Code-switching in EFL Classrooms: One Male and One Female Teachers’ Amount and Purposes for L1 Use

Using L1 has long been a debatable issue in the EFL/L2 classrooms and was formerly assumed to be debilitating, but was recently believed to be facilitating factor improving a target language learning. The focus of the current study is to investigate the amount, purposes and reasons for one male and one female teachers' use of L1 in two intermediate EFL classrooms in Iran. Responding to the research questions regarding two teachers‟ amount, purposes and reasons for using L1, data were collected through audio recording 8 sessions (each session lasting 90 minutes) from one male and one female EFL teachers‟ classes. The recordings were then transcribed and analyzed quantitatively and qualitatively. Following that, a stimulated recall session was used with both teachers to uncover the reasons for which they switched to L1. The findings revealed that both EFL teachers used L1 as an aid for multiple purposes in order to improve their students‟ learning. The results indicate that as long as a controlled L1 use facilitates students‟ learning, it should not be prohibited in the EFL classrooms

Keywords:

L1 use , L2/FL instruction , L2/FL classroom , EFL classroom , bilingualism