The Effect of Using Native Language (L2) on the Lebanese Students’ achievement when

learning a Second Language (L2) for Fourth Grade

Sarah Abdallah, Belal El Kadri

School of Education, Lebanese International University

LIU Rayak, Bekaa, Lebanon

Abstract

This study attempts to determine the role of using L1 in learning the English Language and

to compare it with other whom use only the L2 when learning a second language at

Lebanese schools. This study examined the final grades of students in English Language as

compared it between the use of L1 or the use only L2 when teaching L2 language by

calculating the central tendency (Mean, Mode and Median) and dispersion (Range and

Standard Deviation.) The results of the experimental group are so better than the

controlled one which shows that Lebanese students are better in English when teacher use

the L2 than when teacher only use the L1 language in English sessions.

Introduction:

Language learning is not an easy task. Using L2 in the English classes lead to the

development of an excessive dependency on the students’ mother tongue by both teachers

and students. Consequently, students lose confidence in their ability to communicate in

English, they may feel that the only way they would understand anything the teacher says

is when it has been translated or they use their mother tongue even when they are perfectly

capable of expressing the same idea in English. This can significantly reduce students’
opportunities to practice English, and students fail to realize that using English in

classroom activities is essential to improve their language skills. Translation also regularly

creates the problem of oversimplification because many cultural and linguistic nuances

cannot be directly translated. L2 learners have more mature minds, greater social

development, a larger short term memory capacity and other differences from young

children; above all L2 learners already know how “How to mean” Clearly the learner

needs to encounter the language in order to learn it, one of the functions of teaching is to

provide samples of the L2 for the students. The arguments suggests that the teacher can

maximize the provision of useful L2 examples by avoiding the L1. A further step is to insist

that the L2 should be the language of real communication during the class rather than the

L1, a typical communicative teaching view is that “Many learners are likely to remain

unconvinced by out attempts to make them accept the foreign language as an effective

means of satisfying their communicative needs, if we abandon it ourselves as soon as such

needs arise in the immediate classroom situation.

Methodology

Selection of Participants

The present study was conducted on 58 26 male and female students distributed among two

sections of fourth grade at Lebanese Schools. The participants consisted of two groups. The

first group (A), was fourth grade students who used the L2 (English) when learningteaching

L1in the classroom. The second group (B), who did not use the L2 when learning a second

language (English) in the classroom. The fourth grade participants were 7 to 9 years of age

on average.
The first group of students selected for the study Group A comprised students who took

English classes with the same instructor of Group B and they were taught with using L2

(English) at the last five minutes of each class. This group contained 2913. Group A served

as the experimental group that used L2 (English).

The second group of students selected for the study (Group B) comprised students who did

not use L2 (English) with the same instructor of Group A and were taught in a traditional

classroom without using L2 (English). This group contained (2913) students (12 8 males, 17

5 females). Group B served as the control group that did not use L2 (English)

Table 1. The distribution of the participants according to group and gender

Groups Number Male Female Type Use of L1

Group A 2913 16 137 Students No

6
Group B 2913 128 175 Students Yes

Materials

The materials for this study consisted of the final grades of students who used L2 and those

who did not use it in English classes. The final grades were obtained from schools’ data

bases after permission from the administration. The students’ final grades were the

average grades of students’ reading, speaking, writing and grammar and school grades.

Procedures
To collect data about the effectiveness of using L2 on students’ achievement in English

Language for fourth grade, a permission letter was signed in Bekaa private schools’

principle and the Education Department Chairperson of the Lebanese International

University. Next, the grades were obtained for students who used L2 during English classes

(Group A) and those who use the L1 in English classes (Group B). The data were provided

to the researcher without any identifies. The students’ records were held only for the

purpose of this study as a part of evaluating the effectiveness of L2.

Data Analysis

The data for Groups A and B were calculated by the researcher in order to find the

confidence Central Tendency (Mean, Mode and Median) and Dispersion (Range and

Standard Deviation) Thus, we can determine whether there was a significant differences in

the final grades of students who have used L2 method (Group A) and students who have

not used L2 method (Group B).

Results

The purpose of this study was to investigate possible differences in proficiency within the

two sections of fourth grade in which Group A used L2 and Group B did not use it. In this

way, we can find if L2 is an effective way to make students more proficient in the English

Language. The study will answer this question: What is significance of L2 in improving

students’ achievement in English classes?

