Chapter-1 Introduction:
1.1 Background of the
study:
English is an international language. When two or more people of different languages try to communicate with each other, they choose English as a medium of communication. For this reason, English is called the lingua franca. So, it is clear that English has gained its status as the most important international language. However, there is confusion regarding the status of English in Bangladesh, because there is no mention in our constitution whether English is given the status of a second language or foreign language. Whatever the status is, we cannot deny the increasing importance and use of English in our country. Because of the growing demand for English, we are taught and learned this language as a compulsory subject in our country. Our journey of learning the English language begins at the primary level and its inclusion continues till the tertiary level of education. Regardless of this fact, we find it difficult to acquire the English language towards the desired goal. Our effort to learn English is slowed down by various pebbles of problems.
Except for English, the medium of instruction for other subjects is Bengali in the educational institutions in Bangladesh. In order to pass the Secondary School Certificate (S.S.C) examination, we have to study English as a compulsory subject for ten years. However, from class six to ten is called the secondary level of education. To conduct this research, I have chosen the level of class ten, including both students and teachers, as sample. So, in this study, students belong to class ten have been referred to as secondary level students because they are at the last stage of the Secondary level and they have entire knowledge to go under that level. They are considered adult enough to express themselves through verbally and to assess and express their views about their education. This research aims to identify the possible factors that act as a hindrance in learning English for the students at the secondary level in Bangladesh.
1.2 Literary review:
It is sad but true that we cannot acquire the English language properly despite studying it as a subject for almost 16 years. This problem becomes visible when students do not get a job even after completing graduation because of their lack of English skills. Taking advantage of this situation, some organizations, such as coaching centers, are doing business by offering different package courses with the duration of at least three months to one year. However, these package courses cannot provide any solution to this problem, instead lead the learners to frustration when they find not that much progression in themselves after the end of the course. There are many reasons which not only make secondary level students unable to learn English but also create a barrier in the learning process.
Related to the fact above, the researcher has given his best effort to make an intensive review of similar kinds of literature. A number of researches on a similar type of topic were conducted both at home and abroad. Researchers in developing as well as developed countries have shown several factors regarding tenth-grade students’ failure to learn English in Bangladesh. In Bangladesh, very few studies related to this topic have been carried out. Thus, more investigation is required to find out the causes regarding students’ inability to learn English at the secondary level in Bangladesh. However, in most of the studies done in developing countries, school factors got more prioritize than family factors. The reasons are as follows-
The shortage of skilled and trained English language teachers is one of the most important factors that affect students’ ability to learn the English language in secondary schools of our country (Usman, Sa’ad 2012). To fill up the deficiency, in some schools, English language classes are taken by other subject teachers, who cannot even speak and write in English properly. So, these non-trained teachers cannot teach efficiently and therefore provide poor performances from their products. To support the previous statement, Roger (2003) states that some so-called English language teachers do not have academic qualifications to teach the subject and as they are not specialists in the field of study, they are not good teachers.
Compared to non-trained teachers, trained teachers are more effective in English language classrooms at the Secondary level. Knowing grammar rules, word meanings and doing repeated drills cannot ensure that a learner will become able to acquire any language. According to Stephen Krashen (2009), “Language acquisition does not require extensive use of conscious grammatical rules, and does not require tedious drill.” However, the linguist in his theory of second language acquisition points out six hypotheses. One of the hypotheses is ‘affective filter’ that is influenced by emotional variables, such as anxiety, self-confidence, motivation, and stress, which can stop the input from reaching the language acquisition part of the brain.
Another key reason is the dominance of first language or mother-tongue because of which students fail to learn English at the Secondary level. It is believed that because of the influence of mother tongue, students’ English achievement at the Secondary level in Bangladesh gets interrupted. Golam (2012) in his research shows that students find the English language hard to be learned because it is not their mother tongue. In Bangladesh, learners habitually use their native language in their communications and the use of English is limited only within the four walls of the classrooms. So, it can be said that English language practice starts and ends in the classroom. In some schools, English language class is conducted by less proficient teachers who make use of mother tongue as a medium of instruction. This situation illustrates the dominance of the local language, which affects English achievement at the Secondary level.
