Skepticism remains among instructors, students, and other stakeholders in EFL education in Japan on the use of our students’ L1, i.e., Japanese in English language courses in the tertiary level. Several studies have pointed to the possibility of its strategic use through translanguaging, an approach where L1 and L2 are “utilised in the classroom for the purpose of developing the weaker target language” (Turnbull, 2018). Although perceptions persist that using L1 minimizes student opportunities to use their target language, it cannot be denied that its presence is unavoidable whether in skills based and content-based English classes and may even be deemed necessary. I believe it is crucial to recognize using Japanese if constructively employed in university EFL classes because of its potential as a tool in order to facilitate language learning and to enhance instruction. In my proposed session, I hope to exchange ideas and best practices with other university instructors on how they manage the use of students’ L1 for both learning and teaching contexts in their classes especially in intensive or advancedlevel English-language courses. I will also discuss based on my experience how its strategic and judicious use in activities and tasks have had positive impact and will share tangible benefits as seen in students’ performances and output.

*Note: This is a 45-minute presentation that will end at 16:10.