GASPRO International Journal of Eminent Scholars

ABSTRACT The role of mother tongue in second language learning has been the subject of much debate and controversy. Most teachers feel that the use of L1 should be minimized and they feel guilty if they use it a lot. When challenged they find it difficult to say why. Against the use of L1, it is the general assumption that English should be learned through English, just as you learn your mother tongue using your mother tongue. But the idea that the learner should learn English like a native speaker does, or tries to 'think in English', is an inappropriate and unachievable thought. The role of mother tongue in teaching and learning of English has been discussed in literature. The influence of mother tongue is proved both positive and negative in teaching and learning of English. A learner's L1 is an important determinant of Second Language Acquisition. The L1 is a resource which learners use both consciously and subconsciously to help them arrange and re-arrange the L2 data in the input and to perform as best as they can.In an EFL context such as that found in developing countries where English is taught as a foreign language and students have very limited exposure to English other than in the classroom, the use of the mother tongue tends to be controversial and is often discouraged. Teachers are usually required to avoid using the mother tongue in the classroom even when there exists a need to do so. However, anecdotal evidence has shown that the moderate and judicious use of the mother tongue can indeed greatly aid and facilitate the learning and teaching of the foreign language. Given this situation, the study seeks to examine the relationship between mother tongue and English language. KEYWORDS: Mother Tongue, English Language, English Language Learning