If we look at the neighboring country India, we can see that there are a total number of 1652 different languages spoken as mother tongues. Of these, only 150 languages have a sizeable speaking population and among them, only 22 languages have been made official languages. In this complex linguistic situation, students first learn their state or local language for internal communication then Hindi as the national language and after that English for cross-state communication. David Crystal (2003) has given the historical context of English in his book, English as a Global Language, where it has been shown that in India, the disagreement between the supporters of English, Hindi and regional languages in the 1960s lead to the creation of ‘three language formula’, in which English was used as the main alternative to the local state language. English is given the status of official language in India whereas, in Bangladesh, there is no mention regarding the status that will be given to English. For this reason, people living in India have a good command of the English language. From the above discussion, it is clear that government policy, which recommends the use of mother tongue both in the education and job sectors, is responsible for students’ inability to learn the English language.
Another reason for which students fail to learn English at the secondary level in Bangladesh is the inappropriate use of teaching methods. Successful teaching and learning depend on the teachers’ right selection of teaching methods. The selection of teaching methods differentiates the trained teachers from the untrained teachers. Having a lack of adequate knowledge and proper use of instructional strategies, the untrained teachers go after the conventional teaching method, such as Grammar-Translation Method (GTM), and also they discourage students to ask questions (Haq, 2006). They do not prepare the lesson plan before the class and do not use additional teaching aids except the traditional chalk, duster, blackboard and textbook. In some cases, they take the help of maps, charts and posters to demonstrate the lessons. Teachers just read out from the textbook and do not provide sufficient explanation of the text (Ahmed 2005). Some teachers give students homework or insist students learn at home. Lack of numerous instructional activities and inadequate use of teaching aids make the classes boring for the students, and it creates an obstacle for students to learn the English language in the classroom.
In our country, textbooks are designed by National Curriculum and Textbook Board (NCTB) following a communicative approach, which is also known as Communicative Language Teaching (CLT). This method is based on the idea that learning a second language is possible only when learners will be involved in real communication. It gives equal importance to all four skills- Reading, writing, speaking and listening. The bitter truth is that only two skills- reading and writing- are emphasized and practiced in the classroom by the teacher so that students can pass the examination. However, speaking and listening skills are neglected because students do not have to give tests for them (Haroon-Ar Rasheed 2015). Because of the existing problems in our education system, most of the students in Bengali medium schools cannot reach the Secondary English language competencies.
1.3 Statement of
Research Question:
Depending
on the background given above, the researcher prepares the research questions
as follows:
1. What are the reasons that
affect students’ ability to learn English at the Secondary level in Bangladesh?
2. What is their actual level
of English language proficiency?
3. What initiatives can be taken to enhance the students’ skills and abilities in the English language?
1.4 Objectives of the
Research:
The
main purpose of this study is to answer the aforementioned research questions
and to examine them in order to find out the solutions. Besides, this thesis
has also its objectives. Related to the research questions stated above, other
objectives of this research are as follows:
1. To find out the
actual reasons for students’ inability to learn English at the Secondary level in
Bangladesh.
2. To study and compare
the dissimilarities of the English education achievement between the schools of
government and non-government.
3. To show the ways of
developing Secondary level students’ learning of English language in school.
4. To demonstrate the impact of poor English proficiency both in education and job sectors.
1.5 Significance of
the Research:
We cannot ignore the necessity of learning English in an increasingly integrated global economy. In a broad sense, globalization requires the learners of non-English-speaking countries to have a good command of English for different purposes- firstly, to enter into mainstream English speaking countries as an immigrant, secondly, to get a job in international markets and regions, and thirdly, to get a scholarship for higher studies. Mohammed Farashuddin, the former Governor of Bangladesh Bank, said, “Proficiency in English is a must for the nation to abolish poverty, hunger, disease, illiteracy and indignity.” This research intends to make contributions towards the quality improvement of English education in secondary schools in Bangladesh. This study has tried to recommend a way of how to improve English language learning with the development of the teaching techniques by explaining the reasons that affect students’ ability to learn English.
