Use of Native Language in Foreign Language Classroom

Throughout decades of foreign language(L2) teaching,a recurring issue has been the role of the first language(L1) in the classroom.A long-term and wide-ranging debate persists regarding practical and theoretical questions about the significance of the L1’ s obvious influence on the L2 being learned.Although many feel that the L1 should not be used in the classroom,other researchers, teachers,and learners do see a role for the L1 and support its use as a communication strategy and instructional tool.This article will look at the historical background of this topic,and describe how the L1 is currently being used in the L2 classroom,including in written translation activities.A specific explanation will also be given about the benefits of using translation for assessing reading comprehension.