母语在第二语言教学中的应用与认知分析——西方相关研究的启示

Use of the Mother Tongue in L2 Teaching and Its Cognitive Analysis: An Inspiration from Relevant Research in Western Countries

一些教育学家认为在第二语言(L2)课堂上,应该单纯地使用目标语言,因为L2课堂的最终指导性目标就是要掌握那门语言。但在实际情形中,我们几乎不可能真正创造出一个类似于母语的环境;而且,语言教师试图给学生的语言输入并不等同于学生所接受的语言输入。因此,基于各种不同的原因,对于各种不同的学生,在L2课堂上要合理地使用母语。英语在中国只是一门外语,不是第二语言。不过,L2在这方面的理论与实践可以作为借鉴。本文综述西方对于母语在L2教学中应用的相关理论和实证研究,从教学与认知的角度分析了L2课堂上使用母语的原因、目的和模式。

Some educators assert the exclusive use of the target language in second language（L2）classes, because acquiring that language is the ultimate instructional goal of the second language education. But the fact is that it is almost impossible for us to achieve an environment similar to the mother tongue environment. Furthermore, the ＂input＂ from language teachers does not mean the ＂intake＂ to students. Therefore, a moderate dose of the mother tongue is legitimate in L2 teaching for various purposes and for various groups of students. English is a foreign language instead of a second language in China, yet the L2 theories and practice could be used for reference at this point. This article aims at a general survey of the relevant research done in western countries from both theoretical and empirical perspectives, followed by a pedagogical and cognitive analysis of the reasons, the purposes and the modes of using the mother tongue in L2 teaching.