Dr. NANNAPANENI SIVA KUMAR Ph.D. Assistant Professor Prince Sattam bin Abdulaziz University Saudi Arabia

Transcription

1 Code Switching as a Motivational Strategy in EFL Teaching Dr. NANNAPANENI SIVA KUMAR Ph.D. Assistant Professor Prince Sattam bin Abdulaziz University Saudi Arabia Abstract Learning without motivation is not productive. Motivation and the second language learning are associated. Motivation acts as an influential component in the acquisition of target language. Motivating students in the English as a foreign language (EFL) classroom is often a difficult task. In the present study, at the Prince Sattam bin Abdulaziz University, the researcher used Code Switching to motivate EFL students. Code Switching is used for building the unity and empathy to generate motivation among the students to learn the foreign language. Refereed (Peer Reviewed) Journal 377

2 Introduction Teaching English as a foreign language to the Arab students is challenging in general and to Saudi learners (Prince Sattam bin Abdulaziz University learners) difficult in particular. Learners of the foreign language should have motivation. Dornyei (1998) says, The primary impetus and driving force of learning process is motivation. Indeed, high motivation compensates the shortfall in one's language aptitude and learning conditions. There is a little motivation either from the tangible benefits or from the sociocultural circumstances. There are a few jobs or professions that require English language in this society, and a few speak English among themselves. In this study, the researcher has gone an extra mile to reach the students and motivate them to teach the English language by learning some Arabic words by him, which are useful for classroom teaching and management. Continuous input of the second language in the classroom is an obstacle to the learners at the initial stages of learning the target language. Switching the codes between the Arabic and English, the researcher has observed a remarkable change in the motivation among the learners of the English language in this particular university. Motivation and Code Switching Gardner defines L2 motivation as the extent to which an individual works or strives to learn the language because of a desire to do so and the satisfaction experienced in this activity. Many studied on the motivation in learning a second language in classrooms (e.g., Cheng & Dörnyei, 2007; Dörnyei 2001; Gliksman, Gardner, & Smythe 1982). They proved a connection between success of target language learning and motivation. Students can be motivated by grabbing their attention through making a positive impression. By showing interest in the mother tongue of the students and through solidarity, teachers can make some impression. Average teacher is expected to do certain things, like delivering the concept and marking the exam papers and etc. Good teacher does more than the average teacher by going an extra mile. The researcher has gone an extra mile by learning a few words of Arabic in the classroom. Students are asked in English what is something called in Arabic. Is it called two way learning. Students learn English and researcher learns some Arabic. Refereed (Peer Reviewed) Journal 377

3 A small amount of first language use may contribute to student target language comprehension, use and learning (Turnbull & Dailey-O Cain, 2009). However, from the pedagogical perspective, first language is beneficial in acquisition of second-language (Anton and DiCamilla 1998, ; Swain and Lapkin 2000, ; Watanabe 2008, ). Moreover, Ellis (1994) claims target-language exposure is necessary, but not sufficient to guarantee target language learning, since target-language input must become intake (44). Cook (2001) has also stated the same in his study, Students must understand the input given by the teachers and internalise it, whereas judicious and theoretically principled first language use can facilitate intake and thereby contribute to learning. Macaro (2000) says us too much focus on teacher target language use, with long periods of input modification, may result in teacher-fronted lessons in which individual learners may only be speaking the second language for limited amounts of time which goes against the very nature of communicative classrooms. One of the functions of teachers Code Switching is socializing, which is used in this study to motivate students. Here, the researcher switches the code when the researcher wishes to be friendly with the students. In this respect, it is used by the researcher for building unity and to maintain close connections with the students. That works like an attempt to associate with the students to generate a learning environment. To understand the problems of the students, the researcher switches the code to show solidarity. In this way the function contributes for creating an auxiliary language learning atmosphere. According to (Wood et al. 1976, 90) From the perspective of sociocultural theory, this can also be viewed as the teacher anticipating difficulties that the students are likely to have with these terms and using the switch into English as a scaffold, that is, a device that allows the teacher to take control of those portions of a task that are beyond the learners current level of competence and allow them to focus on the elements within his or her ability. In Q: Skills for success, prescribed text book for the above mentioned students, there is an article about food in unit three. When the researcher asked the students to tell about the food they like most, none of them volunteered because they did not know the words related to food in English. To make the students involve in the activity, the researcher used Arabic words related to food as Refereed (Peer Reviewed) Journal 378

