172. DOI: https://doi.org/10.37999/udekad.1263459
Nilüfer AY Iii RI) i Turgay HAN" Pelin ÇAHÎN***
NON-NATIVE ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHERS' L1 USE IN L2 CLASSROOM IN TURKISH MIDDLE SCHOOL CONTEXT: AMOUNT, PURPOSE AND BELIEFS_
ABSTRACT
This study aims to investigate purposes and amount of first language (L1) use in second language (L2) classrooms and English language teachers' beliefs in Turkish middle school context in order to promote L2 teaching and learning in English as a foreign language (EFL) class, boost L2 classroom atmosphere and examine whether L1 is supposed to be used or how frequently L1 can be used during L2 classes. The study also compares EFL teachers' classroom practices with their perceptions on L1 use and gives teachers opportunity to observe their own classes and raise awareness about using L1 appropriately in EFL classrooms. In this case study, both qualitative and quantitative data collection methods were used. An attitude scale, classroom observation reports and interviews were used as the data collection instruments. The findings of the study revealed that participating teachers used L1 in their EFL classes 28% in average. Students' grades seem to affect this amount. Among the purposes of L1 use, giving instructions was found to be the most frequently used. Other functions of L1 use were listed as vocabulary/sentence translation, teaching grammar, checking comprehension, classroom management, drawing attention and giving feedback. This study is supposed to be beneficial for language instructors and curriculum developers on L1 use in L2 classrooms.
Keywords: First language use, EFL teaching, attitudes.
ANADÍLÍ ÍNGÍLÍZCE OLMAYAN ÍNGÍLÍZCE ÖGRETMENLERiNiN TÜRKÍYE ORTAOKULLARI BAGLAMINDA YABANCI DÍL DERSLERÍNDE ANADÍL KULLANIMLARI: AMAÇLARI, MÍKTARLARI, TUTUMLARI
ÖZET
Mevcut çali^ma, yabanci ve ikinci dil olarak ingilizce dil edinimine katkida bulunmak, yabanci dil sinif atmosferini desteklemek ve anadilin yabanci dil derslerinde kullanilip kullanilmamasi gerektigini ya da ne siklikla kullanilabilecegini incelemek için yabanci dil siniflarinda anadil kullanim miktarlarini ve amaçlarini ve íngiliz dili ögretmenlerinin bu konu hakkindaki tutumlarini Türk ortaokullari baglaminda ara^tirmaktadir. Çaliçma ayni zamanda yabanci dil ögretmenlerinin anadil kullanimi üzerine tutumlari ile sinif uygulamalarini kar§ila§tirmakta ve ögretmenlere kendi derslerini gözlemleme ve yabanci dil derslerinde makul miktarda anadil kullanimi konusunda farkindalik kazanma imkani sunmaktadir. Bu vaka çaliçmasinda hem nitel hem de nicel veri toplama yöntemleri kullanilmi^tir. Ara^tirmanin veri toplama araçlari tutum ôlçegi, sinif gözlem raporlari ve görü^melerdir. Ara^tirmanin bulgulari, katilimci ûç ögretmenin Ingilizce derslerinde ortalama %28 oraninda anadil kullandigini ortaya koymu^tur. Ögrencilerin notlari bu orana etki etmektedir. Anadil kullanim amaçlari arasinda yönerge vermek en sik kullanilanidir. Diger anadil kullanim i^levleri, kelime ve cümle çevirisi, dilbilgisi ögretimi, anlamayi kontrol etme, sinif yönetimi, dikkat çekme ve geri bildirim verme olarak siralanmi^tir. Bu çaliçmanin yabanci dil siniflarinda anadil kullanimi konusunda dil egitmenleri ve müfredat geli^tiriciler için faydali olacagi dü^ünülmektedir.
Anahtar kelimeler: Ana dil kullanimi, yabanci dil ögretimi, tutumlar.
* Corresponding Author, Asst. Prof. Dr., Ordu University, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Department of English Language and Literature, Ordu / Türkiye. E-mail: niluferaybirdi@hotmail.com.
** Assoc. Prof. Dr., Ordu University, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Department of English Language and Literature, Ordu / Türkiye. E-mail: turgayhan@yahoo.com.tr.
*** Graduate student, Ordu University, Department of English Language and Literature, Ordu / Türkiye. E-mail: pelinziftci@gmail.com.
