The Impact of English-only and Bilingual Approaches to EFL Instruction on Low-achieving Bilinguals in Cameroon: An Empirical Study

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to investigate whether low-achieving bilingual EFL learners perform better in grammar and speaking when French, their first language of literacy, is used in the EFL classroom. A two-phase experiment involving teaching two grammar lessons and two speaking lessons to a control group in English only and to an experimental group with the use of French where appropriate was carried out for the purpose. Each group’s mean percentage improvement after each phase of the experiment was compared to their respective scores in the baseline. The analyses of data revealed that the experimental group obtained the higher mean improvement in the two experiments, both in grammar and speaking tests. This led to the conclusion that the use of French in the EFL classroom does not hinder learning. Rather, French is an effective scaffolding tool in the EFL classroom in Cameroon.

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