L1 helping L2

From: mkdtostes (mktostes@uol.com.br)
Date: Wed Mar 26 2003 - 12:29:29 PST


Dear more knowleageable peers,

I was just taking a "last" look at my master's dissertation and realized
there was something else I could still include but which I cannot seem to be
able to explain. It's related to the use of first language as a mediating
tool in second language learning.
I have explored several aspects, but one of them just became salient today.
It seems that when my student is engaged in trying to understand how the
language works or something related to an activity, even though she could
say some of the things in English (her FL) she uses her mother tongue
(Portuguese).
My guess is that in the process of trying to understand how the language
works she uses the mother tongue as a reflection tool. But why?
Could it be that in the initial 'stages' of language learning this cognitive
process has to be carried out in the mother tongue??
Or could it be that while analysing how something in the FL works using the
own FL would be a double process of abstraction not possible for that
student at that moment?
Or... could it be that when we focus our attention on something, especially
if it is difficult to grasp, we resort to the mother tongue because it is
less stressful for us, or less demanding cognitively?
Or could it be that in seeking for assistance we resort to the mother tongue
"as a means of obtaing needed mediation", as Lantolf (2000) suggests, but
referring to artifacts?
 or because private speech is most likely to be in the mother tongue???
These will seem quite silly questions in a few days (probably) after I give
it a little more thought but at the moment... Anyway, I'm running out of
time and I'm afraid I won't be able to figure that out by myself.
Or would it suffice to say that the L1 is being used as a tool for
reflection?

Swain (2000) has cited Brooks and Donato (1994); Brooks, Donato and McGlone
(1997); Anton and DiCamilla (1998); Swain and Lapkin (1998) in relation to
L1 as a mediational tool in L2 learning, but unfortunately I have no access
to the material.

Could any of you help me with your insights?

Thank you very much,
Karin
mktostes@uol.com.br



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