USING MOTHER TONGUE IN EFL CLASSROOMS: PROS AND CONS

The use of the mother tongue (L1) in teaching a foreign language is a controversial topic. While some researchers claim that L1 should not be used in foreign language classrooms, others think that it makes a valuable contribution to the learning process. The purpose of this study is to investigate the pros and cons of using the mother tongue in EFL classrooms. Literature review is conducted in this study to discuss the pros and cons of using mother tongue (L1) in EFL classrooms, particularly in Indonesia. Finding supportive books as well as previous studies related to the advantages and disadvantages of using L1 in EFL classrooms. Finding books and previous studies related to the use of L1 in EFL classrooms is conducted to figure out what are the advantages and disadvantages of using L1. English-mainly is generally a better rule of thumb than English-only, but overall acceptance of L1 use in English classrooms is no better than a complete ban. Too often-using the L1 that can guide to a dependency on it is arguably a more crucial problemMoreover, finding the best way on how and when L1 is used appropriately in EFL classrooms will be another task for EFL teachers.