INFLUENCE OF MOTHER TONGUE IN TEACHING AND LEARNING SECOND LANGUAGE

In teaching and learning a second language, influence of mother tongue is a controversial issue and debatable subject in the present scenario. Teachers have always been in confusion to use or not to use mother tongue (L1) of the students in the classroom. During the late seventies to early eighties, the idea of using L1 in language classroom was not a favoured one, it was believed that as a child learns mother tongue using his/her mother tongue, in the same way any second language should be learnt only through the use of second language and use of mother tongue can interfere in the process of mastering the second language. Moreover, the excessive use of mother tongue can reduce the exposure of the target language. On the other side there is another assumption that use of mother tongue in teaching and learning second language is beneficial for it has several advantages that can support second language(L2) teaching and learning in the classroom. Educational research shows that during teaching and learning process, use of the mother tongue helps to overcome the difficulties like ability to use second language, shyness and fear of making errors, lack of understanding and lack of interest and make it easy to use the second language. Use of mother tongue in teaching and learning second language is sometimes referred to as the fifth language skill alongside the other four basic skills of listening, speaking, reading, and writing. So it holds a special importance in teaching and learning new language and plays facilitating role in the gradual process of teaching and learning target language. This paper makes an effort to show positive effects of using mother tongue, when used appropriately and judiciously, in teaching and learning second language