Research Methodology

Universidad Metropolitana de Ciencias de la Educación
Facultad de Historia, Geografía y Letras
Departamento de Inglés
Metodología de la Investigación – Profesora Luz Pamela Díaz
Tamara Sepúlveda Chandía

Research Methodology
 Problem
When people start their English program at UMCE, they do not manage the language completely, so they tend to speak Spanish (mother tongue) to explain things they do not know how to say in English. So, there is a persistent use of their first language in the English classroom. This is a big problem for them because they do not improve their oral skills if they speak more Spanish than English, so teachers must know how to encourage them to speak only English.

 Research Questions
Main: How can teachers encourage 1st-year students at UMCE to avoid the persistent use of their first language?

Specific: a) Why do 1st-year students at UMCE speak Spanish in the English classroom?
b) What teaching techniques can be used to motivate 1st-year students to speak only English in the classroom?

 Objectives
General: To explain how teachers can encourage 1st-year students at UMCE to avoid the persistent use of their first language.

Specific: a) To find out the main reason why 1st-year students at UMCE speak Spanish in the
English classroom.
b) To describe 3 techniques that can be used to motivate 1st-year students to speak only English in the classroom.

 Theoretical Framework
Theories and authors of relevance
a) C. William Schweers, Jr. (1999). Using L1 in the L2 classroom. http://dosfan.lib.uic.edu/usia/E-USIA/forum/acrobat/P6.pdf b) Dr. Hüseyin Mahmutoğlu; Zahide Kicir. (2013). The use of mother tongue in EFL classrooms. http://en.lau.edu.tr/euljss/si44.pdf
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Key Concepts
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Mother tongue (L1)
Target language (L2)
English classroom
Use of a language

Latest Trends
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“…the use of some L1 provides more time to practice L2 because understanding is achieved much more rapidly.”