THE ROLE OF MOTHER TONGUE IN LEARNING ENGLISH AT THE INTERMEDIATE LEVEL (A Case Study of Government Degree College Batkhela, District Malakand)

Abstract

This study examines the integration of L1 (Pashto) in English language instruction among 65 intermediate-level students at Government Degree College Batkhela, Pakistan. Using a quantitative methodology through structured questionnaires, the research examined students' attitudes toward the use of their mother tongue, teacher practices, and learning preferences. Results reveal overwhelmingly positive attitudes, with 89.2% of students favoring L1 integration in English instruction. Teachers systematically employ Pashto across instructional contexts, most frequently during student interactions (80%) and classroom management (69.2%). Students demonstrate the strongest preferences for L1 use in cognitively demanding tasks, particularly in grammar explanations (84.6%) and vocabulary acquisition (73.8%), while accepting English-only instruction for speaking practice. These findings challenge prevailing monolingual policies and highlight significant gaps between theory and practice in Pakistani government colleges. The study demonstrates that strategic L1 integration serves essential scaffolding functions rather than impeding L2 development, particularly for rural students with limited English exposure. The research contributes empirical evidence on multilingual pedagogies in Pakistani higher education, specifically addressing the underexplored government college sector. It recommends systematic policy reforms that acknowledge multilingual classroom realities and comprehensive teacher training programs that emphasise strategic L1 integration over colonial-era monolingual ideologies.