An Analysis of the Availability of L1 in English Teaching in Primary Schools in Mainland China

The aim of this paper is to explore the availability of L1 (Chinese) in Chinese primary English (L2) classrooms. The paper analyzes this issue at three levels- theory of pedagogy, the current situation of L1 use in Chinese primary English teaching, and the analysis of a specific textbook, concluding that L1 can be appropriately applied in Chinese primary English classrooms. In terms of pedagogy, the communicative language teaching method, audiolingual method and direct method do not support the use of L1, however in the practical application of the pedagogies, the use of L1 shows some advantages; L1 is commonly used in Chinese primary English classrooms as it is in line with the students’ learning backgrounds and characteristics, and there is also a positive transfer of the students’ L1 to L2 acquisition; in the analysis of practical teaching materials, it is found that, although the skills such as reading and listening can be learned in teacher-student L2 communication, some grammar, vocabulary and phonology explanations still require L1 intervention. It is therefore suggested that the appropriate use of L1 in the Chinese primary classroom can facilitate students’ L2 acquisition.