Language Use in the Classroom: Balancing Target Language Exposure With the Need for Other Languages

Abstract

Recent trends in language education have promoted the use of students’ linguistic repertoires in the classroom. However, research is lacking into how languages are actually used in target language instruction. This study contributes new knowledge from lower secondary classrooms in Norway, combining a large data set of video observed English lessons (N = 60) of naturally occurring instruction over time, with a survey of students’ (N = 179) experiences of their teachers’ language practices. The study reports how languages were used and perceived in seven classrooms across Grades 9–10. Findings indicate three main patterns. First, there was considerable variation in language use in these classrooms, which seemed dependent on the teacher rather than students and school. Second, there was hardly any use of languages other than the language of schooling (Norwegian) and the target language (English), but a few references to linguistic repertoires signalled a focus on multilingualism in some classrooms. Third, survey data indicate that students perceived teachers’ use of Norwegian, regardless of amount, helpful. The study demonstrates teachers’ and students’ balancing of target language exposure with the need for other languages, even with extensive variation in the use of English and Norwegian and infrequent references to students’ other linguistic repertoires in most classrooms.

Marked and unmarked translanguaging in accelerated, mainstream, and sheltered English classrooms

“…Having this possibility encouraged her participation, even as she also stated that she liked the language exposure she received by having most of the class conducted in English, unlike at her earlier school in Poland. These opinions were also voiced by many students in all three classes, that they appreciated both that Lars spoke so much English and that they were not held to a strictly monolingual standard (see also Brevik and Rindal 2020). Sara and other multilingual students would also draw on resources other than English or Norwegian, especially in their private work.…”

“…The differences in practices could be seen both in Lars's regulation of language use and in how students themselves chose to draw on their linguistic repertoires in individual and peer work. This pattern of variation across the three classes indexed a discourse that juxtaposed a desired monolingual English performance with translanguaging as needed for task accomplishment (Brevik and Rindal 2020;Rosiers et al 2018). This monolingual expectation was upheld most strictly in the accelerated class, where all of the students were presumed to be quite fluent in English.…”

“…In Norway, English has no official legal status, but it has become an important language in personal, professional, and educational domains, such that some argue that English is becoming closer to a second than a foreign language (Brevik and Rindal 2020;Rindal 2014). English is a core school subject for all students from grades 1-11 (ca.…”

“…There is no officially mandated language of instruction for English teaching in Norway, but research suggests that teachers aspire to teach largely in English, though recourse to Norwegian for scaffolding is common (Brevik and Rindal 2020;Burner and Carlsen 2019;Scheffler et al 2017). The 2013 national English curriculum (in force at the time of data collection) also implicitly opens for the use of other languages by referring generically to students' "native language" rather than assuming this to be Norwegian in competence aims that call for making comparisons with English (Norwegian Directorate for Education and Training 2013).…”

Creating Full English Atmosphere in Teaching English to Young Learners: Teachers’ Perspectives

“…Their studies mentioned that one disadvantage of the use of L1 in English learning is that students cannot get enough exposure to the target language. As a consequence of insufficient exposure, students' fluency will be weakened (Yadav, 2014;Lew, 2016;Brevik & Rindal, 2020). This situation can happen especially if there is excessive exposure of L1 in English learning as suggested by Pablo, Lengeling, Zenil, Crawford, and Goodwin's (2011) study which mentioned that students would exclusively use L1 and they would not have the chance to practice English if L1 was allowed in English teaching.…”