Regard Learners' Li As A Resource To Be Utilized

By Author: Christ Pual
Total Articles: 55
Comment this article

The common practice in L2 professional literature has been the rejection of learners' Li as a negative force which will slow down their progress by interfering with La development. Teachers have been advised to conduct their classes in the target language to minimize this negative effect and give students ample practice opportunities in gaining mastery over L2 features.

However, from a scientific perspective, there is not much evidence available in support of the total banishment of learners' Li, and in fact there might be cases to the contrary. In other words, a learner's first language can be regarded as an asset that can facilitate communication in the L2 and as part of her communicative experience on which to base her L2 learning. For example, Li can be successfully used to maintain discipline in the classroom or to provide instruction for certain activities. It can also be used for explaining delicate grammar points or abstract vocabulary items (Cook 2001). The rationale for the total exclusion of Li from classes, therefore, must be sought mostly in the political/economic dimensions of L2 teaching and the inability ...
... of native English teachers to utilize the mother tongue potential of their learners. The call for the use of learners' Li in the classroom does not necessarily mean Vibram FiveFingers that it can be used as the language of instruction. An L2 class is primarily designed to provide a setting for learners to be exposed to the features of the language they are trying to learn, and an opportunity to practise the use of those features. The focus of attention, therefore, must be on the L2, while allowing for a more liberal use of the Li to facilitate communication and comprehension.

From a critical perspective, it is undesirable and even impossible to deny the significance of learners' first languages. An individual's Li is part of his or her identity and a force which has played a crucial role in the formation of that identity. If people are supposed to become empowered and their voices recognized and respected, then the first step needs to be a respect for who they are and the values they represent. And when it comes to marginalized groups, language becomes an important refuge, a badge of honour, a safe haven, or 'a stable point' (Baynham op. cit.: 25) where one would feel secure in being who he/she is. In addition, true respect for human rights and the dignity of people should start with one of the most basic rights they are Vibram KSO entitled to, that is, their linguistic human rights (Skutnabb-Kangas and Phillipson 1995). By including more of the learners' first language in L.2 settings, and through judicious use of the students' Li as a teaching aid, language teachers can create the context where the first steps towards empowerment and positive social change can be taken.