English Course Kota Kinabalu


I am a person from a non IT background.Can i do Software testing course?I have a bachelors degree in English.?
Which are the best Institutes for software testing in Bangalore?Is SQTL a good one?Shall I do any preparatory course before the enrollment to the software testing course?I think I must know the basics of Programming.Could anyone recommend the any sites for learning ‘C Programming’ for beginners?Any online video lessons for free?
Thanks
Rasa
yes you can do. Software does not require you to program anything. you will only test. There are a lot of people who have no idea in computers getting into this field for solely the job oppurtunity. It might be new and challenging at first but u can surely pick up quickly.

House of Lords debate: Modern Languages
On the 3rd December 2010 a motion was brought forward by Baroness Cousins to call attention to the contribution of modern language skills to the UK economy: and to move for papers. Baroness Cousins herself is a language graduate and is chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Modern Languages, a group which is supported by CILT (the National Centre for Languages).
The Baroness calls on Michael Worton’s recently published review of modern language provision in English universities which came to the conclusion that unless the decline in language learning is reversed, Britons will become one of the most monolingual peoples in the world which will result in serious consequences for our economy and the country as a whole.
This has already begun to happen. Research from the Association of British Chambers of Commerce showed that 77% of exporting companies that were unable to do business in a foreign language thought that they had lost business because of it, and exporters who used language skills achieved on average 45% more sales. According to Cardiff University’s Business School, the UK economy could potentially be missing out on up to £21 billion a year because of the lack of language skills in the workforce.
So why is this happening?
Much evidence exists that the language needs of employers are not being met. CBI surveys have indicated that 60% of employers are unhappy with the foreign language skills of school leavers and that over 1/3 of UK businesses are resorting to recruiting from overseas rather than from the British pool of prospective employees.
Our European counterparts are reaping the rewards of having a bilingual or multi-lingual population while the UK festers in the doldrums of monolingualism. This all stems from the education system and the language culture of each individual country, an aspect in which the UK and its government have failed to provide enough of to its people. Many European education systems teach children languages from a young age at Primary school and install a language learning culture into their youth. This continues up to University, three times more French, German and Spanish students go on Erasmus-funded placements abroad as part of their degree than British students, giving them a competitive advantage in the worldwide labour market. While these students are taking full advantage of the international opportunities available to them, our own students are finding it increasingly difficult to take advantage if schemes such as Erasmus. Lord Dykes calls for action “Multilingual children in other European countries can speak one, two, three, four foreign languages because they start early. Why do we not do that here?” We need a change of culture.
One major barrier is that our particular culture installs in the majority of us that English is the predominant language across the globe. This train of thought encourages us not to bother with other languages, while in reality, only 6% of the world’s population are native English speakers and 75% speak no English at all, leaving a very large market which is somewhat impenetrable by our UK monolingual businesses. The ideal strategy should be to recognise the fact that English is indeed one of the most widely spoken languages in the world, but also take advantage of the other languages which would enable us as a country to become more competitive in the global marketplace.
There has been a varied response from the educational and professional sectors and government ministers to this predicament which we face. Many view the education system to be the real source of the problem. Some harrowing figures have been released that show just how dramatic the downturn in language learning in schools has been. Only 44 % of pupils took a language GCSE in 2009, compared with 76% in 2000. The number studying French in state schools has fallen by over 30% since 2004 and only 1 in 11 children are now learning German and only 1 in 9 French. These alarming statistics have no doubt been somewhat partly caused by the Government’s ludicrous decision to abolish the compulsory language GCSE in state schools in 2004. Languages have so often been forgotten in favour of other subjects such as Maths, Science, Engineering and Technology which have been part of the STEM initiative. At present French and German are top of the list of languages that employer’s want but as new markets are opening up other languages are coming into the picture such as Mandarin Chinese or Arabic. The lack of enthusiasm for languages in schools is carrying through to Universities and higher education. A third of modern language departments have closed in the past seven years. An example comes from the University of the West of England (UWE), where student demand is so small that the vice-chancellor is stopping courses in French, Spanish and Chinese studies. The MA in translation remains popular enough to stay running. To soften the blow, a language centre is being created to allow students to take a module in a language with their degree. Despite the importance of emerging economies such as China, the number of students graduating in Chinese remains small. Between 125 – 130 people graduate in single honours Chinese courses, which is an embarrassingly small figure compared to the size of China. Professor Tim Wright of Sheffield University states that Slovenia, with its population of 2 million, has as many students studying Chinese as the UK with its population of between 60 – 70 million. If we are to trade sufficiently with the ‘fastest growing economy in the World’, we must train our young people to speak Chinese.
