The Case for Using English to Teach English in Taiwan
Giles Witton-Davies2021, Reflections on the English Language Teaching and Learning in the Global and Diversified World - ETA ROC 30th Anniversary Monograph
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Abstract
This paper addresses how the first language (L1) and the target language (L2) are used in foreign language classrooms. The issue needs to be discussed in context, so I focus mainly on the language choices of English teachers in Taiwanese high schools. While greater use of the L1 has been advocated in some recent discussions, the arguments used are often based on assumptions that do not apply in the case of Taiwan. To evaluate the situation, we need to consider firstly the kind of knowledge being taught-explicit or implicit; secondly, what different purposes language is used for in the classroom; and thirdly, how L1 and L2 are currently used in Taiwanese English classes. Evidence presented indicates that high school English classes are taught mostly in Chinese, with the aim of imparting explicit, rather than implicit, knowledge. However, in order to teach productive language skills, more emphasis needs to be placed on implicit knowledge. Use of English as the main classroom language can contribute to this.
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