Integrating Students’ Native Language in the Classroom

I recently completed the preliminary analysis of my PhD fieldwork data which focused on using Jamaican students’ socio-cultural experiences as a tool for English Language Arts learning. I used my participants’ native language and their out of school experiences in their English learning.  The students used their native language (Patois) as a form of communication in my classroom. They also used Patois in the stories, songs and drama pieces that they created. Even though it was an English learning classroom, I encouraged my students to speak Patois whenever they wanted because I wanted them to be comfortable to share their ideas.  This in turn, helped the students to experience more emotional engagement in my classroom and to an extent, more cognitive engagement. 

From my experience in the field, I would encourage all language teachers to create avenues/third spaces in the classroom where language learners who speak a different language from the one being taught can use their native language or dialect.