It is not just the education system which is causing problems. According to the national languages strategy, published by the Government, few employers provide help for their employees to learn languages (1 in 4). When 1 in 5 firms surveyed said they had lost business because of poor language skills, it may be likely that employers may ‘take the bull by the horns’ and show initiative themselves. However, firms may argue, and rightly so, that funds may not be available to train their employees to speak languages, if the UK marketplace they trade in is so competitive and restrictive.
There are also a number of positive initiatives which are currently in operation or are planned to be in operation in the near future. These have been on varying scales, from institution level to nationwide. University College London is one such institution that is trying to buck the trend. It has introduced a language requirement, irrespective of degree subject. Students must agree to undertake a language course during their first year at University. This could then encourage them to continue the study of the particular language up to fluency. Another innovative scheme comes from the Cambridge University Engineering Department, which has introduced a language unit into its school. The unit currently offers French, German, Japanese, Spanish and Chinese. It is also developing self-taught courses in other languages such as Italian, Arabic and Swedish. A record 775 students registered this year, and over 600 students took language courses or participated in language projects in their 3rd and/or 4th years. The programme thrives but it is ‘not thanks to national education policies but through independent initiative’.
In terms of Government initiatives, the major hopes have been pinned on introducing a compulsory language in primary school from age 7 by 2011. 92 % now offer some form of language teaching, but is this really being effective? We cannot simply twiddle our thumbs until these primary schools pupils graduate to address the concerns of the nation. Criticism has already come aimed at the initiative as being a “patchwork of variable provision – sometimes enthusiasm on the part of amateurs, sometimes genuine teaching and progression”. The government have obviously thought up this scheme to try and satisfy the cynics, but they have not provided enough support to training enough teachers or advising on curriculum issues. Another thing that remains unresolved is the issue of transition from primary to secondary, and the obvious decline at secondary level and beyond. The diploma courses have also been touted as a possible redemption route by the government. Existing courses have been complimented by the Diploma in Language and Communication. Issues have also been raised about these. The diplomas are threatened with a lack of funding and there is no clear indication that the new diploma will recruit sufficiently to make any ground on the lost years of language learning since 2004. The general consensus is one of frustration. There are so many ways which the situation could be improved but the government is not doing enough to make them a reality, or at least it does not seem to be. The UK has so many ethnic communities and a rich resource of languages. In London alone, there are 300 different languages spoken approximately, and we could make much better use of them. The way they are delivered and marketed needs to be tailored more towards learners. Lord Watson of Richmond suggested that an informal acquisition of language is much easier through television, such as German TV programmes. It is difficult for young people to acquire the skills as Pop music is in English, and films and TV programmes are in English. One film that has stood out in recent times is Quentin Tarantino’s Inglorious, which was delivered in 3 different languages. Mostly in French, with some German and some English. This has not seemed to put many people off the fact the film was very entertaining and so it must be seen as a step in the right direction.
The debate was closed by the response from the Government Minister for Trade and Investment (Lord Davies of Abersoch). He states that the UK attracts 340,000 international students from more than 200 countries, and that the World Bank actually rates the UK first in Europe and in the top 5 globally for ease of doing business. These figures may sound surprisingly positive; however, it does nothing to mask the fact that we are taking students and investment in, but doing little by way of return.
The fateful decision made in 2004 was done so in order to increase flexibility in the curriculum for vocational opportunities, but the Minister provides no evidence of whether this has worked. Instead he explains that the number of Primary schools teaching languages has risen nearly 50% since 2003 and that the Government are giving £32.5 million in funding to local authorities to support this delivery. The issue of transition is also glanced over; however, the Minister does say how the Key stage 3 curriculum has been revitalised to include a more flexible range of languages. 1 in 7 secondary schools in the UK currently teaches Mandarin which would not be possible without this curriculum overhaul. Figures quoted also put a positive spin on the situation of language learning at University level. The numbers enrolled on joint language degrees increased by 5% from 2007 to 2008 and the numbers for world languages increased (Japanese increased by 43%). The Minister again states that the government does not believe that ‘compulsion is the right approach’.
