The Importance of Home Language Research

The importance of home language research

The project is embedded in research on the relationship between the home language, or first language, and the learning and acquisition of a second language.

1. There are more people who use second languages in the world, that is, who are bilingual than there are monolinguals (Cook, 2014).
2. Bilingual speakers usually operate in ‘bilingual’ mode, that is, while they appear to be using one language or are in ‘monolingual’ mode, their second language is also active (Grosjean, 1998). So, for English as an additional language (EAL) students in Australian classrooms, it is likely that their home language is active while they are using English.
3. The home language, or first language, is beneficial cognitively, intellectually and socially for supporting second language learning (Moore, Massoud & Duggan, 2018; Thomas & Collier, 2002).
4. First language resources support second language development (García, Johnson, Seltzer, 2017).
5. Programs that develop both the home language (that is, first language) and second language ensure long-term academic, social and linguistic benefits (Bialystok, 2011).