Towards a Systematic Inclusion of Translation-based Exercises in Beginners’ L2 Reading Comprehension Classes

Abstract

A possible judicious use of L1 in EFL teaching has recently been approved on the grounds that students’ first language cannot be totally banned for it can still provide help in FL teaching and learning. However, little has been suggested as to how to reinvest L1 in a reasonable pedagogical manner which guarantees students’ exposure to the target language and benefits the learning process. In this paper, a methodological model, wherein a limited number of short L1-related exercises are mixed with common comprehension activities in L2-reading comprehension classes of beginners, is proposed. To examine the effectiveness of this systematic strategy, 63 beginners of FL learning in middle schools were exposed to translation-related exercises in the three phases of the reading comprehension lesson. To gather data, 13 classes of qualitative observation were carried out in which a checklist was used. Then, the collected data was analyzed thematically. Results showed that including translation-related exercises in L2 reading classes in a controlled systematic manner was a source of motivation, increased self-confidence and performance improvement for beginners.