Does being an L2 native-speaking teacher influence L2 use?

In foreign language classrooms, teachers often encounter a dilemma when deciding which language to use in their teaching: should they use the students' L1 to facilitate communication? Or should they use only the L2 to give students as much input as possible? These questions have been debated for several years, as communicativeness and authenticity have become strong principles in teaching. Yet, no concrete answers seem to have emerged: teachers are still confronted with the question of language choice in their classroom. This study examines the factor of teachers' nativeness, which could potentially influence classroom L1 use. The results are based on a questionnaire asking teachers to express their attitudes towards their language choice. No difference was found between native and non- native speakers of French, and both groups reported high levels of use of the target language.