Article Info: Research Article, Received: 13.03.2023, Accepted: 27.08.2023
Introduction
First language (L1) use in second language (L2) teaching is a controversial subject in the field of second language acquisition (SLA). Some researchers advocate using target language (TL), and English as medium of instruction (EMI) in L2 classrooms (e.g., Krashen, 2009; Turnbull & Arnett, 2002), while some others argue that judicious amount of L1 can provide beneficial resource for L2 teaching and learning (e.g., De La Campa & Nassaji, 2009; Rivers, 2011). Dearden (2014) defines EMI as using English to teach specialized information to non-native people and Krashen (2009) supports EMI indicating that it stimulates language learning in English as a foreign language (EFL) or English as a second language (ESL) classes. Besides, the use of mother tongue in language classrooms is considered to have negative impact on learners' improvement (Turnbull & Arnett). Accessing resources and comprehensible input, stimulating language acquisition, increasing business opportunity and enhancing cognition are among the advantages of EMI. Some scholars on the other hand, remark disadvantages of EMI such as difficulty in understanding subjects, textbooks and classroom materials; answering test and exam questions and joining discussion during English classes (Phuong & Nguyen, 2019). Several factors such as language proficiency level of students (Joyce et al., 2021), gender (Azkarai, 2015), academic purposes, management purposes and social/cultural factors (Sali, 2014) might have effect on L1 use in EFL classrooms. For instance, Ta§9i and Aksu-Ata9 (2020) recommend English language teachers to use L1 appropriately depending on their students' proficiency levels and skills.
Regarding the first of these factors, learners' proficiency levels and perceptions on L1 use in L2 classes have been examined by several researchers in the last decade (e.g., Debreli & Oynan, 2016; Tani§, Harman-§ensoy & Atay, 2020; Ta§9i & Aksu-Ata9, 2020) For example, Almohaimeed and Almurshed (2018) stated that beginner and intermediate level students were in favour of using L1 in their study. Advanced students, on the other hand, were against L1 use in L2 classes. This result is in line with the study of Oz and Karaazmak (2019) in which students with lower level of English proficiency had more positive attitude towards L1 use than students with higher level of English proficiency. In the same line, Mayni and Paramasivam's (2021) study indicated that students support L1 use in EFL classes. In the study of Shabaka-Fernandez (2021), on the contrary, participant students suggested grammar should be taught in L2 first, then explained in L1 (Spanish in this context), however, they were mostly in favor of using L2 in EFL classrooms.
Apart from students' attitudes, a number of studies have investigated EFL teachers' perceptions and beliefs on L1 use in L2 classroom (e.g., Edstrom, 2006; Kaymakamoglu & Yiltanlilar, 2019; Sali, 2014). In their study, Kaymakamoglu and Yiltanlilar (2019) stated one of the five participant teachers opposed to L1 use, while the other teachers supported moderate use of L1 in L2 classes. However, participant teachers' beliefs contradicted with their classroom practices. In another study, Ta§9i and Aksu-Ata9 (2020) found that participant teachers used L1 in their classes from 21% to 30% especially with lower grade students. Teachers in the study found L1 use in EFL classes favourable in reasonable amounts. Their perceptions on L1 use were consistent with the amount of L1 they used in their classrooms. Likewise, Edstrom (2006) self-evaluated her lessons and found that her monthly L1 use averages were 18%, 22%, 17% and 42%, although she supposed her L1 use would be 5% or 10%. On the other hand, Mayni and Paramasivam (2021) claimed that participant teachers in their study opposed to L1 use and advocated English-only policy, although they used L1 in their classes.
In addition to the aforementioned factors, purpose of L1 use in L2 classes is another issue attracting researchers' attention. In the literature, functions of L1 use in EFL classes are listed as explaining grammar rules and vocabulary, managing time, giving instructions, creating favourable classroom atmosphere, preventing student anxiety (Kaymakamoglu & Yiltanlilar, 2019); giving instructions, translating unknown words and sentences, managing classroom, checking understanding, eliciting, drawing attention, giving feedback, teaching grammar (Ta§9i & Aksu-Ata9, 2020), enabling communication opportunities (Ali, 2020), and joking (Mayni & Paramasivam, 2021). Apart from other researchers, Sali (2014) categorized the functions into three main categories: academic purposes, management purposes and social/cultural purposes.
