Use of Authentic Materials and L1 in English Language Learning Classrooms in B&H
: In the modern society people are exposed to English almost all the time and everywhere. English is heard on TV, read in books, people from different countries communicate with each other in this language. Therefore, it is not surprising that the need for studying the effects of the exposure to English on the developing of English language proficiency has arisen. This paper examines the exposure of Bosnian students to the English language outside of the classroom and provides a comparison between private and public schools, as well as between elementary and high schools. Another aspect of investigation are the perceptions of Bosnian teachers and students regarding the use of the mother tongue (L1) in EFL classrooms. With the switch from grammar-translation method to communicative approaches, the role of L1 in English language learning classrooms has become highly disputed, and the current paper attempts to shed light on this issue..