Teachers and students' views on using mother tongue in elt classrooms

There has been a debate upon the use of mother tongue (L1) in foreign language classrooms for years. While some linguists assume that mother tongue should not be used either by teachers or students, others think that use of mother tongue makes an undeniable contribution to this process.The purpose of this study was to determine to what extent teachers and students use mother tongue in the classrooms and to investigate teachers and students? opinions about the use of mother tongue in the classrooms.The present study was conducted at the end of spring semester of 2008-2009 academic year in Gaziantep. Sixty English language teachers working in Gaziantep University School of Foreign Languages and one hundred preparatory class level B students participated in the study. The data was analysed using quantitative in design. The findings were collected through two questionnaires and an interview. The relationship between English language teachers? views and students? views was measured through the questionnaires administered to teachers and students. Interview was carried out with five preparatory class students.The data revealed that mother tongue was an inseparable part of language teaching and there was no significant difference between teachers and students? views concerning the use of mother tongue in the classrooms. By referring to the current theories of second language acquisition and reviewing the recent literature, it can be seen that the first language of learners has a necessary and facilitating role in all aspects of language instruction.Key Words: Use of mother tongue, Second language, Teacher and student views.