Title of the project: L1 VS L2, WHICH IS THE BEST ONE?

Student’s name: Umlandt, Virginia Emilse

Instructor’s name: Vega, Andrea

Class: 4th year – Taller Focalizado III

Institution: Instituto Superior de Formación Docente N° 1

Year: 2015

Introduction

As part of the required course in Taller Focalizado III, I am to conduct and submit a research Project in order to gain experience in how to implement research.

The title I have selected for my Project is “L1 vs L2, WHICH IS THE BEST ONE?

My reason for selecting this topic was the fact that the majority of my students never had English and my work as their new teacher became a challenge.

The main question in my classroom was, “When L1 should be used in class?”

One of the main concerns for every English teacher is related with whether or not use student’s first language in foreign language classes.

Should I express myself the entire time in English or use Spanish as well, since most of the students never had interaction with this new language.

My Project will seek to explain how a teacher can exploit their student’s previous L1 learning experience so they can increase their understanding of L2.

Problem Identification

The idea came up on the development of my classes. My selected group is the Seventh Grade “D”, Centro Experimental Maximio Sava N°4 School.

A lot of people have the opinion that one should never use students first language in the classroom, I can say that it is a good point but I don’t want my students become defendant on their first language , I want them to feel comfortable using English.

However, during the classes I noticed that my student’s attention was lost because 80% of the class I chose to speak in English. At that moment, I switched to Spanish and the rhythm of the class changed.

Preliminary Investigation

My class is at a Beginner Level and as a teacher I cannot force them to understand everything when I speak in a different language. Their behavior was an indicator that they weren’t following the class so I changed language.

I could tell that they had a hard time trying to understand. For example, when I explained or gave an activity in English, they got confused.

In order to clarify, I gave the indications in the L2, but also the L1.

Doing this, some of them tend to translate so to make sure if they got it right.

I know, I have to be very careful and not to OVERUSE IT.

Hypothesis

According to my observation, my students are having problems on following the English class, for two main reasons:

A – The teachers uses a language completely different from theirs.

B – They have never had English during their primary education.

Action Plan

The daily use of English in the classroom is one of the best ways for my students to acquire it without them hardly noticing. The implementation of everyday aspects related to the start and end of a class, the use of teaching materials, student grouping, sequencing of activities, evaluation, etc.

When the class is about to start:

Every day at the beginning, my students wait for me and as soon as I entered the room:

Hello everybody! /

Good morning

How is everyone today?

Then, I check the assistance. They know the KEY WORDS – PRESENT OR ABSENT-

Teacher : Lopez?

Students : Absent, teacher!

This procedure happens in every class. That way they are able to participate orally with simple words.

When I need to leave for a minute or when they need to leave the classroom, we use differents chunks of the language. I made big and colourful signs that says :

Excuse Me.

Please, Teacher.

Can I go to the bathroon?

Thank you.

They know that when they need to ask permission to go to the bathroom, there is a phrase they have to say.

( We practice it every time but they still have problems with the pronunciation of BATHROOM ).

Most of them, tend to arrive late to class so I have told them , in order to enter to MY CLASS , they have to say : EXCUSE ME, TEACHER!.

WHEN WE START A NEW ACTIVITY OR A NEW TOPIC

When I am about to start, I give simple Instructions, such as :

PLEASE, OPEN YOUR FOLDERS!

PLEASE, BE QUIET!

WE HAVE TO COPY!

LISTEN!

REPEAT!

SILENCE!

READY? (I have explained them the meaning of this Word in Spanish and there are simple answers – YES OR NO! – in that way I can slow down or move on to the next step)

INSTRUCTIONS USE IN A DAILY BASIS IN THE CLASSROOM:

Sit down

Stand up

Come here!

Silence!

Now, Repeat!

Raise your hand

Show me

Match

Listen and Complete

Close your books

MANTAIN THE ORDER IN THE CLASS

Listen to me/him/her/them, please!

Stop talking /

Stop making that noise

Speak quietly, please.

