CHAPTER ONE
RATIONALE FOR STUDY
Problem Statement
One of the critical questions which recent researchers in second
language acquisition have begun to address is the relationship between
first language ability and second language acquisition. Considering
the diversity of opinion which exists concerning the best method for
enabling students who speak another language to become fluent in English,
the importance of this question is apparent. There are educators, ad
ministrators, and politicians who believe all-day instruction in English
is the only method which will enable children to achieve mastery of
English. Other educators and professionals believe the same goal can
be achieved more effectively by building on students' first language
fluency. Because little research has been done on the relationship
between first language fluency and second language acquisition, most
educational decisions are based on opinion rather than knowledge of
research (Carrison, 1933; Troike, 1983).
The learning of a second language can also be influenced by other
factors in addition to first language fluency. In order to fully
understand the relationship between first language ability and second
language acquisition, other influencing factors must be analyzed and
documented. The purpose of this research is to study the relationship
between first language ability ana second language learning and to
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