An £8 million ‘Routes into Languages’ programme has created a consortium of schools, colleges and universities to combine efforts to stimulate demand for language learning in secondary education and above. Some 27,000 pupils are involved in activities which has stemmed from the scheme. Another possible initiative was discussed which will help to stimulate language learning opportunities offered to employees but their employers and trade associations. The CBI and the Chamber of Commerce will be involved with major corporations to put into place a significant drive on the subject.
About the Author
UIAMS conducts an Entrance Test for admission to Off Campus MBA courses in Panjab University, Chandigarh. Today we discuss about the Syllabus and Pattern of the Exam along with some Sample Questions.Syllabus Of MBA Off Campus Entrance Test:
The Entrance Test is of the duration of 2 Hours. It consists of multiple – UIAMS conducts an Entrance Test for admission to Off Campus MBA courses in Panjab University, Chandigarh. Today we discuss about the Syllabus and Pattern of the Exam along with some Sample Questions.Syllabus Of MBA Off Campus Entrance Test:
The Entrance Test is of the duration of 2 Hours. It consists of multiple – choice objective questions with four options A, B, C & D.According to the 2008 Exam there were 160 questions in total with 40 questions each in four sections namely:* Data Interpretation and Problem Solving* Numerical Ability*about the Syllabus and Pattern of the Exam along with some Sample Questions.Syllabus Of MBA Off Campus Entrance Test:
UIAMS
The Entrance Test is of the duration of 2 Hours. It consists of multiple – choice objective questions with four options A, B, C & D.According to the 2008 Exam there were 160 questions in total with 40 questions each in four sections namely:* Data Interpretation and Problem Solving* Numerical Ability* Verbal Ability/ Reasoning* English Comprehension
The Exam carries 80% weightage and 20% is for Work Ex.choice objective questions with four options A, B, C & D.According to the 2008
UIAMS
Exam there were 160 questions in total with 40 questions each in four sections namely:* Data Interpretation and Problem Solving* Numerical Ability* Verbal Ability/ Reasoning* English Comprehension
The Exam carries 80% weightage and 20% is for Work Ex. Verbal Ability/ Reasoning* English Comprehension
UIAMS
The Exam carries 80% weightage and 20% is for Work Ex.choice objective questions with four options A, B, C & D.According to the 2008 Exam there were 160 questions in total with 40 questions each in four sections namely:* Data Interpretation and Problem Solving* Numerical Ability* Verbal Ability/ Reasoning* English Comprehension
The Exam carries 80% weightage and 20% is for Work Ex.
About the Author
UIAMS

international business job prospects? I know 3 languages!?
I am an asian girl who is literate in 3 languages- English, Mandarin(used in China and Taiwan) and Cantonese ( used in Hong Kong). I am planning to major in international business and minor in fashion/global marketing/marketing or some other courses related to business. Also, I plan to study another language, probably japanese first, followed by spanish/german/french.
My ambition is to work in a multinational company and fly around the world. I’m currently finishing highschool in Singapore but I’m planning to return to HK, my birthcountry, to search for jobs after graduating from college. I’m also planning to work in the US if there’s any offers. I just wanna ask what are my prospects of working in a multinational company upon graduation?
sales manager, inspector, translator, etc

All my documents were deleted from my computer! HELP!!!?
I had a virus on my computer and PC shop deleted it, then re installed all my things on the computer as they said it was running too slow but they deleted evreything. All my higher english course work and my higher biology and chemistry course work was on it too and i really need it. Also my full iTunes library was deleted and all my pictures with relatives who have sadly passed on. I really want my files back. Please tell me what i can do to get them. Will the PC shop have a copy or is there some kind of software i can download to get them back or can i simply not get them back. Please help, im really upset about losing all my stuff and as its nearly exam time i dont have the time to re do all of my work again.
Thanks
if you didn’t ask them to reinstall windows or delete your things than they shouldn’t have done it. take it back and if they have no backups or anything complain as much as you can and try to get people in trouble for doing stupid things to important data.