There are numerous studies on L1 use in L2 classrooms in both foreign and Turkish contexts (e.g., Chichon, 2018; Debreli & Oyman, 2016, Ta§9i & Aksu-Ata9, 2020; Wilden & Porsch, 2020; Yuzlu & Atay, 2020). For instance, Wach and Monroy (2020) compared Polish and Spanish teacher-trainees' beliefs on L1 use. The study showed significant differences between Polish and Spanish participants' beliefs. Polish participants had positive attitude towards L1 use, while Spanish participants supported English-only policy. In another research, Joyce et al. (2021) analyzed Japanese university students' perceptions for using Japanese during L2 classes in their study. The results of the study indicated that students' L2 proficiency levels, their tolerance to L2 ambiguity and motivation affect their desire for L1 use. In Korean context, nine out of ten engineering students from three different universities in Korea supported L1 use in their EMI classes as they felt inadequate in English (Kim, Kweon, & Kim, 2017). Similarly, Bozargian and Fallahpour (2015) investigated Iranian university students' and teachers' L1 use amount and purposes in EFL classes and claimed that L1 use stimulated L2 learning. In Turkish context, there are also studies focusing on L1 use at tertiary, primary and secondary levels (e.g., Kaymakamoglu & Yiltanlilar, 2019; Oz & Karaazmak, 2019; Sali, 2014; Ta§9i & Aksu-Ata9, 2020; Yuzlu & Atay, 2020). For example, Oz and Karaazmak (2019) investigated the effects of proficiency levels of 75 university students from English preparatory program on their perception. In a similar way, in the study of Debreli and Oyman (2015), the effect of 303 university students' background and language proficiency levels on their perceptions of L1 use was analyzed. Sali (2014) conducted a study with 14-year-old student participants and their teachers to find out the purposes of L1 use and teachers' perceptions. Similarly, Yuzlu and Altay (2020) examined the effect of L1 use on oral production of 120 high school students. All of these mentioned studies similarly express that judicious amount of L1 facilitates L2 learning. In another research, Ta§9i and Aksu-Ata9 (2020) analyzed primary school English language teachers' amount and purpose of L1 use and their beliefs. Results of this study show that participant teachers used L1 in their L2 classes and grades of the students affect L1 use in EFL classroom.
In the literature some other studies have investigated L1 use in EFL classes in both foreign countries and Turkish context in terms of learners' aspect (e.g., Debreli & Oynan, 2016; Shabaka-Fernandez, 2021; Tani§, Harman-§ensoy & Atay, 2020), teachers' aspect (e.g., Kaymakamoglu & Yiltanlilar, 2019, Ta§9i & Aksu-Ata9, 2020, Wilden & Porsch, 2020) and purposes (e.g., Sali, 2014; Ta§9i & Aksu-Ata9, 2020). As in the study of Ta§9i and Aksu-Ata9 (2020) Turkish learners' grades, therefore their ages, have influence on L1 use of teachers. Learners' proficiency level is another factor on L1 use. Almohaimeed and Almurshed (2018) stated that learners' proficiency level affects their perceptions on TL use in EFL classes in Saudi Arabian context. Similarly, in Japanese context Joyce et al. (2021) remarked L2 proficiency level has a significant role on
students' attitude towards L1 use. Moreover, Shin, Dixon and Choi (2020) reviewed 55 articles about L1 use in FL classrooms in the literature from 2011 to 2018 and found two major factors that affect L1 use stated as learners' L2 proficiency level, and age. Most of the previous studies, however, have investigated L1 use in adult learners' L2 classes such as universities or high schools in Turkish context (e.g., Kaymakamoglu & Yiltanlilar, 2019; Oz & Karaazmak, 2019; Yuzlu & Atay, 2020) and there are limited number of studies with young learners (e.g., Ta§9i & Aksu-Ata9, 2020). Therefore, it is necessary to gather data from different contexts in order to examine more factors affecting L1 use in L2 classrooms. Moreover, Turkey's population consists of people from different backgrounds, thus this diversity affects students' proficiency levels and their attitudes towards foreign language learning. In this regard, there is gap on L1 use in L2 classroom with young learners in Turkish middle school context. This study aims to investigate purposes and amount of L1 use in L2 classrooms and English language teachers' beliefs in middle school context in order to promote L2 teaching and learning in EFL classes, boost L2 classroom atmosphere and examine whether L1 is supposed to be used or how frequently L1 can be used during L2 classes. The study also compares EFL teachers' classroom practices with their perceptions on L1 use and gives teachers opportunity to observe their own classes and raise awareness about using L1 appropriately in EFL classrooms. The results obtained from this study might be beneficial for both language instructors of English and curriculum developers in developing strategies for L1 use in L2 classrooms. The study seeks answers for the following questions:
1. What are the reasons of English language teachers in using L1 in L2 classroom?
2. How frequently do English language teachers use L1 in L2 classes?
3. What do English language teachers think about their use of L1 in L2 classes?
4. What do students think about teachers' L1 use in L2 classes?
Methodology
This study is a case study. Both qualitative and quantitative data collection methods were used in order to find answer to the research questions and compare teachers' practices with their perceptions. In order to analyze teachers' amount of L1 use and purposes, quantitative data collection method was applied. L2 classes were audio-recorded and transcribed and self-observed with a checklist to find why and how much L1 teachers use during L2 classes. Moreover, an attitude scale (Ba§, 2012) (see appendix I) was applied to the participant students to gather data for their attitudes towards English classes. Qualitative data collection method was also employed to obtain data for perceptions of English language teachers and students on L1 use in L2 classes. Individual interviews with teachers and focus group interview with selected students were conducted.
