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Abstract
Beliefs are the set of assumptions which a person inherits and tends to assume depending on the circumstances, context and culture in which they grow up. English though has been assigned as the status of official language of India and is taught to the learners' right from 1st Std. onwards, still one finds that even when the learners enter college their proficiency in the use of English language is not quite satisfactory. Learners find it difficult to communicate and express themselves and even while reading and writing they experience a lot of difficulty. The aim of the paper is to analyze the belief of the learners( undergraduate students) regarding English language and try to figure out the reason behind their poor performance even after so many years of study. This paper also offers suggestions which can enhance the teaching –learning process.
Keywords:
Language, beliefs, English, learning
Introduction
English is the official language of India and English is taught as a subject right from the first Std. but the reality seems quite contrary to what is believed to be. The aim of English language teaching is to make the learners' proficient but even after entering college, it has been observed that the learners find it difficult to listen, speak, read and write. The question which arises is that what is wrong with the education system? Is the curriculum not catering to the needs of the learners? Are the teachers not competent enough to inculcate in the learners' the love for language ? Besides all these factors, at the centre of everything is the learner himself and the subconscious beliefs which are a part of his inner psyche which play a dominant role in hindering the progress.
Literature Review
Research shows that beliefs are a central construct in every discipline that deals with human behavior and learning (Fishbein & Ajzen, 1975; Ajzen 1988) and research done by (Barcelos, 2003; Bernat 2008; Kern, 1995; Pajares, 1992)suggests that beliefs can both facilitate and hinder the effect of teaching on learning . In 2007-08 Bernat emphasized that an awareness of beliefs is crucial to language classroom pedagogy .Thomas & Harri-Augustein,1983, p. 338) suggested that beliefs about learner capacity and personal models of their own processes were more central to understanding the individuals' learning performances than universally accepted theories of learning. Psychologists like (Dweck & Leggett, 1988) have affirmed the belief that personal and social epistemologies have an impact on academic learning. (Breen 2001) researched that in the classroom context, the perceptions, beliefs, attitudes, and metacognitive knowledge of the students contribute significantly to the learning process and ultimate success. Barcelos (2000) and Hickman (1998) noted that beliefs must be seen in connection with knowledge. Woods (2003) conceptualized knowledge as beliefs with the greatest consensus, the greatest demonstrability, and the least personal identification. Wenden(2001)provided an insight on the function of language learners' meta-cognitive knowledge in learning. Wenden (2001) argued that foreign and second language learner beliefs, so far, have been a neglected variable. Bernat & Gvozdenko(2005) identified three approaches to study learners' beliefs: Normative approach in which Likert Scale was used, meta-cognitive approach which employed semi-structured interviews and self-reports to collect data and the contextual approach that includes case studies, ethnographic classroom observations, informal discussions and stimulated recalls, diaries, discourse analysis. (Dörnyei, 2005; R. Ellis, 2008) observed that language learner beliefs affect behaviour and influence both the process and product of learning.
Aim &Methodology
The aim of the research paper is to show the reasons which are responsible for the learners' poor performance. In order to study the learners’ beliefs of the undergraduate students of commerce at the entry level a structured likhert questionnaire was administered to 80 learners and after analysis it was found that the beliefs had a direct influence on their learning of English language.
Findings
It was noticed that majority of the learners agreed that English as a language is difficult and they found it difficult to communicate and interact in the language. However many were not even sure and opted to remain neutral. The inherent belief makes it difficult for the learners to even try and their attitude instead creates a sense of anxiety when asked to speak or talk. So as a teacher , it becomes extremely important to first orient and motivate the learners with illustrations and by citing examples with whom they can tend to relate to so that they are able to overcome their inherited fear. The positive feature is that they are not very strongly opined in favour of the notion that it is difficult. It is also significant to create an environment of trust and faith where they are able to shed off their inhibitions and open up. Many a times it has been observed that ice breaking sessions with simple questions like asking to talk about themselves and then later playing or having JAM sessions as the session progresses proved to be quite successful. English in its written form requires a lot more practice and it is the most difficult of all the skills. Even the learners’ opinion was in positive. From the pie chart below one can see that majority of
The learners either remained neutral or they agreed with the fact that the spellings were quite confusing. A very significant observation I felt while analyzing was that many tend to remain neutral while answering. The reason could be that they never gave a thought on these aspects and may be just overlooked the fact that command on spellings and vocabulary were the basis of writing in English. As a teacher, I think their response and their belief could be very well put to use and with each lesson or poem taught in the class, emphasis could be shifted to encourage the learners to play word building games in different formats where the spellings could be tested and practiced by way of different pre-tasks like matching columns, fill in the gaps, create new words , find synonyms and anonyms, match images with words and then introduce the lesson to be taught.