WHEN I DON’T UNDERSTAND THEM OR I CAN’T HEAR THEM

In those cases, I pretend I don’t understand them so they will repeat the answers or explain

Sorry? * What? - Say that again

Can you repeat that, please?

ASSESMENT AND EVALUATION

Mistakes are an inevitable part of the learning process and language acquisition, and indicators of the progression and advancement of students. Teachers can use phrases that encourage the students positively, such as :

Nice work

Impressive

That´s right

OK

Fine

That´s it

Excellent

Well done

Good / Very good

Wonderful

Perfect

Great job

Fantastic

THE CLASS ENDS

That's all for today

*See you later / tomorrow /after the break / on Tuesday / next week Goodbye! /

*Bye-bye! / *Bye / *See you /

Literature Review

For this Project different linguistics concepts have been revised as well as different authors and their theories:

Input

Input is characterized as “language which a learner hears or gets and from which he or she can learn”. (Richards-1989) and its significance is generally well acknowledge.

Behaviorist views hold that there is an immediate relationship between input and output.

Keeping in mind that the main goal is to acquire the language, the learner must be given feedback, which constitutes the input.

Interactionist views of language also holds that verbal language, or input, is important.

Stephen Krashen (1982) has placed a lot of importance on the Input Hypothesis. He states that the learner needs to get comprehensible data to acquire language.

Information about the sentence structure is accessible when the information is understood.

Krashen contends that the input a first language learner receives is simple and comprehensible at the beginning and gets slightly more complicated.

He supports that the information should be a level higher from the learner’s language (I + 1), with this the second language learner can move forward.

The Interactionist Approach states that the verbal interaction is crucial for language learning.

Krashen argues that learning does not mean acquisition. These are two very different phenomena. He explains that acquisition may occur in the classroom when communication is emphasized through dialogues, role playing and other meaningful interaction.

Affective Factors such as attitudes: Young children don’t have enough attitudes towards language, but still having positive attitudes can enhance learning, according to Ellis (1994).

The Affective Filter Hypothesis developed by Krashen, accounts for the different effects of affective variables on second language acquisition.

Affective variables function as a mental block, also known affective filter, and this represents an obstacle.

When there is no motivation and confidence on the learner, the filter goes up.

If the learner is not anxious and wants to be an active participant in the group, the filter goes down.

Young children have the advantage that at their age, the affective filter it is on a lower position.

Ellis describes a SOCIAL CONTEXT that can be related with this project, the EDUCATIONAL CONTEXT, submerged in the language classroom, that is to say, “the target language is taught as a subject only and is not commonly used as a medium of communication outside the classroom.

WHAT WOULD BE THE IMPLICATIONS FOR LANGUAGE TEACHERS?

As teachers we have to consider that, we cannot base our teaching only in a single theory.

All the different theories provide us with information to help us in our profession. This can help in the design of the classroom activities, the syllabus, understanding the learning process of the students so as to guide them.

Language teachers can teach to their students’ sample of some useful and frequently used phrases, so with time the students can be able or choose to use these phrases in situations that require immediate communication.

THE TEACHER always should help his/her students as much as possible, providing them with language necessary to pass to the next level of language competence.

Another author, HAWKINS (2001) states, “it is important the interaction between teacher and students, and peer-interaction, it is through this that knowledge is built gradually”.

Using collaborative activities, for example, pair work or group students, where negotiation of meaning is required.

However, we must not forget that our expectations regarding acquisition sometimes are not full filled.

ELSA AVERBACH (1993:29) states, “Starting with the L1 provides a sense of security and validates the learner’s lived experience, allowing them to express themselves. The learner is then willing to experiment and take risk with English.

AVERBACH recommends when L1 should be used:

Negotiation of syllabus and the lesson. Classroom management. Spelling. Explanation of errors.

ATKINSON (1987: 422) gives some arguments for using the mother tongue in the classroom.

A- He states that is a “learner-preferred strategy”, this is something I could notice in my classroom, when my students have the opportunity will choose to translate without my approach.

B- A Humanistic approach, that means to let the students express what they want.