Setting and Participants
Three English language teachers (T1, T2, T3) from three different public middle schools (S1, S2, S3) in Turkey and their 206 students (51 from 5th grade, 53 from 6th grade, 47 from 7th grade and 55 from 8th grade) participated in the study. All of the participant teachers are female, native speakers of Turkish and teach 5th, 6th, 7th, and 8th grade students English. These teachers use Turkish in their L2 (English) classes. The teaching experience of the participants changes from five to seven years. Two of the teachers are enrolled in Master of Arts programme, while the other teacher has a bachelor's degree. The data of the study were collected from 84 recordings of lessons and interviews with teachers and randomly selected nine students.
C'lt / Volume; 6, S«»i / Issue; 2, 2023
Instruments
Classroom observations, voicemails and audio-recordings of the lessons were used in analysis of the amount and purposes of L1 use. In order to enlighten teachers' and students' beliefs on L1 use in L2 classroom semi-structured interviews. Due to the limited time of the study, each participant teacher's one lesson hour with 5th, 6th, 7th, and 8th grade English classes was observed during seven weeks period. Participant teachers were asked to observe their own classes using an observation checklist and they sent voicemail to the researcher after each observed class. Observed classes were also audio-recorded and transcribed. At the beginning of the observation period, an attitude scale (Ba§, 2012) (see appendix I) was applied to the participant students to analyze their attitudes towards English classes. After classroom observation period, participant teachers were interviewed individually via Zoom application. Nine students from three different schools were selected equally and also interviewed online as a focus group. Fourteen open-ended questions were asked to teachers, while nine open-ended questions were answered by students (see appendix II). The semi-structured interviews were conducted in Turkish, audio-recorded, transcribed and then translated into English.
Data Analysis
Each recording of three teachers was listened and transcribed to gather information on the amount of L1 use and functions. For analysis of L1 use amount, Microsoft Word programme was used. Total word number of each teacher was counted and L1 words' number was extracted from this total number in the light of the previous literature (Ta§9i & Aksu-Ata9, 2020). Therefore, percentages of L1 use were obtained and tabulated. Functions of L1 use were also listed by categorizing L1 use from the transcriptions of lesson by using MAXQDA programme. Transcribed interviews were also examined with MAXQDA programme. Moreover, IBM SPSS Statistics programme was used to analyze students' attitude scale results.
Results
All lesson recordings of participant teachers were transcribed; L1 and L2 words were counted; L1 words' number was extracted from the total word number and percentages were tabulated to gather data on how much L1 teachers used in their L2 classes.
Table 1: The number and percentages of L1 and L2 words used by 3 teachers.
Teacher 1 L1 L2 Teacher 2 L1 L2 Teacher 3 L1 L2 Average L1 use in total
5th Grade 328 %31.96 698 %68.31 193 %19.16 814 %80.83 364 %3 5.13 672 %64.86 %28.75
6th Grade 435 %29 1065 %71 151 %12.29 1077 %87.70 321 %33.05 650 %66.94 %24.78
7th Grade 288 %29.20 698 %70.79 240 %16 1260 %84 241 %28.89 593 %71.10 %24.49
8th Grade 259 %36.37 453 %63.62 290 %28.26 736 %71.73 389 %44.97 476 %55.02 %36.53
Average %31,63 %68.43 %18.92 %81.06 %35.51 %64.48 %28.63
Table 1 shows the average percentages and numbers of L1 and L2 use of participant teachers during seven weeks observation period. According to the table, T2 used L1 in 18% of the classes, while T1 and T3 used L1 31% and 34% of their classes respectively. In this regard, T2 used L1 less than the other teachers in general. In terms of grades, all of the teachers used less L1 for 6th and 7th grades than for 5th and 8th grades. In general teachers used L1 28% of the classes for 5th grades; 24% of the classes for 6th grades; 24% of the classes for 7th grades and 36% of the classes for 8th grades. 8th grades were exposed to L1 more than the other grades.
Table 2: Percentages of L1 use purposes used by 3 teachers.
Purposes of L1 Use T1 T2 T3 TOTAL
Giving instruction %24 %23 %18 %21
Translating vocabulary %21 %18 %23 %20
Translating sentence %15 %8 %20 %14
Grammar teaching %10 %15 %12 %12
Checking comprehension %12 %10 %10 %10
Classroom management %10 %10 %8 %9
Drawing attention %5 %10 %4 %6
Giving feedback %3 %6 %5 %4
As seen in Table 2, there are eight functions of L1 use in L2 classes. The table shows averages of these functions used by teachers. Teachers used Turkish most to give instructions in classroom, which is followed by vocabulary and sentence translation. Apart from these purposes, teachers checked students' understanding, managed classrooms (sometimes enhanced classroom atmosphere) and drew students' attention to the lesson in Turkish. Participants teacher used L1 least to give feedback to the students.
