Perceptions towards the use of the mother tongue in the english classroom

Abstract

Abstract: The mother tongue is considered an integral part of the learning-teaching process. This situation generates many perceptions on the part of the EFL teachers and students, either in favor or against the use of Spanish. The aim of the present study is to explore the perceptions of the use of the mother tongue in the classroom by finding out the situations in which students from basic/beginner levels prefer the use of the mother tongue. This research was conducted in the city of Loja, in a public high school, using qualitative and quantitative approaches to obtain the most reliable results; the participants were 18 students from 10th and 1st year of high school, and two EFL teachers. A survey was employed on both groups, teachers, and students. According to the findings, both teachers and students had similar perceptions on the use of the mother tongue. They considered necessary the use of their mother tongue in English classes. The students preference to use Spanish was higher than the teachers . This discrepancy might be caused by their basic proficient level of English.