Investigating the Role of Iranian EFL Learners’ L۲ Proficiency in Their Attitudes Toward the Use of L۱ in Institutional Contexts: A Mixed Methods Study

Given the long-lasting debates over L۱ use in language teaching and learning, this study adopted a mixed methods design to investigate the role of Iranian EFL learners’ L۲ proficiency in their attitudes toward using L۱. A questionnaire originally developed by Scheffler et al. (۲۰۱۷) was modified and distributed among ۱۸۰ elementary, intermediate, and advanced learners in four private language institutes in Karaj, Iran. Semi-structured interviews were also conducted with ۱۸ participants to support and supplement the findings of the quantitative phase. Quantitative data were analyzed using SPSS and the interviews were transcribed to find common themes. Quantitative data showed that the elementary learners held positive attitudes toward L۱ use, while the intermediate and advanced learners held negative attitudes. It was also revealed that the elementary learners held positive attitudes toward all functions of L۱ use. The intermediate learners held positive attitudes toward using L۱ only for vocabulary and grammar points, while advanced learners held negative attitudes toward all dimensions of L۱ use. The findings are likely to help EFL teachers to hear learners’ voices and decide when and at which level it is appropriate to use or limit L۱.

کلیدواژه ها:

EFL learners ، proficiency ، Attitude ، first language