Portuguese in the EFL classroom?

Authors

  • James Corcoran OISE-University of Toronto

Keywords:

L1, EFL, Teacher beliefs, Teacher education, Private language institutes

Abstract

While many Brazilian private English language institutes prohibit or restrict first language (L1) use, research from English as a foreign language (EFL) contexts points to the benefits of both teachers and students using the L1 as an effective tool in the second language (L2) learning process. Stemming from recent research, this article explores the issue of why teachers include or exclude the L1 in the adult EFL classroom (teacher/student use), specifically focusing on Brazilian teacher beliefs and practices regarding L1 use. Two private EFL schools in Northeastern Brazil provide the sites for this mixed-methods research. Findings include a comprehensive list of reasons teachers limit or include the L1. This article concludes with the implications of this study’s findings for private EFL institutions, including teachers, teacher educators, and administrators.

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Author Biography

James Corcoran, OISE-University of Toronto

James is a doctoral student at The Ontario Institute for Studies in Education - University of Toronto. He has worked as an ESL/EFL teacher and teacher educator for the past 11 years.

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Published

2011-08-04

How to Cite

Corcoran, J. (2011). Portuguese in the EFL classroom?. BELT - Brazilian English Language Teaching Journal, 1(2). Retrieved from https://revistaseletronicas.pucrs.br/belt/article/view/8349

Issue

Vol. 1 No. 2 (2010)

Section

Article

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Copyright

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Creative Commons License

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