Does anyone have any pictures or information of the 1975 game between a Glasgow Select and The English League?
This game was played to mark the eight hundredth anniversary of Glasgow’s burgh charter, as granted by Archbishop Jocelyn in 1175, among many other events that year. The Glasgow team wore jerseys essentially of blue and green stripes (for obvious reasons) and also of course had essentially a blue and green team. I believe the English League won 1-0 with a goal from Trevor Cherry. And other than that I know nothing at all about it, but would like to know more. I would also very much appreciate seeing pictures of the players in those blue and green striped jerseys.
I remember a game played in 1977 at Hampden between a Glasgow Select and The Football League. As you have described, the Glasgow jerseys were green and blue stripes and the team consisted of mainly Old Firm players with Kenny Dalglish as captain. Can’t remember a match in 1975.

Texts studied in the English lit course at Glasgow Uni?
Hi, I’m hoping to attend Glasgow University to study English Literature (if the exams go according to plan!) and was hoping that I could get some insight perhaps from those who’ve already studied there.
I looked at the course outline and noticed a lot of novels, drama and poems. Does anyone have a specific pseudo-list of texts that I could read beforehand (I like being comfortable with the text)? Or does the course vary from year-to-year? Are there any “absolute texts” that are without a doubt studied?
Sorry for all the questions and any help would be greatly appreciated!
Contact Glasgow University and ask them fo a current list and it there are any planned changes./
English is unlike many other GCSE subjects because, certainly in the case of English language, there are few, if any, hard facts to remember. However, this does not mean that it is unnecessary to revise for English GCSE. In fact, effective, thorough revision will play a key part in your performance in the examination, just like any other subject.
Before we get down to the nitty gritty of revision, it’s probably worth reminding yourself as to what you will come up against in the GCSE examination. English syllabuses vary across the country, but you’ll almost certainly be required to write essays, in the form of your own creative writing, writing to explain, describe or inform and writing to argue, persuade or advise. You’ll also be asked to read one or more fiction and non-fiction or media texts and to answer questions in response to them.
It is therefore relatively easy to divide the English syllabus up into chunks and to concentrate on one chunk at a time. A decent revision guide, either online or in print, can help to lead you through the various techniques that you’ll need to answer each type of question, but to try to find one that is appropriate to the English syllabus that you have followed.
Creative writing, for example, involves writing your own story or narrative. It’s helpful to outline a plot and the main characters involved on paper before you start. This means that you’ll have a pretty good idea as to where your story is going in terms of beginning, build-up, climax and ending, so you can concentrate on adding style and substance to your writing.
Writing to inform, explain or describe involves conveying information to your reader in one form or another. You need to be aware of your purpose and your audience, so that you include a detailed discussion, if necessary, ensuring that the reader can understand precisely what you mean.
Writing to argue, persuade or advise means presenting a coherent, logical argument that convinces the reader that yours is the only sensible point of view. In order to do this, you must grab the reader’s attention right from the start and get straight to the point. You can use certain “tricks”, such as expert opinion, ethical beliefs, striking or emotive language to reinforce your argument. However, if it is not based on logic to start with, it will not be convincing. Rhetorical questions often work well in this type of writing. You do want maximum marks in your GCSE examination don’t you?
There are clearly many more techniques that you need to appreciate and apply if you are going to reach the higher grades.
Of course, whatever the question you may be answering, the examiner will expect your spelling, punctuation and grammar to be up to scratch. To reach an A or A* grade, you will not only need to spell and to punctuate correctly, but also write sentences that are grammatically correct and varied. This means avoiding writing as you would speak or the use of slang or dialect words, which the examiner may not understand. You must write in formal, standard English. Starting your sentences in different ways and varying their length will make your writing more interesting to read and will earn you additional marks.
About the Author
Article by OUP
OUP publish study guides for WJEC GCSE English, OCR GCSE English as well as for a variety of other subjects and levels.

Introduction
The learning situation or the classroom essentially plays a momentous role in the learning of the foreign language since the learner has no access to the target language beyond the classroom door (Brown 2001). That is, it is the classroom where the foreign language (FL) learner receives the input from the teacher, practises the target language skills with the teacher and the fellow learners and shows his/her performance in the language before his/her teacher and classmates.
