The majority of non-native English speaking teachers use their mother tongue in a monolingual class to a lesser or greater extent. But, until recently, the mother tongue in the EFL classroom has been a "skeleton in the cupboard", a "taboo"subject. There has been a severe struggle against using the native language in English class. Somehow in this passionate fight, the main thing has been lost from sight:students are much more important than methods; therefore we should first of all think of creating conditions in our class that stimulate and encourage our students to learn English. From the psychological point of view, an extremely important task for teachers is to help learners feel confident and build up their self-esteem.Moreover, they should do their best to create friendly (not hostile, which is often the case) learning environments. Negativity hinders the process of language acquisition, which is why experienced teachers try to avoid situations where the students can develop negative affective connotations to the foreign language. If we mean to bear students' interests in mind while working out an effective methodology, it is better to find out how they feel about the use of the native language in English class. In 2002-2004, a questionnaire was circulated among students of the Far Eastern National University who majored in the Russian Philology, Chemistry,Physics, Journalism, History, Geography, etc. 404 students took part in the survey. The results of the survey showed that the vast majority of the students advocate the use of the native language in English class. They consider it to be very helpful, especially to explain difficult concepts and the relationship between Russian and English, to introduce new material, to define new vocabulary, and to check for comprehension. Besides, it contributes to creating a friendly learning environment, making the students feel more comfortable and relaxed, and less at a loss. So, the native language appears to be an effective tool for explaining new material and drawing attention to differences between the native and target languages. It provides an efficient way to explain some difficult grammar points or to show the stylistic peculiarities of different words and structures. It definitely helps to memorize new English words if there is a word of the same origin. The native language can do a lot to create an agreeable psychological climate in class by eliminating anxiety, fear, discomfort, and tension.
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