Do you want to be TEFL or TESOL-certified and teach in Sunjiazhuang Zhen? Are you interested in teaching English in Yangquan Shi? Check out ITTT’s online and in-class courses, Become certified to Teach English as a Foreign Language and start teaching English ONLINE or abroad! ITTT offers a wide variety of Online TEFL Courses and a great number of opportunities for English Teachers and for Teachers of English as a Second Language.
Frank Smith, a contemporary psycho-linguist said; "One language sets you in a corridor for life. Two languages open every door along the way." This quote simply means that if you know more than one language, you will have a lot of opportunities be it career or learning. This essay will talk about the role of the first language in acquiring a second language. First of all, what is first language? What is second language? First language also called as the native language or mother tongue refers to the language that a person acquires in early childhood because it is spoken in the family or of the region where the child lives. On the other hand, second language is any language that a person uses other than a first or native language and it is usually learned. Basically the first language is acquired while the second language is learned. So what is the role of the first language (L1) in the second language(L2) acquisition? Before discussing the role of L1 in L2 acquisition, first we will look into the disadvantage of using the native language in the development of the second language. According to Harbord, the use of the native language in the classroom will result to excessive dependency by both teacher and student. Constant use of L1 will reduce the student's opportunity to practice L2 and will result in failure to improve the language skills. However, for some language researchers, there are positive things about using L1 in acquiring L2. According to Villamil and de Guerrero's (1996) research, they found out that for the majority of their students L1 is an essential tool for making meaning of text, retrieving language from memory, exploring and expanding content, guiding their action through the task, and maintaining dialogue. The role L1 has played in L2 progress is vital since L1 is an important source for L2 learning. According to Noam Chomky's (1960) idea of universal grammar, it implies that all languages have some common principles, it appears that an L2 learner with his/her L1 competency is able to efficiently draw on the linguistic patterns of L1 in identifying the complexities of any additional learning(Lightbown and Spada, 2013). Moreover, Rodriguez, Carrasquillo, and Lee (2014) said, "students acquire most of their conceptual and academic knowledge and skills through the native language, which provides the foundation for completing academic tasks. Therefore, according to them, L1 influences psychological and linguistic readiness for L2 learning as well as affects students' academic success. From these statements of different language researchers, it is no wonder that the L1 has played a vital role in acquiring a second language. Learners can express and discuss their ideas using their L1 first before they try to express them in the language that they are learning. This means that L1 aids in the development of L2. We can conclude from this that the use of the native language of the learner is undeniably an effective tool in learning a second language. It helps a learner to acquire and develop a second language easily and effectively.