The results of this research are expected to play a vital role for different purposes. The source of information collecting from this research can be beneficial for teacher-trainers, educational administrators, policymakers, researchers and teachers in Bangladesh to identify the probable issues that may help improve students’ English language skills. Moreover, this study will attempt to reveal a few areas where important steps may be taken to develop the condition of English teaching and learning in Bangladesh, surrounding the Secondary level students in Dhaka city.
1.6 Limitation of the
study:
The researcher had to go through some difficulties while conducting this research. The first thing he faced was the lack of cooperation from the educational institutions because they did not want to give him permission to investigate and survey even though he tried his best to make them understand. As a part of this study, the researcher visited five secondary level schools in order to take interviews, hand over questionnaires and observe the classrooms in line with the research topic. To collect data from the field, the researcher had to depend on either a survey questionnaire or a tape recorder. Because of the limited time, he had to collect data hurriedly. In addition, people who filled up the survey question were unable to understand few questions. For this reason, there is a doubt of its 100% authenticity. Moreover, we cannot consider the results of the research as the whole picture of English education at the secondary level in Dhaka city because the study was carried out in some chosen schools.
Regardless of these difficulties, the researcher has given his best effort to maintain the quality of the research by focusing on accuracy and validity, thus every detail is provided. However, data could be increased by approaching more schools, but due to limited time, it was not possible for the researcher.
1.7 Hypothesis:
Students at the secondary level cannot acquire the English language successfully because of their anxiety towards learning the language. They consider English as a foreign language and as a result, they find it hard to learn. As there is not much use of the English language in our country, some people do not see any benefit in learning it. Their only target is to get the pass mark. Thus they become unable to learn it. This kind of attitude causes poor performance in the English language at the Secondary level. The hypotheses of this research are formulated as follows- (1) there is a remarkable improvement of the Secondary level students’ ability to learn English, (2) teaching and learning of English have become easier after solving the problems that did not let students become skilled in that particular language.
1.8 Definitions of
Key Terms:
While going through the research, readers will come across some difficult terms. So that readers can understand the terms and can relate them with the study, operational definitions of these terms are provided. These terms with adequate explanations are given below-
Focus Group Discussion (FGD): It is one of the most popular ways of data collection using extensively in qualitative research. It is actually a group discussion in which people of similar backgrounds or experiences exchange knowledge, ideas and opinions about a specific topic. The moderator or researcher guides the group of participants by providing topics or questions from the prepared interview guidelines. The survey is carried out in several groups consisting of 6 to 10 persons selected in accordance with the research aims.
Students’ Inability: The synonyms of the word ‘Inability’ are ‘failure’, ‘incapacity’, ‘lack of ability’, ‘ineligibility’, ‘being unable’ etc. According to the definition of Merriam-Webster, ‘inability’ indicates the condition of not being able to do something. So, from this definition, it can be said that students’ inability actually means their state of being unable to do or learn something. The only duty of a student is to study, but because of the classroom environment or complexity of the lessons, they cannot become able to learn it. So, it can be considered as an obstacle, which does not let the students become able to learn something.
Language Learning Skills: For learning a language, one needs to master four skills, namely: listening, speaking, reading and writing. These four skills can be divided into two categories- receptive and productive. Listening and reading are known as ‘receptive’ skills while speaking and writing are known as ‘productive’ skills. Based on these four skills, languages are taught and assessed. To become an expert in any particular language, the learners will have to develop these four skills.
2. Research Design:
In this chapter, the design and procedures of data collection for this research are described. Though the main objective of this study is to identify the reasons for students’ inability to learn English at the secondary level, its effect in education and job sectors and procedures to develop the students’ English language skills are also the key issue of this study. Moreover, this study shows the main causes of poor performance in the English language among Bengali medium students. The first section of this chapter includes the method applied in this study and the research design; the second section talks about the participants who took part in the study; the third section shows a list of instruments used in the study and justifies their use in the study; the fourth section gives an elaborate description of how all the important information have been gathered and time spent on each segment by following specific procedures of data collection and timeline. Finally, the fifth section details how collected data is analyzed.