Gardner (1985a) notes that for the FL learner the language classroom might be the only place in which the learner encounters the target language and the teacher might be the prime user of the language. He then maintains – ‘consequently, the course and the teacher can become closely associated with the language material, and attitudes toward them could thus become highly influential’ (1985a: 7). He accordingly predicts that where learner reaction to the learning situation is positive, other factors being equal, the learner will have a pleasant experience with the target language and will be encouraged to continue. Besides, Haque (1989), Gordon (1980) and Naiman et al. (1978) reveal significantly positive associations between indices of learner attitudes towards the teacher and the language course and proficiency in the target language.
Moreover, as a teacher of the English language, I have had the opportunity to observe that there is some degree of interaction between the factors of the learning situation – the teacher, the course, the fellow learners and the prevailing atmosphere – and the proficiency of the learner of English as a foreign language (EFL), especially in his/her productive skills – writing and speaking.
However, the findings of the studies conducted by Maniruzzaman (1998), Parkinson and Howell-Richardson (1990), Kleinmann (1978) and Chastain (1975) are found to be inconsistent with those of the investigations carried out by Haque (1989), Gordon (1980) and Naiman et al. (1978).
Hence, the present study was designed to examine the interaction between the learning situation and the proficiency of Bengali-speaking EFL learners in their writing and speaking skills. To carry out the investigation, three hypotheses were formulated:
H1. The learner’s classroom anxiety would have significantly negative impact on his/her proficiency in writing and speaking.
H2. The learner’s attitudes towards his/her teacher would have significantly positive relations to his/her proficiency in writing and speaking.
H3. The learner’s attitudes towards the language course would have significantly positive associations with his/her proficiency in writing and speaking.
Method
Subjects
This study was conducted with 41 tertiary level students – 25 males and 16 females – learning the English language in the Language Centre at Jahangirnagar University. Though the subjects were from the different departments of Jahangirnagar University, they possessed some features in common – belonging to a similar age group, already having twelve years of formal instruction in EFL at the rate of about four hours every week and studying throughout in the Bengali medium.
Instrumentation
To test the hypotheses of the present study, three major predictor variables were determined – EFL classroom anxiety, attitudes towards the teacher and attitudes towards the course. The major criterion variables in the study were the subjects’ scores on a structure test, a vocabulary test, a composition test and a speaking test.
To ascertain the subjects’ association with the learning situation consisting of classroom anxiety and attitudes towards the teacher and the course, a questionnaire was modelled on the relevant items of the Attitude/Motivation Test Battery originally developed by Gardner (1985b) and next modified by Maniruzzaman (1998). The questionnaire has four parts:
Part-I following “General instructions” has some levels that elicited information from the learners about their names, roll nos., etc.
Part-II consists of ten items using the Likert Scale (1932). It measured the subjects’ discomfort and tension while participating in the EFL class. A high score on this test (maximum = 70) reflected a subject’s anxiety in the classroom.
Part-III has four subtests related to the attitudes of the subjects towards their teacher:
i) English Teacher Evaluation. The ratings on ten evaluative scales were summed to reflect the subjects’ general evaluative reaction to their teacher. The items were scored in the direction indicated below such that a high score (maximum = 70) indicated a positive evaluation. The scales are– friendly-unfriendly, unreliable-reliable, inconsiderate-considerate, good-bad, pleasant-unpleasant, efficient-inefficient, polite-impolite, insincere-sincere, dependable-undependable, and cheerful-cheerless.
ii) English Teacher Rapport. Teacher-learner rapport was measured by five scales keyed in the “rapport” direction – trusting-suspicious, insensitive-sensitive, unapproachable-approachable, impatient-patient, and disinterested-interested. The higher the score (maximum = 35) was on this measure, the greater the perceived rapport and warmth of the teacher would be.
iii) English Teacher Competence. The subjects’ perception of the teacher’s competence was measured by five scales – organized-disorganized, industrious-unindustrious, unintelligent-intelligent, incapable-capable, and competent-incompetent. A high score (maximum =35) was perceived as indicating that the subjects rated the teacher competent.
iv) English Teacher Inspiration. On this five item test – colourful-colourless, unimaginative-imaginative, exciting-dull, tedious-fascinating, and interesting-boring, the subjects rated the extent to which they felt that their teacher inspired them to learn EFL. High scores (maximum =35) indicated high levels of inspiration and interest.
