Mother Tongue
Your Mother Tongue (or MT) is the language you learn and speak as a child. It is sometimes known as First Language (FL), Native Langauge (NL) or Arterial Language. Note that it is NOT always the language spoken by your mother!
It is usually the language learnt in the home thus a bilingual child may well have two MTs.
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MT Influence
Of interest to teachers is the phenomenon known as MT Influence whereby the MT interferes with the learning of a second language later in life. For example, a student might speak English but with elements of their MT grammar thus making errors.
Also, there is the issue of False Friends here - words which look and/or sound very similar in the student's MT and English but which have very different meanings.
MT in the Classroom?
Should you use the students' MT in class? This is a debate which has gone on for many years and will undoubtedly continue to go on.
On one side of the argument is the idea that when a child learns a language they "pick it up" by being constantly exposed to it. To replicate this kind of situation in the classroom means banning all languages except English. Thus, it is reasoned, the student will, by being exposed to English only, start to think and work in English without any interference from their MT and thus achieve a greater understanding and better command of English since they are learning as a native speaker would.
On a practical level, of course, is the ability of the teacher. Whilst a teacher may know the MT of a monolingual class they can't be expected to know the MTs of a multilingual class.
The other side of the argument is that using the MT can be both time saving and ease understanding. For example, if you had to explain when we use the past perfect tense it may make a lot more sense to explain this using the students' MT and know that everyone in the room understands fully what you are saying than possibly explain in English and have half the students not quite sure of what you say.
With vocabulary, too, there can sometimes be obvious advantages in translating words or phrases into the students' MT. It's quicker and makes for better understanding.
But what do students think? One study suggests that students appreciate it if the teacher speaks their MT, however the more advanced they are in English the less they think their MT should be used in class.
Boundaries
If you do use the students' MT in the classroom, there are boundaries to be considered. It shouldn't be allowed to take over and as a teacher you should consider carefully when you can allow this. Tactics here could include:
- only allowing the teacher to use the students' MT - students must speak English
- having an MT Dispensation Symbol - a colourful and unique object which, when held, allows the speaker to use the students' MT (in this way it restricts the use to when the teacher deems it necessary by controlling the use of the object
- only using it in particular situations, e.g. giving instructions or dealing with vocabulary or idioms, etc