2.1 Methodology of
the Research:
Taking
the nature and purpose of this study into consideration, the researcher has
applied the qualitative research method to depict the problems that secondary
level students face while learning the English language. Compared to
quantitative research, qualitative research is more effective when it comes to
doing fieldwork in order to collect data. This kind of research lets the
researcher investigate a small sample and later simplify the findings to the
whole population. In this study, three research techniques- survey study,
interview and observation of L2 classes- have been used by the researcher.
Therefore, various ways of data collection involved in the study can be
designed as follows-
1) Students’ questionnaire survey, 2) Students’ interview, 3) Teachers’ questionnaire survey, 4) Teachers’ interview, 5) Classroom observation.
By following the aforesaid methods, the researcher can be directly connected with his source of information thus leading him to generate ideas for this study.
To support the findings of the research, the researcher collected data from different sources by taking the help of different methods. To be more specific, the investigator used all three methods- questionnaire survey, interview and observation, to maintain the triangulation as well as to increase the accuracy, authenticity, validity and reliability of the data collected.
2.2 Participants:
This study took place in five secondary schools in Dhaka, Bangladesh. The English teachers and students of the 10th grade English class were the participants of the study. The researcher took interviews of five English teachers who are currently teaching in Bengali medium schools. Keeping in relation with the study, the researcher made the interview questionnaire for teachers, which contains 10 questions. Based on 10 questions related to the topic, the researcher conducted three FGDs (Focus Group Discussion), each containing 10 students. A total of 30 students from the English language class took part in these FGD sessions. Because this study is aimed at finding the causes of Bengali medium students’ failure to learn English, they are the target people for this study. Then, the researcher carefully observed five English classes to take note of the overall classroom activities, especially to find out the reasons behind their failure to learn English, its impact on their academic results and the motivation given by their teachers to solve the problem. In order to collect all data in detail during observations, the examiner took the help of an observation checklist which included nine criteria.
2.3 Instruments:
In this research, two types of data, quantitative data and qualitative data, have been used. Quantitative data are obtained from the results of the test. The instruments that are used to collect these data are- 1) interviews of English language teachers, 2) FGD of the secondary level students and 3) classroom observations. The teacher interview questionnaire and the FGDs have contained 10 questions respectively while in the observation checklist, 9 criteria are maintained. Teacher interviews helped to find out the background of English language teachers as well as the real situation of English classes and students’ weaknesses. FGD is another instrument, which helped the investigator to get information directly from the students. From the FGD sessions, the researcher got answers to the questions- why they fail to learn English, how it affects them and how to overcome it. Through open discussion related to the topic of the study, it was possible to get almost all the information. While observing the classroom, an observation record sheet is maintained to take down important notes. Through the use of this instrument, the researcher came to know the activities of the classroom and students’ responses. It also helped to identify why the students cannot achieve their proficiency level, what obstacles they face in learning English and how teachers’ motivation can develop their language skills in English language class.
2.4 Procedure and Timeline:
All three instruments were used to collect the necessary data of 5 teacher interviews, 3 FGDs with the students of English classes and 5 classroom observations. Teachers from Bengali medium schools in Dhaka city were interviewed. During the interview sessions, English language teachers were free from their works. With the use of a recording device and survey questionnaire, the researcher recorded all answers given by the teachers. Then, three FGD sessions were organized in English classrooms of three of the selected schools. While conducting the FGDs, students were free and both male and female students took part in it. During FGDs, students were asked 10 questions one by one and their responses were recorded in recording devices and important notes were written down. Finally, classrooms were observed and data was collected in the observation checklist under 9 criteria.
The researcher needed 10 days to take interviews of the teachers and 5 days to analyze the data. Because of the limited amount of time, 10-15 minutes were allotted for each teacher interview. However, 3 FGDs were conducted on 3 different days with three groups of students consisted of both male and female students. All of their responses were recorded by audio devices and noted down as well. It took around 15-20 minutes to complete each FGD. Later, a total of 5 classes were observed in five days following the observation checklist, which included 9 criteria. To collect data, the procedures described above were followed by the researcher.
In this study, all the mentioned instruments were used to collect data. All instruments are very useful and important to collect all the possible information. Instead of relying on only one instrument, three instruments were equally utilized to analyze the data and reach the possible solutions.
2.5 Data Analysis:
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