Table 3: Sample sentences of L1 use for different purposes.
Purposes of L1 use
Sample sentences from recordings
T1:Which ones are mentioned? You should put a tick.
T1:Diyalogda hangileri bahsediliyorsa tik atmaniz gerekiyor. (You are supposed to put a tick for the mentioned ones in the dialogue.) T3:Gravity! Gravity! Yer çekimi demek. (It means gravity.) T1: We must reduce energy waste. Yani enerji israfini azaltmaliyi diyor. (She says we must reduce energy waste.)
T2: Fiil duzenli oldugunda -ed takisi aliyor. Anlayabildiniz mi? (When the verb is regular, it takes -ed. Could you understand?)
T2:Eger eylemi çu an yapiyorsak am/is/are'dan sonra fiile -ing ekleriz. (If we are doing the acyion now, we add -ing to the verb after am/is/are.) T3 : Kendi aranizda konuçmayi birakip benden sonra tekrar eder misiniz lutfen? (Can you stop talking among yourselves and repeat after me please?) T2: These are special words. Bakin bu kelimeler onemli biraz once bahsettigim kurala uymuyorlar. (Be careful! These words are important. they don't follow the rule I just mentioned.) S: We need a small ball.
_T3: Great! Tebrikler! (Congratulations!)_
Table 3 demonstrates some sample sentences for each purpose of L1 use. The most frequent purpose of L1 is to give instructions. While analyzing audio-recordings, it was seen that teachers gave instruction in English first and then gave the same instruction in Turkish. After giving instruction, all the participant teachers used L1 to translate an unknown word. Teachers said the Turkish meaning of vocabulary especially in reading passages or solving test questions. The average percentages of sentence translation and teaching grammar are similar to each other. T2 used less L1 for translating a sentence than T2 and T3. However, all teachers switched to L1 to teach grammar in similar amount. L1 use amount for controlling understanding and management purposes is nearly the same. Classroom management function in this study includes also examples
Giving instruction
Translating vocabulary Translating sentence
Checking comprehension
Grammar teaching
Classroom management
Drawing attention
Giving feedback
of boosting classroom atmosphere. The least frequent purposes for L1 use are drawing attention and giving feedback. T1 and T3 used L1 to draw students' attention in nearly same amounts. T3, on the other hand, switched to L1 10%. In a similar way, T2 used the most L1 to give feedback among three participants.
Apart from classroom observations, semi-structured interviews were conducted both with teachers and nine students to obtain data about perceptions towards L1 use. According to teacher interviews, all teachers confirmed using L1 in their classes. T1 and T3 support reasonable amount of L1 use in L2 classes in necessary situations. On the contrary, T2 is oppose to L1 use in spite of using it during classes. The following sentences are taken from the interview with T2:
"Yes I use L1 unfortunately but I think Turkish definitely should not be used in English classes because our students need to be exposed to English as much as they can." (T2)
Three teachers gave similar answers to the question about situations when L1 use is needed. Table 4 shows the most frequent answers given by teachers.
Table 4: Necessary situations for L1 use. Q5 - In which situations is it necessary to use L1?
Giving instructions for activities
Controlling students
Explaining vocabulary or a structure
Grammar
3 3 2 2
The most frequent answers are using L1 in order to explain instructions for activities and manage students in the classroom. Two of the teachers also support L1 use when students do not understand a structure or a vocabulary and when they teach grammar. All of the teachers gave similar answers for the question about the reasons of their L1 use in L2 classes. The following statements were made by the teachers:
"I use Turkish in situations that cannot be understood even though I have explained in English. For example, especially 5th grade students do not understand instructions when we start an activity so I explain what they should do in Turkish. ..." (T1)
".....Vocabulary is important for 8th grades because they will take an exam for high school
entrance, so we solve test questions very frequently and I translate most of the vocabulary and structures....." (T2)
".....I also use Turkish when students start to disrupt the classroom atmosphere because
they hinder other students concentrate on lesson. ..." (T3)
All of the teachers stated their students' preference on teacher's language use in classroom would be L1. However, T2 indicated that she does not allow her students to use L1 in class, although T1 and T3 allow L1 use of the students. For the last question of the interview, teachers were asked about advantages and disadvantages of L1 use.
