Document Type : Research Paper

Author

• Fatemeh Kelari

Ph.D. Student in Teaching Persian Language to Non-Persian Speakers, Allameh Tabataba'i University, Tehran, Iran.

Abstract

One of the consequences of being bilingual is encoding. Foreign Persian learners use encoding in the context of the class like all other second language learners; thus, the question arises as to how efficient the use of encoding in the context of the class is and what the reason for using encoding by second language learners. Unfortunately, no quantitative or qualitative research has been done in the field of Persian language encoding, and teachers still doubt the use of the mother tongue or intermediate language of Persian learners in the class and the extent of its use, the method of using it, and the purpose of using a language other than Persian language in the class, and teachers have different opinions about this. On the other hand, many researches have been conducted in connection with the learning of English language and the effect of encoding on it, which have investigated the reasons for encoding and its effectiveness. Considering the similarity of the second language learning process for all second language learners and since researches in this field have been conducted on language learners with different mother tongues, the findings of these researches can be applied to some extent in the context of teaching Persian to non-Persian speakers and guide teachers in this matter. Therefore, the aim of this study is to investigate the effectiveness of encoding in the context of language teaching classes and the reasons for its use by second language learners. For this purpose, in this review study, the researches related to this issue were reviewed and after extensive study, the findings of some researches were presented and the strengths and weaknesses of each were stated. Examining the findings of previous researches showed that encoding in the context of the class is not only harmful, but also beneficial, because it helps the fluency of second language learners, the simultaneous learning of Persian language, and the transfer of meaning during encoding, although one should be careful about its use. Moreover, teachers should try to use Persian language more in the class so that enough input is available to Persian learners, but this does not mean to prohibit encoding. Finally, some suggestions for future research were presented.

Keywords

• being bilingual
• encoding
• second language learners
• teaching second language
• learning Persian language