The document discusses the role of an individual's first language (L1) in learning a second language (L2). It summarizes research from three authors - Cook, Krashen, and Freeman - on how the L1 influences L2 acquisition. Cook examined differences between L1 and L2 learning, Krashen explored L1 influence on L2 performance, and Freeman discussed views of L1 and L2 written acquisition. The text concludes that understanding L1 influence can help language teachers improve L2 instruction by considering students' social needs, providing input at students' levels, and addressing affective factors like anxiety that may inhibit learning.

1. Role of the L1 in the English Classroom
Role of the L1 in the English Classroom
Gabriela L Quezada
Universidad Católica de la Santísima Concepcion
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2. Role of the L1 in the English Classroom
Role of the L1 in the English classroom
The ability to acquire a language is one of the most important features
that differentiate human beings from other animals and what is more, the ability
to acquire a second language is a difficult process which has been studied for
some authors that not only wanted to know about that process and how the
mother tongue affect it, but also wanted to find some strategies that can
improve the process of learning a second language. some authors have
investigated about the importance of L1 in the acquisition or learning of L2;
Cook (2011) is one of them,he focuses his researches on the comparison of the
child learning L1 and L2, Cook (2011) pointed out eight main differences that
deal with learners behavior, personal characteristics, the environment that
surround them among others. As the text explains, they seem to have potential
implications for languages in education. The second author, Krashen (1981)
focuses his researchers on first language influence on second language
performance. In chapter 5 of the text Second Language Acquisition and Second
Language Learning he summarizes the Idea on three statements that are
supported by the use of specific and clear evidence. According to Krashen
(1981) “first language influence appears to be strongest in complex word order
and in word-for-word translations of phrases”, “first language influence is
weaker in bound morphology” and the last one “first language influence seems
to be strongest in “acquisition poor” environments” (p.1). Finally the last author
is Freeman, who in two chapters refers not only to first and second language
acquisition, but also to written acquisition. On the first chapter he focuses
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3. Role of the L1 in the English Classroom
mainly on first language acquisition from different views and fields of study,
such as psychology, sociology, linguistic among others. And on the second
chapter he focuses on written and second language acquisition, describing
different views and the main purposes that they have depending on the view.
At the moment of reading the texts what caught my attention at the very
beginning, was that every statement, every declaration was not a fallacy, instead
of that, every one of them have evidence, some of them were studies, some of
them experiments, and some of them researches, but all of them were totally
clear and strong. After reading the different texts, andanalyzed the researches,
theories and evidences related to acquiring L1 and L2, I can realize that the text
definitely will help us as futures teachers in the process of teaching a second
language.
Even when the three authors mentioned above focus their investigation on the
acquisition of L1 and L2 every one of them had different and specific
objectives, but despite that they agree in relevant factors, such as the
significance of cognition in the process of acquiring a language, the influence
that mother tongue has on this process, and as a futures teachers-to-be, in my
personal opinion the most important fact are the suggestions that they mention
in order to help us to improve the teaching of a second language. Cook (2011)
explains “Language teachers might at least consider the alternative of starting
from the student’s social and psychological needs in the classroom rather than
from the student’s needs in the future” (p.10). Also Krashen (1993) suggest that
“students acquire a language when they receive input that is slightly beyond
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their current level” (p.38). Krashen means that if teachers give student input
that is below their level, the students will have nothing new to acquire.
Moreover in the text of Freeman, we can find diverse hypothesis related to
second language acquisition and one of them is about the affective filter, how
some negative factors such as boredom, anxiety among others can influence in
the process of acquiring a second language, Freeman (2004) explains that those
factors can serve as a kind of filter to block out the new information.
As a conclusion I would like to say that those text definitely were important in
my formation as a future teacher; moreover, after reading the texts I would
like to broaden my mind to these investigations and maybe focus my thesis on
one of the topics that were developed. Undoubtedly it would be an amazing and
enriching experience.
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5. Role of the L1 in the English Classroom
References
Cook, V. (2011). Second Language Learning and Language Teaching (3 ed).
Freeman, D., & Freeman, Y. (2004) What you need to know to teach reading,
ESL, Spelling, Phonics, Grammar. Heinemann
Krashen, S.(1981). Second Language Acquisition and Second Language
Learning. University of Southern California
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