Implications of using the students’ first language (L1) in the english foreign language (EFL) classroom

Abstract

This research explores the different implications of using the learner’s L1 in an EFL classroom. Furthermore, it answers the questions regarding the possible implications of L1 use and the extent to which it can be used. An exploratory bibliographic research of 21 scientific papers was used for data collection. The results revealed that L1 use is remarkably beneficial at a beginner’s level when students are just learning different grammatical structures. Moreover, L1 use was found to facilitate the acquisition of new vocabulary. These findings suggest that the implications of first language use are beneficial towards the EFL learning process. Thus, it provides information which can be used in any teaching context. Recommendations for future research and some limitations are also discussed.