Table 5: Advantages and disadvantages of L1 use. Q14- What are the advantages and disadvantages of L1 use?_
Advantages
Saving time 3
Helping classroom management 3
Increasing motivation 3
Students' feeling safe and comfortable 3
Helping understanding topic and instructions 2
Increasing students' interest in lesson 2
Preventing prejudice against English class 1 Disadvantages
Causing laziness 3
Depriving students of TL 3
Not efficient learning atmosphere 2
Difficulty in producing English_2
According to Table 5, all of the teachers have the same opinion on four advantages of L1 use. They indicated L1 use helps teachers saving time during classes; boosts classroom atmosphere; increases students' motivation towards EFL class and makes students feel safe and comfortable during L2 classes. Apart from these advantages, enabling students understand topics and instructions, increasing students' interest in EFL classes and preventing their prejudice against L2 classes are other positive features of L1 use. On the other hand, there are also disadvantages stated by teachers such as depriving students of TL since classroom is the atmosphere where students can be exposed to English most, hindering efficient learning atmosphere and students' difficulty in producing English.
Students' perceptions also have a significant role in EFL classes; therefore, randomly selected nine students were also interviewed in order to examine their beliefs. With regards to interview with students, students gave similar answers to the question about their feelings toward L2 classes. Apart from one student, eight students stated they do not feel comfortable in English classes. Some of the reasons for this discomfort are fear of making mistakes and being laughed by friends, difficulty in pronunciation and inability in understanding what teacher says. These eight students indicated that they sometimes do not understand what teacher says and try to connect known words in order to form meaningful sentences on their own. Eight students of nine support their teacher's use of L1 in EFL classes. However, students' attitude towards EFL classes differs from one school to another.
Table 6: Correlations between students' attitudes, schools and grades.
_Correlations_
_Attitude_Grade_School
Attitude Pearson Correlation 1 -.171* -.226**
Sig (2-tailed) .014 .001
N 206 206 206
Grade Pearson Correlation -.171* 1 -.025
Sig (2-tailed) .014 .717
N 206 206 206
School Pearson Correlation -.226** -.025 1
Sig (2-tailed) .001 .717
N 206 206 206
*. Correlation is significant at the 0.05 level (2-tailed). **. Correlation is significant at the 0.01 level (2-tailed).
Table 6 shows whether there is correlation between students' attitudes and their grades or schools according to the attitude scale applied to students at the beginning of observation period. Sig. value is supposed to be "< 0.05" for correlation to be significant. With this regard, students' attitudes towards English classes are related with their grades and as the grade increases, students' attitudes decrease; as, there is a negative correlation. In a similar way, students' attitudes vary by school. Students from the first school have more positive attitudes towards English classes than students from School 2 and School 3 respectively. According to the tables, students' schools have more significant relation with their attitudes than their grades as all dimensions' sig. value is less than 0.05.
Discussion and Conclusion
This study examined the amount and purposes of L1 use in three different middle schools' EFL classes in Turkey and investigated non-native EFL teachers' and their students' perceptions towards L1 use in L2 classes to answer these questions: a) What are the reasons of English language teachers in using L1 in L2 classroom? b) How frequently do English language teachers use L1 in L2 classes? c) What do English language teachers think about their use of L1 in L2 classes? d) What do students think about teachers' L1 use in L2 classes?. According to the findings of the study, all three participant teachers used L1 in their EFL classes 28% in average. However, there are differences between the use of L1 amounts of teachers. T2 uses Turkish in 18% of her EFL classes. T1, on the other hand, switches to L1 in 31% of class in average. Similar to T1, T3 uses L1 35% of a lesson hour. Previous research supports these findings (Ta§9i & Aksu-Ata9, 2020; Edstrom, 2006) The study of Ta§9i and Aksu-Ata9 (2020) indicated that teachers used L1 from 21% to 30% in primary school EFL classes. Likewise, in her study, Edstrom (2006) also used L1 over 20% during her language classes at a university in average. However, this percentage may change according to the proficiency levels or ages of students in other contexts.
In terms of grades of the students, all participant teachers in this study used L1 mostly for 8th grades, 36% in average. The second frequent L1 use is for 5 th grades with 28%. L1 use for 6th and 7th grades are both 24% of a class. Teachers indicated that they solve test questions and benefit from translation in 8th grades more than the other grades as 8th grade students will take high school entrance exam. This situation with students' exam may be the reason for teachers to benefit from L1 most in this grade. This result contradicts with the previous literature. For example, Lazaro-Ibarrola, and Garcia Mayo (2012) stated that use of L1 increases when L2 proficiency level decreases. Similarly, in the studies of Almohaimeed and Almurshed (2018) and Oz and Kararazmak (2019), students with lower English proficiency level were in favour of L1 use more than students with higher English proficiency level. In their study Ta§9i and Aksu-Ata9 (2020) stated that teachers used L1 with lower grades more than higher grades as in the study of Joyce at al. (2021) in which participant learners with lower proficiency levels were exposed to L1 more. However, the findings of the current study suggest that students' grades (5th, 6th, 7th or 8th grade) therefore proficiency levels have influence on L1 use of teachers, even though there is a conflict with the related literature.
