The Status of Mother Tongue Use in English Language Teaching in the Kurdish Context: Students’ Perspective

This study is centered around the prevalent and ongoing debate on using students’ mother tongue in English language teaching. Therefore, this study is aimed at exploring the current status of Kurdish language use in the target high schools as typical EFL teaching contexts in the Erbil province of t...

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Main Authors: Kawa Qadir Muhammad, Qani Nasih Najim
Format: Article
Language:Arabic
Published: Salahaddin University-Erbil 2025-04-01
Series:Zanco Journal of Humanity Sciences
Subjects:
Online Access:https://zancojournal.su.edu.krd/index.php/JAHS/article/view/2546
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author Kawa Qadir Muhammad
Qani Nasih Najim
author_facet Kawa Qadir Muhammad
Qani Nasih Najim
author_sort Kawa Qadir Muhammad
collection DOAJ
description This study is centered around the prevalent and ongoing debate on using students’ mother tongue in English language teaching. Therefore, this study is aimed at exploring the current status of Kurdish language use in the target high schools as typical EFL teaching contexts in the Erbil province of the Iraqi Kurdistan Region where up-to-date research is not available. The study further investigates the sample high school students’ attitudes towards their mother tongue use in preferred English teaching practices. Achieving these aims was approached through a mixed method approach where both qualitative (field observation notes) and quantitative (students’ questionnaire) data collection tools were utilized. The ‘field notes’ were utilized to record the observed mother tongue functions and purposes in the classroom. Whereas the questionnaire was used to elicit students’ perceptions and attitudes towards using Kurdish as their mother tongue in English teaching practices. Among the outstanding findings of the study is that students’ expectations for mother tongue use are satisfied in the sample high school teaching practices. In addition, the purposes for which their mother tongue is used cover various areas, including facilitating language teaching, maintaining classroom discipline, and fostering a secure psychological atmosphere in the classroom.
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spelling doaj-art-4b1f1710fb43477cb28c97b79f64e07c2025-08-20T02:33:12ZaraSalahaddin University-ErbilZanco Journal of Humanity Sciences2412-396X2025-04-0129210.21271/zjhs.29.2.13The Status of Mother Tongue Use in English Language Teaching in the Kurdish Context: Students’ PerspectiveKawa Qadir Muhammad 0Qani Nasih Najim1Department of English, College of Basic Education, Salahaddin University-Erbil, Kurdistan Region, IraqDepartment of Chemistry, College of Science, Salahaddin University-Erbil, Kurdistan Region, Iraq This study is centered around the prevalent and ongoing debate on using students’ mother tongue in English language teaching. Therefore, this study is aimed at exploring the current status of Kurdish language use in the target high schools as typical EFL teaching contexts in the Erbil province of the Iraqi Kurdistan Region where up-to-date research is not available. The study further investigates the sample high school students’ attitudes towards their mother tongue use in preferred English teaching practices. Achieving these aims was approached through a mixed method approach where both qualitative (field observation notes) and quantitative (students’ questionnaire) data collection tools were utilized. The ‘field notes’ were utilized to record the observed mother tongue functions and purposes in the classroom. Whereas the questionnaire was used to elicit students’ perceptions and attitudes towards using Kurdish as their mother tongue in English teaching practices. Among the outstanding findings of the study is that students’ expectations for mother tongue use are satisfied in the sample high school teaching practices. In addition, the purposes for which their mother tongue is used cover various areas, including facilitating language teaching, maintaining classroom discipline, and fostering a secure psychological atmosphere in the classroom. https://zancojournal.su.edu.krd/index.php/JAHS/article/view/2546English Language Teaching (ELT, Mother tongue (L1), Target language (L2), Kurdish EFL Students
spellingShingle Kawa Qadir Muhammad
Qani Nasih Najim
The Status of Mother Tongue Use in English Language Teaching in the Kurdish Context: Students’ Perspective
Zanco Journal of Humanity Sciences
English Language Teaching (ELT, Mother tongue (L1), Target language (L2), Kurdish EFL Students
title The Status of Mother Tongue Use in English Language Teaching in the Kurdish Context: Students’ Perspective
title_full The Status of Mother Tongue Use in English Language Teaching in the Kurdish Context: Students’ Perspective
title_fullStr The Status of Mother Tongue Use in English Language Teaching in the Kurdish Context: Students’ Perspective
title_full_unstemmed The Status of Mother Tongue Use in English Language Teaching in the Kurdish Context: Students’ Perspective
title_short The Status of Mother Tongue Use in English Language Teaching in the Kurdish Context: Students’ Perspective
title_sort status of mother tongue use in english language teaching in the kurdish context students perspective
topic English Language Teaching (ELT, Mother tongue (L1), Target language (L2), Kurdish EFL Students
url https://zancojournal.su.edu.krd/index.php/JAHS/article/view/2546
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