The use of the L1 in Second Language Learning in English Institutes of Cyprus

Abstract

This research seeks to investigate whether the L1 should be used in an EFL classroom or if only the L2 is helpful. The study involved two classrooms from an English institute in Cyprus in B1 level according to CEFR. One classroom acquired the role of the experimental group while the other, the control group. The whole experiment lasted 3 lessons as well as the time before and after, for the pre-test and the post-test. At the same time, the classrooms’ teachers took part in a structured interview to find out what their opinion is regarding the use of the L1 in the classroom. Quantitative data was collected from the two classrooms and analysed in order to find out which method helped the students score better. The results indicated that while the group using the L1 showed more improvement from the pre-test to the post-test, the group using the L2 had higher scores in the post -test. This is important since it is evidence that both the L1 does not hinder language learning and that L2 only helps students improve their language.