The use of the mother-tongue in the EFL classroom: perception of teachers and students using Spanish and its actual use

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to explore the attitudes and beliefs of some EFL teachers and English learners regarding the use of Spanish in the EFL class in a monolingual Spanish-speaking class. In addition to this, another aim was to observe the actual use of Spanish by four EFL teachers during the English lesson. The instrument utilized to collect data was a questionnaire which participant teachers and their English students completed. The findings revealed that a notable percentage of EFL teachers favored the use of Spanish in the English classroom. In fact, almost 80% of teachers admitted they use Spanish while teaching English. On the other hand, 90% of students believe that their EFL teachers must know Spanish well. However, only 51% of students favored the use of Spanish in the English classroom. Regarding the observations, four teachers were observed while teaching and three teachers utilized Spanish in class for different purposes in a considerable number of times. Teachers and students also considered that Spanish can be an effective tool for certain uses: to explain difficult concepts, to explain the relationship/difference between English and Spanish and to check for comprehension.