Part-IV is composed of four subtests concerned with the subjects’ attitudes towards their course:
i) English Course Evaluation. The learners’ general evaluation of their course was assessed with ten items scored such that the higher the score (maximum =70), the more positive the evaluation. The items are good-bad, disagreeable-agreeable, pleasurable-painful, satisfying-unsatisfying, awful-nice, pleasant-unpleasant, enjoyable-unenjoyable, unrewarding-rewarding, worthless-valuable, and appealing-unappealing keyed positively.
ii) English Course Difficulty. Ratings on five scales – simple-complicated, elementary-complex, effortless-hard, clear-confusing, and difficult-easy – were summed to provide an estimate of the perceived difficulty of the course. A high score (maximum = 35) indicated that the course was easy while a low score indicated that the course was difficult.
iii) English Course Utility. This subtest comprises five scales – educational-noneducational, meaningful-meaningless, necessary-unnecessary, useless-useful, and unimportant-important. A high score (maximum = 35) was associated with a high level of perceived utility of the course.
iv) English Course Interest. Five scales – fascinating-tedious, monotonous-absorbing, interesting-boring, exciting-dull, and colourful-colourless – were summed such that the higher the score (maximum = 35) the more interest the subjects had in the course.
Both Part-III and Part-IV were assessed by means of a Semantic Differential Format postulated by Osgood et al. (1957).
This investigation also required an assessment of the proficiency of the subjects in their writing and speaking skills. The proficiency of each of the subjects was ascertained by a four-part test reflecting the objectives of the syllabus of the course they were taking. The proficiency test used in this study was constructed by the present researcher and validated and standardized on samples of students participating in the same course earlier. That is, the test had sufficient validity, reliability and practicality. The four parts of the test are as follows:
Part-I being constituted of Structure Test-I and Structure Test-II has 30 multiple choice items covering the structures the students at the tertiary level are supposed to have mastered. In this measure, the objective test format was used, and an effort was made to put the test items in the context of a short narrative cum conversation so that language in use would, as mach as possible, be tried out.
Part-II embodies Vocabulary Test having 20 multiple choice items. This test was designed to show the range of vocabulary the learners at the tertiary level had mastered. The vocabulary items in the measure were selected on the basis of the assumption that the subjects had already learned them.
Part-III includes Composition Test designed to assess the subjects’ linguistic competence in organizing and presenting relevant ideas in writing. Controlled compositions are error-provoking while free compositions are error-avoiding. In this investigation, spontaneous prediction procedure was followed, and the subjects were asked to write a free composition on any one of the topics – “Your future plan”, “Importance of English” and “Family life”.
Part-IV is made up of three types of speaking tests. Speaking Test-I was used to determine the subjects’ ability to express different attitudes, feelings and emotions. Speaking Test-II and Speaking Test-III were exploited to ascertain the subjects’ competence in communicating in real life situations.
Data collection and analysis
The questionnaire for tapping the subjects’ association with the learning situation was translated into Bengali so that the subjects could overcome the difficulties caused by the English version. After an explanation of the purposes of the study and preliminary instructions, the questionnaire was administered. The different parts of the proficiency test were given at different times as normal class tests.
The data collected by using the questionnaire and the proficiency test were first scored by hand. Total scores were then computed on each of the subtests for each individual subject. The analysis of the data taken from those subjects who had responded to both the questionnaire and the proficiency test was performed by using the Pearson’s product-moment correlation coefficients available in the SPSSX (Statistical Packages for the Social Sciences) programme module. The level of significance set for the statistical tests in this research was at the *p<.01 level.>
Findings and interpretations
Three hypotheses related to the interaction between the learning situation and the proficiency of the subjects in their writing and speaking skills were formulated to interpret the findings of the statistical analysis of the data.
H1. The learner’s classroom anxiety would have significantly negative impact on his/her proficiency in writing and speaking.