This study also analyzed the purposes of L1 use in L2 classes. EFL teachers in the study used L1 for eight different reasons. They used L1 most frequently to give instructions and to translate unknown vocabulary as in the study of Ma (2019). Other purposes are listed as sentence translation, grammar teaching, checking comprehension, classroom management, drawing attention and giving feedback respectively. Moreover, teachers also used L1 to increase the classroom atmosphere and this function is included in classroom management purpose. These functions of L1 use are in line with the findings of previous literature. For instance, Kaymakamoglu and Yiltanlilar (2019) listed the purposes of L1 use in L2 classes as explaining grammar rules and vocabulary, time management, giving instructions, creating favourable atmosphere and preventing student anxiety. In a similar way, Taççi and Aksu-Ataç (2020) explained functions as giving instructions, vocabulary and sentence translation, classroom management, controlling understanding, eliciting, drawing attention, feedback and teaching grammar. Apart from other studies, Sali (2014) put these functions under three main categories: management purposes, academic purposes and social/cultural purposes. These L1 use functions are also consistent with the study of Ali (2020) in which two participant teachers used L1 (English in this context) in L2 (Spanish) classes to explain grammar structures, translate a sentence or correct mistakes.
The analysis of teacher interviews revealed the perceptions of teachers on L1 use in EFL classes. Two of the teachers in the study stated that they are mostly in favour of using TL, however, they advocate reasonable amount of L1 can be used in L2 classes when it is necessary. On the contrary, the other teacher opposes L1 use and supports English-only policy, although she uses Turkish in her EFL classes. In that regard, teachers' perceptions are mostly consistent with their classroom practices apart from one teacher who objects to L1 use. Teachers' attitudes in this study are similar to the study of Kaymakamoglu and Yiltanlilar (2019) in which only one teacher supported English-only policy, while the other teachers had moderate attitude towards L1 use. Teachers also were aware of the advantages and disadvantages of L1 use as in the study of Chichon (2018). They stated that switching to L1 during classes enables them to save time and to manage classroom more efficiently. L1 use also helps students feel safe and comfortable in EFL classes and understand instructions. Moreover, it increases students' interest in L2 class and prevents their prejudice against English. Similarly, Edstrom (2006) acknowledged L1 use in her L2 classes stating the situation as moral obligation. Participant teachers of the study stated disadvantages of L1 as lack of TL exposure as classroom is the environment in which students are exposed to TL most in Turkey; ineffective learning atmosphere since students get used to L1 instead of using L2 and difficulty in producing English. Apart from teachers, students' perceptions were also examined in the study. The findings from the attitude scale revealed that students' grades and schools affect their perceptions towards EFL classes. Moreover, the analysis of student interview showed that students feel intimidated from teachers' L2 use; therefore, they are in favour of L1 use in EFL classes in general. In his study, Aoyama (2020) also analyzed students' perceptions towards L1 use and all of the students utilized L1 (Japanese) for different amount and purposes, although some of them were not in favour of L1 use, while some of them supported. Even though L1 use in L2 classes is a controversial subject, the advantages of using L1 are shown in the findings of this study. However, as Balushi and Rahman (2020) stated in their study, using L1 too much may cause too much dependence on L1 and limits students' exposure to TL in L2 classes. Thus, L2 teachers should balance their use of L1 in their lessons. In their study Littlewood and Yu (2011) suggested
/ Volume; 6, S«»i / Issue; 2, 2023
three strategies for teachers to balance L1 and L2 use and maximize L2 use in their classes. First of the strategies is teachers' determination and competence on using L2. For the second and last strategies, the authors recommended teachers to use communication strategies effectively and start using simple L2 for students from familiar to unfamiliar. However, future research may give more detailed information on when, how and how much L1 should be utilized in L2 lesson.
Implications and Limitations
L1 use in EFL classroom is a contradictive matter. Teachers, policy makers or curriculum developers may need to consider some factors such as students' grades, ages, perceptions or teachers' perceptions and experience in order to evaluate L1 use in L2 classes. Teachers should use TL at maximum level as much as possible, however, they can switch to L1 in appropriate amount if there is need for L1. In order to determine this reasonable amount of L1, teachers can observe and monitor their EFL classes. As stated in the study of Ta§9i and Aksu Ata9 (2020), analyzing teachers' beliefs towards L1 use for L2 teaching and enabling them to compare their perceptions with their actual practices during classes can support teachers to have consciousness on their EFL classes by monitoring their classes objectively.
