INVESTIGATING THE IMPACT OF THE FIRST LANGUAGE USE ON WRITING SKILLS IN MOROCCAN EFL CLASSROOMS: BENEFITS AND CHALLENGES

Autores

  • Adil Benlabchir Faculty of Letters & Humanities Ain Chock, Hassan II University of Casablanca, Morocco
  • Moulay Sadik Maliki Faculty of Letters & Humanities Ain Chock, Hassan II University of Casablanca, Morocco

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.46827/ejfl.v9i1.5836

Palavras-chave:

L1, EFL, Interference, Morocco, teacher perspectives, effect, writing skills

Resumo

The use of the mother tongue (L1) in English as a Foreign Language classroom has been a controversial topic for several decades. Researchers divide into two perspectives; some argue that L1 can positively impact EFL writing skills, while others contend that it results in language interference. Proponents view L1 as a valuable helping tool for EFL students, in developing their writing skills. Opponents of L1 use, on the other hand, stress L1 leads to linguistic interference, resulting in errors in English writing. This study examines the role of L1 Moroccan EFL classrooms. It examines the effect of L1 on writing skills, analyzes writing errors among Moroccan EFL learners, and explores teachers’ perceptions of the use of L1 in the classroom. A mixed-methods approach (quantitative and qualitative data) was used, combining experimental and control groups with teacher questionnaires. Findings reveal varying teacher perspectives on L1 use, with significant numbers observing both positive and negative effects. Besides, the study provides implications for effective pedagogical approaches in Moroccan EFL classrooms.

 

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Biografias do Autor

  • Adil Benlabchir, Faculty of Letters & Humanities Ain Chock, Hassan II University of Casablanca, Morocco

    Mr. Benlabchir Adil is a doctoral student at the Linguistics, Education, and Discourse Studies (LEDS) lLaboratory, Faculty of Letters & Humanities, Ain Chock, Hassan II University of Casablanca. he has been a high school teacher of English for 20 years. His research interests include, inter alia, applied linguistics, translation, inclusive learning, language teaching, project-based learning, and ESP.

  • Moulay Sadik Maliki, Faculty of Letters & Humanities Ain Chock, Hassan II University of Casablanca, Morocco

    Dr. Moulay Sadik Maliki has been a professor of English linguistics at the faculty of arts and humanities, Hassan II University, Casablanca, since 1988. He has published many articles and books on intercultural communication, culture and linguistic diversity in Morocco. Dr. Maliki’s research interests include, inter alia, cultural issues in communication, applied linguistics, ESP, and translation.

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Publicado

2025-02-25

Edição

Vol. 9 N.º 1 (2025)

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