COMMUNICATION in the classroom is very important and it is better when takes place in English, but according to Atkinson (1987:426), there should be a limit, it may result on the following:

Using translation may become a habit. Students will tend to not use English in some activities, where English is

mandatory.

Atkinson analyzes some strategies that he had encountered in various parts of Europe. He divided in three categories (on the basis of the teacher’s objective in using L1):

A – Facilitating teacher-student communication.

B – Facilitating teacher- student rapport.

C – Facilitating learning.

A – Using time-saving strategies: example, explaining the meaning of grammatical item (e.g. a verb tense) at the time of presentation, especially when a certain structure is not the same in the L1.

Explaining the meaning of a word in L1. Checking comprehension. Giving individual help.

B – When the teacher starts a conversation in L1 before the beginning of the class, so to reduce student’s anxiety.

C – One of the best sources is given by Duff (1989), he recommends the use of exercises involving the translation of single words or phrase IN CONTEXT (1981.51).

Translating out of context encourages student to translate word by word, translation within a specific context, makes them full aware of the problem of single-word translation.

METHODOLOGY

Sample

The group with which this Project was carried out consists of 24 students, 14 of which are male and 10 are female. Their age group is defined between 11 and 13. They are currently students belonging to the 7 “D” grade in Centro Experimental n°4 Maximio Sava Victoria Primary School, located in Fernandez, Robles, Santiago del Estero.

They started studying English this year, just when I arrived as the new teacher at the school. Before that, they haven’t had English classes. Nevertheless, they became curious and motivated enough so I can generate this project.

Research design

To carry out this project, techniques belonging to qualitative research have been used, since the researcher is personally involved and the situation is not controlled. The purpose of the investigation was related to explain actions rather than causes.

The project is consistent with the kind of study that is known as action research because it is aimed to improve the working methods of a particular activity, in this case education.

This type of research is of great usefulness.

DATA COLLECTION

A- Classroom map, the first few weeks : It took me some time to get to know them , with time I realize I had to make some changes.

B - I had to make some changes: there were some girls that talked too much in class and others that they were too comfortable working with their friends. Even though they didn’t like the new positions, I only made them changed during my time. But, they returned to their original positions a few weeks later.

Student’s Work

Their first assignment together was to work with the VERB TO BE , it was one of the topics developed in class. In order to make a conclusion and see If they have understood correctly, I asked them to bring color papers , pencils, pens and picture of famous people they know, in that way they could write , using properly the Verb To be.

The result was great. Everyone worked that day.

Conversations

This tool was of great help in my Project, I talked to their grade teacher, who has been in charge since the beginning of the year and also knows very well the group.

I talked to her during breaks about the strengths and weakness of the group. She explained to me that, they are very hard<working students but tend to have indiscipline problems sometimes. But it was not reason to worry. If they show interested in the topic, they will participate.

She also told me, that they found it very funny how I spoke English all the time and they usually had some problems understanding me. Nevertheless, they worked better when I explained to them in Spanish.

“My students are very comfortable working with you, even though this is their first time dealing with a new language. Keep going!” this phrase was a trigger for me, It help me realized that I was doing a good job in the Seven Grade.

My Journal

Random Notes in my little notebook about the topics given in class and some names of who Works and who doesn’t. How they behave in their first evaluation. Also a list of their names, although it is a mess, I do some writing or ticks next to their names when they don’t bring the material to work in class.

Outcome

Conclusion

Reference

Atkinson, D . 1987 . “ The mother tongue in the classroom : a neglected resource? ELT Journal 41/4

Duff , A . 1989. Translation . OXFORD : Oxford University press.

Ellis, R. (1994). The study of second language acquisition. China: Oxford University Press

Hawkins, B. (2001). Supporting second language children’s content learning and language development in K-5. In M. Celce-Murcia (Ed.), Teaching English as a second or foreign language (3rd ed., pp.367-383). USA: Heinle&Heinle.

Krashen, S. (1982). Theory versus practice in language training. In R. W. Blair (Ed.), Innovative approaches to language teaching (pp. 15-24). Rowley, MA: Newburry House Publishers.

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