Abstract

The role of the student’s native language (L1) in second language (L2) instruction has changed over time in significance and scope. It has also been a matter of contention among teachers. While some teachers believe that L1 plays a facilitative role in L2 learning and confidently translate their belief into classroom action, others stand contrary to this view and practice. And, a third group of teachers remain ambivalent about the role of L1 in L2 classrooms, perhaps because they feel that the research is not conclusive yet, or the peculiar characteristics of their contexts do not allow them to advocate a particular thought. This article reviews the work of Stapa and Abdul Hameed, which focuses on the use of first language in developing ideas in second language writing. The review begins with a brief introduction and then moves on to analyzing the research design adopted and the arguments forwarded by these researchers.

Key words: First language/L1, second language/L2, native language, target language.