This study examined the final of students who used L2 method in a class by calculating

Central Tendency (Mean, Mode and Median) and Dispersion (Range and Standard

Deviation). The results showed that there was a significant differences between the two

groups. The Mean for group (A) who used L2 was 82.15, while the Mean for group B who

used L1 was 65.23. The median of group A is 82 while the median of group B is 65, thus

there is also a significant difference in median too. In addition, the mode of group A is 79

while the mode of group B is 68. The lowest score in Group A is 65 which more than Group

B 47 and the highest score of Group A (97) which higher than Group B (87). Group A has

a standard deviation 10.33 less than Group B has a standard deviation 11.87.

Table 2. Illustrates the confidence Central Tendency and Dispersion for both males and

females

Groups N Mean Mode Median

A 2913 82.15 79 82
B 2913 65.23 68 65

Group Lowest Score Highest Score Range SD

A 65 97 10.33
B 47 87 11.87
 Chart Title
120

100

80

60

40

20

0
Group A Group B

Mean Mode Median

Low score High High score Range Column1

Moreover, the results a significant differences between the female’s mean in the two

groups. The females’ mean in group A is 82.15 while the females’ mean in group B was

65.23.
Table 3. Illustrates the confidence females’ means of using and not L2 in English classes.

Groups N Female Mean L2

A 2913 137 43.6912.3 Yes
B 2913 175 1133.61 No
 Female's Mean
50
45
40
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
Group A GroupB

Female's Mean
However, there is also a significant differences between male’s mean in the results of the

two groups. The male’s mean in group A was 11.7 while male’s mean in group B was 12.

Table 4. Illustrates the confidence male’s means of using and not using L2

Groups Type Male Mean L2

A 29 16 38.9211.7 Yes
B 29 12 28.3012 No
 Males's Mean
45

40

35

30

25

20

15

10

0
Group A Group B

Males's Mean

Discussion and Conclusions

This study investigated the effects of L2 on students’ achievement in reading English as

second language for Fourth Grade students in a private school at the Bekaa valley in

Lebanon. Specifically, this study examined the final grades of students who used L2 as

compared to those who did not. The findings of the research were tackled with regard to

the research question. Hence, the researcher used various statistic formulas such as Central

Tendency (Mean, Mode and Median) and Dispersion (Range and Standard Deviation). To

present the final results of the collected data Tables and her graphs were also used to show

and clarify the data.

The results clearly showed that using L2 in English classes at a Bekaa private school, which

includes various students’ background used in this study during the reading, speaking,

writing and grammar sessions had a statically significant differences between the means of
both groups in favor of the experimental group. Whereas the mean of the control group

was 65.23, the mean of the experimental group was 82.15. Moreover, there is a positive

significant effect on females’ final grades in Group A as a compared to those who did not

use L2 in Group B. Also, there is a negative effect in males’ final grades in Group A as

compared to those who did not use L2 in Group B (Refer to Table 2, Table 3, Table 4)

Thus, overall finding indicate that students especially female students hold a positive

attitude towards the effect of using L2 for the improvement of their achievement in the

English Language.

Conclusion and Implications

This research showed that there were increased scores that students received in the

final test as compared to who did not use L2. Based on the data, we can conclude that using

L2 in English classes can help children acquire new language and memorize words. Using

L2 in teaching English can create learning conditions and motivate students to learn. Using

L2 in English classes helps students to develop their self-esteem, such an important factor

in language learning. Therefore, teacher’s method should be various and stimulate for

children.

Using L2 in English classes has a great impact on self-confidence and motivation as well.

Students feel more confident to read and speak and to express themselves.

Teachers should encourage students to take advantage to read English in their free rime

and each time they grab a new book. Learning English Language through reading is one of

the effective and interesting ways that can be applied in classrooms.

Using L2 can be inside and outside the class, but also provide great material for learning

and motivation. They help students achieve better results in English, and build-up their

self-esteem. Their implication are higher than providing fun moments during a class. Using

L2 encourage students to acquire a new language, not only those who are already

interested in doing so.

References

Towell, R. & Hawkins, R. (1994). Approaches to Second Language. Clevedon: Multilingual

Matters Tucker, G.R., Otanes, F.E. & Sibayan, B.P. (1971). An alternating days approach

to bilingual education.
Weinreich, U. (1953). Languages in Contact. The Hague Mouton Willis, J. (1996). A

Framework for Task-Based Language Learning Harlow: Longman

Brown, J. D. (2013). Understanding Research in Second Language University Press.