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Examining Teachers' Awareness and Use of Learners' L1 in EFL/ESL Teaching / En undersökning av lärares medvetenhet och användande avelevers förstaspråk i EFL-/ESL-undervisning

EFL/ESL teachers in Sweden have traditionally favored using only English in the classroom, however, research demonstrates they incorporate Swedish for various purposes. Moreover, teachers perceive the guidelines for the use of the target language and learners’ first language outlined in the curriculum for English as vague, experience feelings of guilt when resorting to Swedish in the English classroom and lack familiarity with the translanguaging theory. These issues could affect the requirement of evidence-based teaching and have implications for the quality of EFL/ESL education in Sweden. Through interviews and observations, this study aims to explore this matter and examine the reasons why and for what functions some English teachers in Sweden claim they use learners’ L1 in their teaching, as well as their level of awareness regarding their language practices and the concept of translanguaging. The findings indicate that the teachers primarily employ learners’ L1 to aid in knowledge construction, classroom management, and interpersonal relations. Additionally, certain inconsistencies were found between their motivations and their actual practices, indicating a potential lack of awareness and understanding of the translanguaging theory. Finally, it is suggested there is a necessity for clearer directives in the Swedish curriculum for English and for enhancing teachers’ awareness when implementing translanguaging strategies, such as pedagogical translanguaging (PTL).

Identiferoai:union.ndltd.org:UPSALLA1/oai:DiVA.org:mau-68453
Date January 2024
CreatorsBjörnsson Berg, Julia
PublisherMalmö universitet, Institutionen för kultur, språk och medier (KSM)
Source SetsDiVA Archive at Upsalla University
LanguageEnglish
Detected LanguageEnglish
TypeStudent thesis, info:eu-repo/semantics/bachelorThesis, text
Formatapplication/pdf
Rightsinfo:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess

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