International Kazakh-Turkish University by name H.A.Yesevi

Faculty of Philology

Holder of master`s degree Makenova Zhanar Tanirbergenkyzy

The Use of Kazakh Language in English Foreign Language classes.

This article is about some useful aspects of using mother tongue in English Foreign Language classes.

The use of the mother tongue in English Foreign Language classes is debatable in the foreign language classroom. Advocates of the monolingual approach suggest that the target language should be the only medium of communication, believing that the prohibition of the native language would maximize the effectiveness of learning the target language. However, some teachers believe that the use of the mother tongue can be helpful in learning new vocabulary items and explaining complex idea and grammar rules. They contend that teachers who master the students’ native language have far more advantages over the ones who don’t.

The monolingual approach. A proponent of the monolingual approach, Krashen has argued that learners acquire foreign languages following basically the same path they acquire their mother tongue. According to him, the use of the mother tongue in the learning process should be minimized (1981).In fact a lot of teachers believe that Kazakh Language use in English Foreign Language classes must be discouraged because of many reasons.

Use of Kazakh Language may become a habit that both learners and teachers may resort to whenever a difficulty is encountered. Kazakh Language may be sometimes misleading when learning the target language. In spite of the existence of universals governing language systems, languages differ more or less. When using Kazakh Language to teach English Foreign Language students, errors may emerge due to the Kazakh Language transfer. Examples of errors range from vocabulary to grammar. Kazakh learners for example may be misled by the similarity between the Kazakh word “магазин” and the English word “magazine”. In spite of the similarity, the meanings of these vocabulary items differ. The Kazakh “магазин” mean “shop” while “magazine” in English means “a journal”. The use of Language 1 in English Foreign Language classes hinders the provision of enough comprehensible input, a prerequisite for acquiring any language.

The bilingual approach. The monolingual approach has been criticized by many teachers who find that the use of L1 in English Foreign Language classes is beneficial at various levels. This point of view is expressed clearly by Sheelagh Deller and Mario Rinvolucri (2003)  in their book  Using the Mother Tongue and earlier by Atkinson (1987). More recently Widdowson (2003) also called for an explicitly bilingual approach.

Language 2 has long been considered as a lower language and a source of errors. This view is now being criticized because EFL teachers have become aware of the significance of Language 2. Vivian Cook (2001) writes about the mother tongue in EFL classes as “a door that has been firmly shut in language teaching for over a hundred years.”

When students come to the classroom they don’t come out of the blue; they come “loaded” with their native language and a cultural heritage that nobody must deny or underestimate. EFL teachers working with monolingual students at lower levels of English proficiency find prohibition of the mother tongue to be practically impossible. So instead of looking at the students’ native language and cultural background as inferior or a source of errors, they must be used as a tool to maximize foreign language learning.  It’s worth noting that the use of  L1 in EFL classes is just a “rehabilitation” of those “students who were forced to smuggle their bilingual dictionaries into classrooms and hide them under the table.”  The mother tongue represents a powerful resource that can be used in a number of ways to enhance learning but it must always be used in a principled way. Sheelagh Deller and Mario Rinvolucri’s book Using the Mother Tongue, which provides practical L1 activities, shows that judicious use of L1 can maximize language learning. In my view it is easier for foreign learners, especially for absolute beginners to study English through their native language explanations of English pronunciation, grammar and vocabulary for easier, better and quicker understanding. Non-native teachers of EFL know that perfectly well. Of course practice exercises should be done in the English language.

Judicious use of magazine in foreign language learning. Using Kazakh Language is not the problem. The problem is when and how to use it. Before answering this question, it should be born in mind that Kazakh Language use must be considered “as a means to an end”. The target language must be used where possible and Kazakh Language when necessary.  Here are some examples of appropriate use of Kazakh Language in English Foreign Language classes.

