Does using mother tongue help the student improve acquisition the foreign language?

S .... Of course the mother tongue helps the student. If else how could the student understand and gather the foreing language. When you teach a new Language to the student first he grasps what you say and then put it into his mind... the mind analyses the new language in accordence with his own mother tongue whith is already stored in his mind. Thus he is able go through any new language

Effective communication is one of the basics of learning which is not possible without a medium of instruction. Mother tongue does play this role effectively for a beginner. The same becomes fatal for an advanced learner because of dependence on it.

It can be well understood by the example of a baby who is fed on milk. After a few months depending on milk is no more good for this baby as he need solid food.

Mother tongue certainly helps in learning at all stages in life. Societies which give up mother tongue, give up their identities and have a tough time adjusting to artificial languages.

 Of course the mother tongue helps alot 

It will help to acquire language ,however,using the target language is better for understanding communication.There are some abstract words that should be translated.Also , students should know how to use words in context.If you use too much native language , students will be better in exams and not so good in communication.The purpose of language is language not exams.