Advantages and disadvantages of using the native language in teaching and learning a foreign language

The debate over whether or not to use the learners’ mother tongue (native language or first language or L1) inside the English language teaching (ELT) classrooms has always been the topic of discussion for various people involved in the field. While some researchers claim that such use may lead to more dependence of ESL/EFL learners on their L1 that may impede the progress of mastering the target language, on the flip side, others argue that the use of ESL/EFL learners’ L1 may expedite the process of teaching and learning the target language as the teachers can explain complex ideas and rules more effectively in learners’ L1 saving a lot of time. English Language teaching in 1970s and 1980s with the communicative approach i.e. teaching English in English did not include the usage of mother tongue and prohibited its use in the classroom. Many linguists disapprove and discourage the use of mother tongue in language classroom. It is often said that the use of mother tongue in English Language Teaching (ELT) demonstrates the low level of proficiency of the teachers.