Students’ beliefs and perceptions of teachers’ code choice in the ESL classroom: a study conducted in Sammanthurai zone

Abstract

In the context of teaching English as a second language, the choice of language for instruction in the classroom is one of the key decisions that has a huge impact on the success of learning. Teachers’ code choice in ESL teaching is the decision whether to use only the target language (TL) or both the TL and the learners’ mother tongue (MT). This study aims to investigate the students’ beliefs and perceptions of teachers’ code choice in the ESL classrooms of Sammanthurai education zone. By investigating students’ beliefs and perceptions of teachers’ code choice, it would provide an insight to understand students’ needs and set guidelines on code choice for pedagogical implications. The study adopted a qualitative approach, drawing data from 50 junior secondary students using semi- structured interviews. The findings reveal that students are satisfied with a higher proportion of MT as their perception leans towards more MT. However, there was variation in their perception of the amount of TL use by their teachers. In considering students’ perceptions of teachers’ TL use, a negative attitude was expressed by many. The positive perceptions of MT use are largely due to their reliance on comprehension and affective factors. A minority influenced by education in the family and experiences, despite their differences in socio economic status share a positive attitude to TL. The need of a role model to develop speaking skills shows that there is an urge for some learners to be recognized as English speakers in the broader bilingual speaking community in Sri Lanka.