The concepts of foreign language and mother tongue play an important role in structuring language learning processes. There are different approaches and opinions on whether learners should use their mother tongue in foreign language teaching. While traditional language teaching methods advocate the use of only the target language in foreign language classes and the full exposure of students to this language, some modern approaches suggest that the controlled use of the mother tongue can make positive contributions to the learning process. In this study, a comprehensive literature review was conducted in order to identify different opinions and approaches on the use of the mother tongue in foreign language classes. It was concluded that the data obtained, and current research support the controlled use of themother tongue as a strategic tool in foreign language learning.
Language teaching, mother tongue, target language.