IMPLEMENTATION OF THE USE OF FIRST LANGUAGE AS A STRATEGY IN TEACHING ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE: INTEGRATING TRANSLANGUAGING AS A PEDAGOGICAL TOOL IN TEACHING THE BASIC TENSES IN WRITTEN GRAMMAR FOR THE FIRST YEAR SINHALA MEDIUM STUDENTS IN BUDDHIST AND PALI UNIVERSITY OF SRI LANKA

Abstract

This research aims to investigate the effectiveness of utilizing Sinhala as the students' first language (L1) through Translanguaging (TRL) as a pedagogical approach in teaching English as a second language (L2). The focus is on enhancing written grammar competence in fundamental English tenses—Simple Present, Simple Past, and Simple Future—among first-year students at the Buddhist and Pali University of Sri Lanka. The study explores theoretical and practical positions in English language teaching, delves into the concept of TRL, and validates its practices specifically for English as a Second Language (ESL) students whose primary language is Sinhala. Participants in the study include first-year Sinhala medium students from the Department of English Language Teaching (DELT) at the Buddhist and Pali University of Sri Lanka. A systematic sampling approach selects 60 students each for the control and experimental groups. The experimental study employs a single-variable design, with the type of instruction as the independent variable and improvement in students' grammatical competence as the dependent variable. Quantitative analysis involves pre-tests, a specially designed programme, mid-tests, and post-tests over one year, using SPSS for data analysis and from Likert-style questionnaires and qualitative insight comes from interviews. Findings reveal the experimental group's remarkable test performance, indicating the efficacy of the TRL strategy. Likert-style questionnaire responses and interview feedback underscore the positive impact, with students expressing a strong preference for the TRL approach. In conclusion, the research demonstrates that incorporating TRL techniques, using learners' L1, significantly improves test performance and enhances students' attitudes toward learning English. This study contributes to the existing literature by bridging the gap in quantitative research on the effectiveness of TRL in teaching grammar at the tertiary level, affirming its potential as an effective pedagogical tool for language education.