ATTITUDES OF HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS TOWARD MOTHER TONGUE USAGE IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE CLASSROOM

Abstract

This paper sheds light on the students’ opinions and attitudes about mother tongue (MT) usage in the foreign language (FL) classroom. The purpose of the paper is to determine the students’ perception of MT usage and its impact on FL learning and the acquisition process. This research is a continuation and complements to the research conducted and analyzed in the article published in the international journal “Vospitanie” under the title “Teachers’ perspectives on the prevalence of the mother tongue in foreign language teaching”. For the purposes of this research, a survey was conducted to observe the students’ specific attitudes, i.e, how they actually experience the foreign language teaching process with and without the usage of the mother tongue, to highlight the reasons and factors for its use, to determine whether and how often the mother tongue is used, and whether it facilitates FL learning and content acquisition. The results of this paper conclusively indicate that MT usage is a common practice that is widely accepted by FL learners, respectively used consciously, and planned as an intermediary and auxiliary language. Understanding how the mother tongue can interfere in FL learning and being aware of its influence during classroom activities can significantly enhance the acquisition of a second or third foreign language. The results of this research will help improve the teaching of foreign languages, which will enable easier and more efficient learning and successful acquisition of the foreign language.