Most of the teachers would agree that the learners’ interest in reading books is on a decline. The young generation is hooked to NET but when it comes to reading, they generally shun away. Reading basically has taken a back seat and even when it takes place; it is more of general and extensive reading rather than intensive reading. Comprehension passages, précis writing, note taking, note making all topics are generally a part of the Indian curriculum and syllabi at large but still one notices that the learners lack the basic interest to read, understand and comprehend. My finding shows that they find it boring to read and therefore just take all these tasks as something which needs to be done rather than to be enjoyed. Books written in their mother tongue seem to still fascinate them. On a deeper thought one tends to understand that mostly the topics chosen to read in English should be changed from the old to new and the learners should be encouraged to pick up their topics of choice and then ask them to read aloud in the class and not just silent reading. English can then tend to go beyond just the text books and the learners can be engaged in surfing, locating, selecting and then finally presenting. Table no. 3 below hints that here too the same pattern is observed. The learners’ seem to have no opinion or they feel that it is boring. Both the trends are disturbing but at the same time it also rings a bell that if we do not change the pedagogy and the approach, in the long run we are bound to fail in the task of making learners learn a language rather than just a subject. Instead of cribbing on the system and large classes to deal with, we need to take some initiative at our own level to sow in their hearts the desire to know not necessarily from the so called hard bound text books but in their own way blend technology to bring in the class the world which they like and the subject matter, content, text of their choice. It is time to give them a choice and then collaboratively try to mentor their choices to enhance their skills in the right way.
Learners tend to agree that in case one wants to learn English they have to first learn grammar and I assume that it is more to do with the way they have been trained in the traditional method of teaching language instead of with the communicative approach. Having a strong grammar as a fundamental base does help but this belief of the learners that knowing grammar is knowing English has created a lot of mental blocks. Instead of speaking freely, they tend to just get mesmerized by the rules of grammar, so it is at this juncture when as teachers we have to allow them to speak even if it means making errors and not stop them on every little error they make. We have to allow them to communicate, interact, engage in talks and discussions where they can at least express themselves. The most common problem which the teachers face in Indian classrooms is the set time, set syllabus and heterogeneous class. However this is not a problem but a blessing in disguise where the teacher can divide the classroom into pairs and groups where they can share and speak on topics and record their responses which if they like can be shared with the teacher later through mobile applications.
Table 5 speaks volume about the misconception of the learners. Majority of them opine that English is easy to read and write but difficult to speak and understand.
However it also hints that the skills wherein they generally feel safe and don’t have to show or perform, they feel at ease. They are more comfortable in their own personal spaces where there is no one to judge and pass comments. As teachers we know that proper reading with right tone, pitch and pronunciation requires a lot of practice but for them reading acquires the meaning of silent reading and not loud reading. Assessment of written papers in exam is befitting example of the quality crisis which we are aiming at. Thus beliefs of the learners are important to arrive at generalizations and then tackle the root problem rather than just continue to lecture and deliver without making much difference.
Conclusion
Beliefs though are inherent but with proper grooming and training can be nurtured into becoming the seeds for future growth. To shape the practice of everyday teaching the time is ripe for teachers to become ‘strategic practitioners’ and go beyond set methodical pedagogy and invent one’s own pedagogical strategy suited to the needs of the learners. It is time to invest in understanding the learners’ and then take the necessary action of going beyond text books. It has been rightly said, “An old belief is like an old shoe. We so value its comfort that we fail to notice the hole in it.” Robert Brault, rbrault.blogspot.com. However here in this paper beliefs have been analyzed and it works as a reminder that learners’ beliefs have a direct impact on their learning approach and the factors which negatively influence them should be tackled in a befitting manner.
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