ISSN: 2226-6348
Open access
This study explores the perspectives of secondary school teachers in Bintulu, Malaysia, regarding the use of pupils' mother tongue in English as a Second Language (ESL) classrooms. This research aims to understand when and why teachers incorporate their students' mother tongue or other languages in the teaching process, amidst the backdrop of Malaysia's emphasis on English proficiency through programs like the Dual Language Programme. This study explores how Malaysian ESL teachers perceive mother tongue use, crucial for effective, inclusive practices and policies in multilingual classrooms. A self-administered questionnaire was utilised to gather data from 47 English language teachers, focusing on their attitudes towards mother tongue use and the contexts in which it is employed. Findings reveal that a majority of teachers acknowledge the benefits of incorporating mother tongue, particularly for explaining complex concepts and enhancing student comprehension. However, a minority advocates for an English-only policy, emphasizing concerns related to language proficiency levels. This study underscores the importance of strategically utilising mother tongue to facilitate English learning while maintaining a focus on language development and classroom management. This research concludes with recommendations for broader participation across diverse educational settings and the inclusion of qualitative methods to deepen understanding of teacher perspectives.
Akhtar, I. (2016). Research Design. Retrieved from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/308915548_Research_Design
Ali, K. (2019). Grammar-Translation Method. In Ali, K. et al (2019), Basics of ELT (pp.10 – 31). Blackswan Publishing House.
Al-Sheikh, Basel, H. 2013. Teaching and Learning English-as-a-Second / Foreign Language through Mother Tongue: A Field Study. Asian Social Science, 9(10): 175 – 180. doi: 10.5539/ass.v9n10p175
Baker, C. (2006). Foundations of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism (4th ed.) Multilingual Matters.
British Study Centres. (2019). 10 Reasons to Learn English. Retrieved from https://www.british-study.com/adults/10-reasons-to-learn-english.php
Butler, Y. G. (2007). “The Use of Code-Switching in the Foreign Language Classroom.” Language Teaching Research, 11(3), 287-305.
Cambridge Dictionary. (n.d). Mother Tongue. In Cambridge Dictionary. Retrieved from https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/mother-tongue
Chua, Y. P. (2012). Research Methods. McGraw-Hill Education (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd.
Cook, V. (2008). Second Language Learning and Language Teaching (4th ed.). Routledge.
Cummins, J. (2000). Language, power, and pedagogy: Bilingual children in the crossfire. Clevedon: Multilingual Matters.
Crystal, D. (1997). The Cambridge encyclopedia of language. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Edwards, J. (1992). Language, society and identity. Oxford: Blackwell.
Elmetwally, E. E. (2012). Students’ and Teachers’ Attitudes towards the Use of Learners’ Mother Tongue in English Language Classrooms in UAE Public High Schools. Retrieved from https://bspace.buid.ac.ae/bitstream/handle/1234/182/90034.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y
Fishman, J. A. (1991). Reversing language shift: Theoretical and empirical studies. Clevedon: Multilingual Matters.
Fuad Mohamed Berawi. (2017). Metodologi Penyelidikan. Panduan Menulis Tesis.
Garcia, O. & Wei, L. (2014). Translanguaging: Language, Bilingualism and Education. Palgrave Macmillan.
Grosjean, F. (2010). Bilingual: Life and Reality. Harvard University Press.
Halim, H. & Abu Bakar K. (2014). “The Role of L1 in Teaching and Learning English Language in Malaysia: Issues and Challenges.” International Journal of Applied Linguistics & English Literature, 3(4), 12-18.
Joanna, T. S. (2014). Code Switching in the Malaysian ESL Classroom. Retrieved from https://ourarchive.otago.ac.nz/bitstream/handle/10523/4909/SelamatJoannaT2014MA.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y
Lantolf, J. P. & Thorne, S. L. (2006). Sociocultural Theory and the Genesis of Second Language Development. Oxford University Press.
Laura, N. (2014). Advantages of Mother Tongue in English Language. Retrieved from http://konferenca.unishk.edu.al/icrae2014/cd/pdfdoc/137.pdf
Macaro, E. (2001). “Analysing the Use of L1 in the English Language Classroom.” ELT Journal, 55(3), 291-296.
Manoj, K. Y. (2014). Role of Mother Tongue in Second Language Learning. International Journal of Research (IJR), 1(11).
Swain, M., & Lapkin, S. (2000). “Task-based second language learning: The uses of the mother tongue.” Language Teaching Research, 4(3), 251-274.
University of Southern California. (2023). Research Guides. Retrieved from https://libguides.usc.edu/writingguide/quantitative#:~:text=Quantitative%20research%20deals%20in%20numbers,%2C%20free%2Dflowing%20manner%5D.
Villegas, F. (n.d). Descriptive Analysis: What It is + Best Research Tips. Retrieved from https://www.questionpro.com/blog/descriptive-analysis/#:~:text=Descriptive%20analysis%20is%20a%20sort,utilizing%20recent%20and%20historical%20data
Vygotsky, L. S. (1978). Mind in Society: The Development of Higher Psychological Processes. Harvard University Press.
Shan, V. W. S., & Aziz, A. Binti A. (2025). Use of Pupils’ Mother Tongue in Malaysia ESL Classroom: Teachers’ Perspective. International Journal of Academic Research in Progressive Education and Development, 14(2), 558–569.
Copyright: © 2025 The Author(s)
Published by HRMARS (www.hrmars.com)
This article is published under the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY 4.0) license. Anyone may reproduce, distribute, translate and create derivative works of this article (for both commercial and non-commercial purposes), subject to full attribution to the original publication and authors. The full terms of this license may be seen at: http://creativecommons.org/licences/by/4.0/legalcode