This survey-based research investigates the perspectives on first language (L1) use by adult students of English as a second language (ESL) in three ESL community-based programs in Michigan, United States. The study focuses on community-based programs because, even though it offers a variety of social, educational, and language backgrounds, this setting has been underrepresented in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) research on L1 inclusion in ESL classes. The key findings of this study demonstrate that students use their L1 regardless of their English proficiency and lack of encouragement by teachers. In addition, students believe specific L1 uses (e.g., translating vocabulary and taking notes) can help them learn English. Overall, the findings suggest that strategic use of L1 has the potential to benefit community-based learners across different proficiency levels by fostering their second language (L2) acquisition as well as affirming their identity as multilingual and multicultural individuals.
","abstract_html":"<p>This survey-based research investigates the perspectives on first language (L1) use by adult students of English as a second language (ESL) in three ESL community-based programs in Michigan, United States. The study focuses on community-based programs because, even though it offers a variety of social, educational, and language backgrounds, this setting has been underrepresented in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) research on L1 inclusion in ESL classes. The key findings of this study demonstrate that students use their L1 regardless of their English proficiency and lack of encouragement by teachers. In addition, students believe specific L1 uses (e.g., translating vocabulary and taking notes) can help them learn English. Overall, the findings suggest that strategic use of L1 has the potential to benefit community-based learners across different proficiency levels by fostering their second language (L2) acquisition as well as affirming their identity as multilingual and multicultural individuals.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Carvalho, Fernanda da Silva"],"institution":null,"degree_name":"Master of Arts (MA)","degree_level":"Open Access Thesis","degree_discipline":"World Languages","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Zuzana Tomaš, Ph.D., Chair","Cynthia Macknish, Ed.D.","Elizabeth Morgan, Ph.D."],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2018,"date_issued":"2018-01-01T08:00:00Z","date_published":"2018-01-01T08:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:17:27Z","subjects":["ESL","native language","TESOL","translanguaging","Bilingual, Multilingual, and Multicultural Education"],"languages":[],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://commons.emich.edu/theses/899","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Zuzana Tomaš, Ph.D., Chair","Cynthia Macknish, Ed.D.","Elizabeth Morgan, Ph.D."]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Carvalho, Fernanda da Silva"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2018-08-15T07:00:00Z"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["World Languages"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Open Access Thesis"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Master of Arts (MA)"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["ESL","native language","TESOL","translanguaging","Bilingual, Multilingual, and Multicultural Education"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://commons.emich.edu/theses/899"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["This survey-based research investigates the perspectives on first language (L1) use by adult students of English as a second language (ESL) in three ESL community-based programs in Michigan, United States. The study focuses on community-based programs because, even though it offers a variety of social, educational, and language backgrounds, this setting has been underrepresented in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) research on L1 inclusion in ESL classes. The key findings of this study demonstrate that students use their L1 regardless of their English proficiency and lack of encouragement by teachers. In addition, students believe specific L1 uses (e.g., translating vocabulary and taking notes) can help them learn English. Overall, the findings suggest that strategic use of L1 has the potential to benefit community-based learners across different proficiency levels by fostering their second language (L2) acquisition as well as affirming their identity as multilingual and multicultural individuals.
"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Examining students' perspectives on the use of first language in community-based English as second language classrooms"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Zuzana Tomaš, Ph.D., Chair","Cynthia Macknish, Ed.D.","Elizabeth Morgan, Ph.D."],"dc:creator":["Carvalho, Fernanda da Silva"],"dc:date.available":["2018-08-15T07:00:00Z"],"dc:description.abstract":["This survey-based research investigates the perspectives on first language (L1) use by adult students of English as a second language (ESL) in three ESL community-based programs in Michigan, United States. The study focuses on community-based programs because, even though it offers a variety of social, educational, and language backgrounds, this setting has been underrepresented in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) research on L1 inclusion in ESL classes. The key findings of this study demonstrate that students use their L1 regardless of their English proficiency and lack of encouragement by teachers. In addition, students believe specific L1 uses (e.g., translating vocabulary and taking notes) can help them learn English. Overall, the findings suggest that strategic use of L1 has the potential to benefit community-based learners across different proficiency levels by fostering their second language (L2) acquisition as well as affirming their identity as multilingual and multicultural individuals.
"],"dc:identifier":["https://commons.emich.edu/theses/899"],"dc:subject":["ESL","native language","TESOL","translanguaging","Bilingual, Multilingual, and Multicultural Education"],"dc:title":["Examining students' perspectives on the use of first language in community-based English as second language classrooms"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["World Languages"],"thesis:degree_level":["Open Access Thesis"],"thesis:degree_name":["Master of Arts (MA)"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:17:27Z"}