The mother tongue can be probably more beneficial to beginners. As they progress in their learning the target language will take the lead. Kazakh Language can be time-saving. Instead of going through a long explanation in the target language, it is sometimes easier and more efficient to give a translation of a vocabulary item or an explanation of a grammar point. Imagine a teacher  who wants to teach the word “car” to Kazakh students and start by phrasing the explanation as follows “a car is a road vehicle with an engine, four wheels, and seats for a small number of people” while a simple translation of the word ( or perhaps the use of visual aids) would be enough.

A comparison of English and the mother tongue can be a very enriching experience. In fact, discovering the similarities and differences of both languages can enhance the Target Language acquisition. This comparison can be done at different levels:

The first level is vocabulary
- Exploring the nuances of vocabulary items in both languages
- Building bilingual (or even multilingual) semantic maps

The second level is grammar
- A comparison between Kazakh Language grammar and Target Language grammar yields interesting results.
- This comparison will highlight the differences between the two languages. Teachers and learners may build on these differences to avoid negative transfer
- The comparison also shows the similarities which will undoubtedly boost the internalization of the Target Language grammar.

The third level is culture
Language is a vehicle for cultural aspects. If teachers ban the use of the mother tongue, this underlies an ideological conception of Kazakh Language culture as being inferior. Alternatively, cultural differences and similarities can be highlighted to help learners accept and tolerate differences while at the same time preserve their cultural uniqueness. This can be done through various activities where Kazakh Language plays an important role.

The fourth level is proverbs
Students may be given a set of proverbs in the Target Language and be asked to find the corresponding ones in their mother tongue if they exist. If not they try to translate the proverbs into their language.

The fifth level is idiomatic expressions
Again, finding the corresponding idioms or a translation of Target Language idioms might be very helpful to detect cultural differences or similarities

The sixth level is songs
It may be translation of lyrics

The seventh level is jokes
Funny EFL activities can be built on jokes. Students may translate and tell or act Target Language jokes to create a free stress environment and spot Target Language cultural specificities. Using Kazakh Language gives a sense of security and acknowledges the learners identity, allowing them to minimize the stress they may feel in EFL classrooms. With careful use of Kazakh Language learners may become willing to experiment and take risks with English. Learners’ needs must be expressed in Kazakh Language since the Target Language is not yet mastered. Learners will never be able to express and communicate their needs with a language they speak poorly. Kazakh Language can be of great help when teaching grammar. Translation exercises for example may be the perfect practice when there is a grammar point that is causing trouble to students. According to my experience with EFL classes, I can dare say that so many failures in tests were due to learners’ lack of understanding of instructions. Kazakh Language can be used to redress this issue, helping students to understand what is exactly asked from them. Students need to understand the rationale behind activities or methods. It is important that they know where they start and what they will able to do. They should understand what lies behind the methods the teacher is using. This can only be done at this level through the students’ native language. Discussion of some recurring errors. It is true that a lot of errors are caused by Kazakh Language transfer. Kazakh students, for example, say “I’m agree” instead of “I agree” which is an error due to Kazakh Language transfer (in Kazakh “Мен келісемін”.) A discussion in Kazakh Language of such errors will help students overcome these problems.

The debate over the use of Language 1 in foreign language teaching hasn’t been settled yet. On the one hand there are those teachers who reject the use of Kazakh Language altogether or fail to recognize any significant potential in it. On the other hand, there are those who either massively overuses it. Both are abusing a resource of great importance and delicacy each in his own way. My view consists of using the target language as the medium of instruction when possible and switching to the mother tongue when it is really necessary. A rational and judicious use of Kazakh Language in EFL classes can only be advantageous. Kazakh Language use must be tuned up with effective target language teaching, taking into consideration learners’ mother tongue and cultural background and using them to the best of their interest.

Literature:

1. Krashen, S.D.  (1987) Principles and Practice in Second Language Acquisition, Hemel Hempstead: Prentice Hall.

2. Sheelagh Deller and Mario Rinvolucri «Using the Mother Tongue», 2003