4 a scaffold to reach the students such as Tamiz and phool (Bread and beans for breakfast), Kabsa (Rice with chicken usually for lunch) and Sandwich for dinner. Later so many students volunteered themselves and contributed so much in that particular section called food. There are certain activities, in which the student should ask his partner some questions. In initial stages students did not understand, when the researcher instructed the students to read the question. In such circumstances, the researcher switched code into Arabic to ask the students to read the question preceded by instruction in English. For example, Discuss these questions with your partner, Eqraa wahed soaal. Discuss these questions with your partner. Read the first question. The researcher switched the code to make the students understand the concept well, when he tried to explain the benefits of identifying the topic sentence. For example, if you can identify the topic sentence, men alsahl an tafhamoon ann maadha tatklam alfaqra that means then it is easy to understand what is the paragraph about. The researcher employed one more function of Code switching i.e. Topic Switch. Topic switch means switching between mother tongue and target language, especially while teaching grammar. There is a grammar section in the unit five in the same text book which is mentioned above. Here, students are supposed to combine two sentences with because. The researcher faced difficulty to make the students understand that because introduces reason. Students understood what a sentence is, how to combine two sentences using because, and because introduces reason with the help of Arabic. The researcher learned words in Arabic, like sentence is jomla, reason is sabab and because is leana or besabab. With the help of the above words, the researcher makes students understand the topic. Very often certain problems arise like when the researcher asks the students to read the question, they cut a sorry figure since they don t know what the question is. So, once or twice the researcher switches the code and says question soaal. More use of mother tongue leads to the negative effect of learning a target language. Taking that into consideration, when the students are used to the word question or any other word in target language, the researcher never switches the code of that particular word into Arabic again. Refereed (Peer Reviewed) Journal 379

5 Flyman-Mattsson (1999) defines, Topic switch, i.e. when the teacher switches code according to which topic is under discussion; it might be suggested, for instance, that certain aspects of foreign language teaching such as grammar instruction, is preferably expressed in the mother tongue of the students. Affective Function is another function of Code Switching used for motivating the learners to acquire a foreign language in the language classroom. There is an article A Dangerous World? in the same text book. Students need to express the emotions, like their feelings of fear and happiness; usually teachers switch the code into first language, in order to reach the students. In this way the function contributes for creating an auxiliary language learning atmosphere. Flyman-Mattsson and Burenhult (1999) say the affective functions of CS in the domain of classroom, for example, the automatic expression of emotions in interacting with students. Occasionally, Repetitive Function has been used to clarify meaning. After the instruction in target language, the researcher switches the code to Arabic using a few words known by the researcher for better understanding and motivation. Sert (2005) says, In repetitive functions, CS is used to clarify the meaning of a word, while stressing on the content for better comprehension. Conclusion The judicious use of first language in the second language classroom has a variety of pedagogical benefits. It has become a platform for the researcher to reach the Arabic students in motivating them to learn English as foreign language. To motivate the students, the researcher used socializing, affective, topic switch and repetitive functions of Code Switching. More exposure to the target language at the initial stages to the foreign learners may have adverse effects. So, little use of Arabic motivates the students a lot to learn the target language. Refereed (Peer Reviewed) Journal 380

6 Works Cited Anton, M. and DiCamilla, F.J. Socio-Cognitive Functions of L1 Collaborative Interaction in the L2 Classroom. Canadian Modern Language Review (1998): Print. Cheng, H., and Dörnyei, Z. The use of motivational strategies in language instruction: The case of EFL teaching in Taiwan. Innovation in Language Learning and Teaching 1.1(2007), Print. Cook, V. Using the First Language in the Classroom. Canadian Modern Language Review 57.4 (2001), Print. Dörnyei, Z. Motivation in second and foreign language learning. Language Teaching 31.3 (1998), Print. Dörnyei, Z. Motivational strategies in the language classroom. Cambridge: Cambridge U P, Print. Ellis, R. The Study of Second Language Acquisition. Oxford: Oxford U P, Print. Flyman-Mattsson, A., and Burenhult, N. Code switching in Second Language Teaching of French. Working Papers, 47.1 (1999), Print. Gardner, R. C. Social psychology and second language learning: the role of attitudes and motivation. London: Edward Arnold Print. Gliksman, L., Gardner, R. C., and Smythe, P. C. The role of the integrative motive on students' participation in the French classroom. Canadian Modern Language Review 38.4 (1982), Print. Macaro, E. Issues in Target Language Teaching. Issues in Modern Foreign Language Teaching. Ed. K. Field. London: Routledge, Print. Sert, O. The Functions of Code Switching in ELT Classrooms. The Internet TESL Journal (2005), 1-6. Print. Swain, M. and Lapkin, S. Task-Based Second Language Learning: The Uses of the First Language. Language Teaching Research 4.3 (2000), Print Refereed (Peer Reviewed) Journal 381

7 Watanabe, Y. Peer peer Interaction between L2 Learners of Different Proficiency Levels: Their Interactions and Reflections. Canadian Modern Language Review 64.4 (2008), Print. Wood, D., Bruner, J.S. and Ross, G. The Role of Tutoring in Problem-Solving. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry 17.2 (1976), Print. Refereed (Peer Reviewed) Journal 382