This study has some limitations. As this is a case study and it was conducted with only three teachers and their classes, the results cannot be generalized to a universe. Moreover, 8th grades' EFL classes can be investigated in detail in further research; since, high school entrance exam may influence L1 use in their L2 classes. There is also a need for future research to answer when, how and how much L1 should be utilized in L2 lesson. Finally, further studies can analyze L1 use in terms of skills; as, different activities according to particular skills may require different amount of L1 use.
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Appendix I
EK-1. iLKOGRETiM iNGiLiZCE DERSiNE YONELiK TUTUM OL^EGi
A^agida ingilizce dersi ile ilgili cumleleri okuyarak, size en uygun olan se^enege (x) koyunuz. Kesinlikle Katilmiyorum Katilmiyorum Kararsizim Katiliyorum Kesinlikle Katiliyorum
1. Ingilizce en 50k sevdigim dersler arasmdadir.
2. Ingilizcenin dilbilgisi yapisini anlamak ve kullanmak bana zor geliyor.
3. Ingilizce dersi ile ugra^mak beni eglendirir.
4. Ingilizce dersine fali^irken canim sikilir.
5. Ingilizcede ilerlemek gelecegim ifin onemli degildir.
6. Ingilizce dersinden korkarim.
7. Ingilizce konu^maktan ve onu kullanmaktan ho^laniyorum.
8. Ingilizcenin, dunyada herkesin anla^masini saglayan ortak bir dil olduguna inaniyorum.
9. Ingilizce ile ilgili her §ey ilgimi feker.
10. Yetki verseler okuldaki tum Ingilizce derslerini kaldiririm.
11. Ingilizcenin gelecekte yapacagim meslekte i§ime yarayacagina inaniyorum.
12. Mumkun olsa, Ingilizce dersi yerine ba§ka bir ders alirim.
13. Ingilizce dersi odevlerini sikilmadan, zevkle yaparim.
14. Ingilizce dersi, derslerin en onemlilerinden bir tanesidir.
15. Ingilizce derinde konu^mak, drama yapmak, muzik dinlemek ve oyun oynamak bana zevk verir.
16. Dersler arasinda en fok Ingilizce dersinden ho^lanirim.
17. Bo§ zamanlarimda Ingilizce dersi konulari ile ugra^maktan ho^lanirim.
18. Ingilizce ile ugra^manin pek yararli bir i§ olduguna inanmiyorum.
19. Ingilizce dersinde yapilan etkinlikleri ve sinif-ifi faaliyetleri severim.
Appendix II
Teacher Interview Questions
1) How long have you been teaching?
2) Which grades have you taught so far?
3) Are you pursuing MA or doctorate or have you completed MA or doctorate degree?
4) What do you think about using Turkish in EFL classes?
5) In which situations do you think L1 use is necessary?
6) Do you use Turkish in EFL classes?
7) How frequently do you use Turkish in one lesson hour?
8) For what purposes do you use Turkish in your classes?
9) Is there any special subject that requires you to use Turkish? If there is, what is it?
10) Is there any particular skill among four skills (speaking, writing, reading, listening) for which you use L1 more than others? If there is, which one is it? Can you give example?
11) Do you allow your students to use L1 in L2 classes?
12) What do you do when your students make mistakes in L2 class?
13) What do you think about in which language your students want you to teach?
14) What are the advantages and disadvantages of using L1 in L2 classes?
Student Interview Questions
1) Do you feel comfortable during English classes?
2) Do you use Turkish in English classes?
3) Does your English language teacher use Turkish in English classes?
4) What do you think about Turkish use of your teacher in English classes?
5) How do you feel when your teacher uses English during class?
6) Do you think your teacher should speak English in English classes?
Ethical Statement/Etik Beyan: Bu çaliçmanin hazirlanma surecinde bilimsel ve etik ilkelere uyuldugu ve yararlanilan tum çaliçmalarin kaynakçada belirtildigi beyan olunur. Bu makale, Ordu Universitesi Sosyal ve Beçeri Bilimler Etik Kurulu'nun 28.04.2022 tarih ve 92 nolu karariyla Etik Kurul Onayi almiçtir. / It is declared that scientific and ethical principles have been followed while carrying out and writing this study and that all the sources used have been properly cited. This article has been approved by the Ethics Committee of Ordu University Social and Human Sciences Ethics Committee with the decision number 92 dated 28.04.2022.
Çatiçma beyani/Declaration of Conflict: Çaliçmada kiçi ya da kurumlar arasi çikar çatiçmasinin olmadigi beyan olunur. / It is declared that there is no conflict of interest between individuals or institutions in the study. Telif Hakki&Lisans/Copyright&License: Yazarlar dergide yayinlanan çaliçmalarinm telif hakkina sahiptirler ve çaliçmalari CC BY-NC 4.0 lisansi altinda yayimlanmaktadir. / Authors publishing with the journal retain the copyright to their work licensed under the CC BY-NC 4.0.
