Teachers’ Multilingual Awareness in English Classrooms: Observed Practices

Abstract

The use of learners’ language(s) in second/foreign language pedagogy has ever been a highly debated issue. On the one hand, the proponents of the direct method and audio-lingual method remained in the position to prohibit learners’ home language(s) in SL/FL classrooms while scholars such as Cummins (2007) and Garcia (2008) have informed the supportive role of learners’ languages in such contexts. Being informed by recent literature, this study was carried out to explore the practices of teachers’ multilingual awareness, particularly focusing on the use of learners’ languages in English classrooms. The findings of the study showed that Nepalese teachers of English are aware of multilingual practices in English classrooms. They were found to practice mother tongue translation, code-mixing or switching and paraphrasing as multilingual pedagogic activities. Considering the reasons for using learners’ language(s) in English classrooms, the study indicated that children’s languages help learners understand the concept, promote learners’ participation in learning activities, and create spaces for minority children in terms of language.