The present study focused on exploring the use of mother tongue as a way of scaffolding to the teaching and learning of English in grade 9 Dengelber Secondary School. This study employed a descriptive research method. Using lottery method, Grade 9 students and English teachers were taken as subjects of the study. 53 students accounting 10% were taken out of 508 population in line with what Singh (2006) suggested that 10-20% sample size for descriptive research. Quantitative method of data analysis was used to analyze closed questions in percentage and qualitative method was employed for analysis of data from observation, interview and some open-ended items of questionnaire. Classroom observation, questionnaire and interview were the instruments used to generate data for the study. The findings of this study depicted that teachers and students were in support of mother tongue use in English classes; they were seen using Amharic to support English instruction. Teachers and students preferred Amharic during vocabulary, complex grammar points, difficult concepts, revision of lessons, pair/group work, etc. to be more effective, to aid comprehension greatly and to save time. Teachers suggested reasonable and planned use of first language, with careful monitoring of students’ L1 use. This great role of L1 for better learning of target language recommends that practitioners ought to try various ways to get the best of mother tongue to support teaching of English.