Student use of the mother tongue in the task-based classroom

This article draws on an interview study with teachers and teacher educators on the topic of the feasibility of task-based teaching for implementation in schools. It focuses on a single theme from the study: student use of the mother tongue. A number of dimensions are addressed: the extent of classroom interaction in English in the context under review; informants’ perspectives on mother tongue use; strategies for encouraging use of the target language; and relevant implications for teaching methodology. The conclusion calls for a balanced and flexible view of student use of the mother tongue. Some avenues for further exploration are also sketched, in particular the need to investigate the relationship between task-types and mother tongue use.