The previous chapter has looked at several issues relevant to the L1 in L2 learning and teaching.... more The previous chapter has looked at several issues relevant to the L1 in L2 learning and teaching. The current chapter mainly aims to examine the arguments about the role of the L1 in the two major areas of L2 learning and L2 teaching, and to provide a review of relevant empirical studies. This chapter also critically reviews empirical studies specifically on teachers' use of the L1 and L2 in L2 classrooms. 2.2 The Role of the L1 in L2 Learning The role of the L1 in L2 learning has been discussed extensively in the literature. According to Ellis (1994: 300), learners' prior linguistic knowledge is an important factor in L2 acquisition, and theories of L2 acquisition ignoring learners' L1 cannot be considered complete. Since the recent history of research and theories in L2 acquisition reveals that the L1 has a two-sided role in L2 learning, this section focuses on reviewing influential theories suggesting either a negative or a positive role of the L1 in L2 acquisition. It also presents relevant findings of empirical studies. 2.2.1 Arguments for the Negative Role of the L1 in L2 Learning In examining the role of the L1 in L2 learning, there is a need to mention one of the early theories in second language acquisition, namely behaviourist learning theory, which was a theory of general learning and then became a dominant school in psychology. According to behaviourism, language learning, like any other kind of learning behaviour, can be seen as the formation of habits, that is, the process of
The previous chapter has looked at several issues relevant to the L1 in L2 learning and teaching.... more The previous chapter has looked at several issues relevant to the L1 in L2 learning and teaching. The current chapter mainly aims to examine the arguments about the role of the L1 in the two major areas of L2 learning and L2 teaching, and to provide a review of relevant empirical studies. This chapter also critically reviews empirical studies specifically on teachers' use of the L1 and L2 in L2 classrooms. 2.2 The Role of the L1 in L2 Learning The role of the L1 in L2 learning has been discussed extensively in the literature. According to Ellis (1994: 300), learners' prior linguistic knowledge is an important factor in L2 acquisition, and theories of L2 acquisition ignoring learners' L1 cannot be considered complete. Since the recent history of research and theories in L2 acquisition reveals that the L1 has a two-sided role in L2 learning, this section focuses on reviewing influential theories suggesting either a negative or a positive role of the L1 in L2 acquisition. It also presents relevant findings of empirical studies. 2.2.1 Arguments for the Negative Role of the L1 in L2 Learning In examining the role of the L1 in L2 learning, there is a need to mention one of the early theories in second language acquisition, namely behaviourist learning theory, which was a theory of general learning and then became a dominant school in psychology. According to behaviourism, language learning, like any other kind of learning behaviour, can be seen as the formation of habits, that is, the process of
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