Whether or not the mother tongue is to be used in the
language classroom has long been a subject of heated
argument among language teachers in China. The great success
of the communicative approach in second language teaching
seems to have strengthened some peoples' belief that the
mother tongue should be completely avoided in language
teaching. It is, therefore, of great importance in China,
and perhaps of interest to foreign language teachers in
other countries as well, to analyse the situations of
foreign language teaching and learning, including the
difference between second language and foreign language
teaching, in order to see whether controlled use of the
mother tongue can in fact make teaching and learning
effective and efficient.
Chapter 1 reviews the major language teaching methods
and approaches now in use within and outside China. These
methods and approaches are categorized in accordance with
the ways of the learning they represent, and the advantages
and problems of these methods and approaches are analysed.
The differences between foreign language learning and
second language learning are examined in Chapter 2. Since
foreign language learners have different aims and objectives,
a different environment and possibly different motives,
their ways of learning are bound to be affected. Theories of
language learning compound and co-ordinate bilingualism,
independent and interdependent bilinguals, acquisition and
learning, are also discussed in relation to the
influence of these theories on language teaching as well
as the reasons why people use the mother tongue in foreign
language teaching. However, it is the teacher's
responsibility to select the appropriate techniques for
presenting and practising the target language. In the case
of foreign language learning the use of the mother tongue
is not only possible but can be effective and efficient.
Chapter 3 focuses on the foreign language teaching
situation in China. It includes a description of and
comments on the changes in methods in the last 50 years
as well as some important arguments in academic circles
associated with the issue of the use of the mother tongue
in foreign language teaching.
Chapter 4 describes the author's investigation in the
form of questionnaires sent to foreign language teachers and
observations of foreign language classrooms. Answers to
the questionnaires appear to confirm the existence of the
problems in the use of the mother tongue. Analysis of
the observations reveals possible solutions to the problems.
Practical suggestions about the actual use of the
mother tongue in the foreign language teaching are offered
in Chapter 5. For teaching, it seems possible to use the
mother tongue to teach/explain : 1) new concepts;
2) abstract ideas; 3) different points; 4) target
language grammar; 5) translation skills; and 6) target
language culture. Mother tongue is also very helpful
for teachers in their compiling of teaching materials.
On the other hand, students can use mother tongue in
their learning; it helps them practise as well as gather
historical and cultural background information.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:ADTP/219448 |
| Date | January 1984 |
| Creators | Wen-jian, Gao, n/a |
| Publisher | University of Canberra. Liberal Studies |
| Source Sets | Australiasian Digital Theses Program |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Rights | ), Copyright Gao Wen-jian |
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