Should Mother Tongue Be Used in the Foreign Language Classroom?

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YEREVAN, Armenia – On April 4, 2014, the American University of Armenia’s (AUA) Center for Research in Applied Linguistics (CRAL) and Master’s Program in Teaching English as a Foreign Language (MA TEFL) held a colloquium on the use of mother tongues in foreign language classrooms. This was a public event primarily for pre- and in-service teachers of foreign languages in Armenia. The event was attended by about 50 pre- and in-service teachers of foreign languages, who openly shared their experiences and opinions about this debated topic.

The topic of using the mother tongue in foreign language classrooms is currently debated in international literature in foreign language pedagogy. There is new evidence suggesting that the use of the mother tongue could be helpful for certain classroom tasks and under certain circumstances. Pedagogical recommendations, however, are not very straightforward and are specific to the teaching context.

Panelists at the colloquium included Lecturer at the Yerevan State University and Russian-Armenian (Slavonic) University Edward Manukyan, Assistant Professor in AUA’s MA TEFL program Raichley Farrelly, and Head of AUA’s Experimental English Classes and Lecturer Rubina Gasparian.

Founded in 1991, the American University of Armenia (AUA) is a private, independent university located in Yerevan, Armenia and affiliated with the University of California. AUA provides a global education in Armenia and the region, offering high-quality, graduate and undergraduate studies, encouraging civic engagement, and promoting public service and democratic values.

AUA faculty, staff, and students attended the event, along with members of the public and several foreign language teachers.

Currently there is much discussion around the topic of using the mother tongue in foreign language.

 

From left: Head of AUA’s Experimental English Classes and Lecturer Rubina Gasparian, Assistant Professor in AUA’s TEFL program Raichley Farrelly, and Lecturer at the Yerevan State University and Russian-Armenian (Slavonic) University Edward Manukyan.