A qualitative study of language teachers’ perceptions of using translation in teaching English to EFL students

Abstract

EFL scholars’ attitudes towards using translation in the classroom have waxed and waned during the history of language teaching. Some scholars believe that using students’ mother tongue in the class can cause interference and procrastinate the process of language learning, while others believe that the use of students’ mother tongue can facilitate the process of language learning and reduce students’ stress in the class. The aim of this study was to examine the EFL teachers’ perceptions regarding the use of translation in the class. Adapting a mixed-method design, 16 EFL teachers’ classes were observed, and they answered to some interview questions. The findings indicated that most of the teachers rarely used or preferred not to use the students’ mother tongue in the classroom to provide them with more language input. However, they believed that in some aspects such as classroom management and interpersonal relationship, the use of learners’ mother tongue can be beneficial, and sometimes it is inevitable.