To test the hypothesis, a Pearson’s product-moment correlation was computed between classroom anxiety and the dependent variables. The Pearson’s product-moment correlation coefficients have been shown in Table 1:
Table1: Pearson’s product-moment correlation coefficients computed between classroom anxiety and the measures of proficiency in writing and speaking:
Predictor Variable Pearson’s product-moment correlation coefficients (r)
Structure
Test
Vocabulary
Test Composition
Test Speaking
Test
Classroom Anxiety -.44**
-.46** -.42** -.49**
N = 41 Level of Significance *p<.01>
**p<.001>
According to the finding displayed in Table 1, Classroom Anxiety had negative associations with Structure Test r being -.44, Vocabulary Test r being -.46, Composition Test r being -.42, and Speaking Test r being -.49. All the correlations were significant at p<.001 level. hence the hypothesis learner classroom anxiety would have significantly negative impact on his proficiency in writing and speaking was accepted.>
This finding discloses that the subject having a greater amount of classroom anxiety had less proficiency in their writing and speaking skills, and is consistent with those of the studies conducted by Bailey (1983), Horwitz (1986), Trylong (1987), Haque (1989) and Walker (1997). The result also lends support to Krashen’s (1981, 1982 and 1985) postulate that as a mental block anxiety resists learning. It, moreover, corroborates the argument that ‘studies have consistently shown that anxiety is one of the best predictors of success in the second language’ (MacIntyre and Gardner 1991: 96). Nonetheless, the present finding contradicts those of the investigations carried out by Chastain (1975), Kleinmann (1978), Parkinson and Howell-Richardson (1990) and Maniruzzaman (1998).
The current finding may be attributed to a number of factors commonly found in the foreign language classroom in Bangladesh: mostly untrained teachers, the teacher-dominated classroom atmosphere, problems with the selection and grading of the teaching/learning items, irrelevant and inadequate materials, the deductive teaching process, insufficient involvement of the learner, the defective testing system and little use of modern equipment. These factors compel the learner to have a phobia about achieving the target language skills as well as showing optimal performance in the productive skills.
H2. The learner’s attitudes towards his/her teacher would have significantly positive relations to his/her proficiency in writing and speaking.
To examine the hypothesis, a Pearson’s product-moment correlation coefficient was run on the independent variable related to the teacher and the dependent variables. The Pearson’s product-moment correlation coefficients have been demonstrated in Table 2:
Table2: Pearson’s product-moment correlation coefficients computed between the variables related to the teacher and the measures of proficiency in writing and speaking:
Predictor Variable s Pearson’s product-moment correlation coefficients (r)
Structure
Test
Vocabulary
Test Composition
Test Speaking
Test
English Teacher Evaluation .35**
.30**
.29**
.36**
English Teacher Rapport
.32**
.31**
.30**
.33**
English Teacher Competence
.36**
.34**
.28**
.36**
English Teacher Inspiration
.32**
.35**
.31**
.31**
N = 41 Level of Significance *p<.01>
**p<.001>
As shown in Table 2, English Teacher Evaluation, English Teacher Rapport, English Teacher Competence and English Teacher Inspiration had significantly positive correlations with Structure Test r being .35, .32, .36 and .32 respectively, with Vocabulary Test r being .30, .31, .34 and .35 respectively, with Composition Test r being .29, .30, .28 and .31, and with Speaking test r being .36, .33, .36 and .31 respectively. Therefore, the hypothesis that the learner’s attitudes towards his/her teacher would have significantly positive relations to his/her proficiency in writing and speaking is deemed to have been accepted.
The finding can be supported by the conclusions drawn by Neidt and Hedlund (1967), Burstall (1970), Gordon (1980) and Haque (1989). Neidt and Hedlund (1967) in a study among the students of German at the University of California, Burstall (1970) in an experiment with some students in Britain, Gordon (1980) in an investigation with Belizean ESL students, and Haque (1989) in a study with the ninth grade students of Dhaka city revealed significant and positive associations between the measures of the subjects’ attitudes towards the teacher and their proficiency in the different skills of the target language.
The present result that the learner’s attitudes towards the teacher significantly predict his/her proficiency in EFL may be explained by pointing to the fact that the teacher is the only person who provides the learner with the input, with whom the learner practises the skills of the target language, and whom the learner mainly shows his/her performance in the productive skills.
H3. The learner’s attitudes towards the language course would have significantly positive associations with his/her proficiency in writing and speaking.
To try out the hypothesis, a Pearson’s product-moment correlation coefficient was run on the independent variables concerned with the course and the dependent variables. The Pearson’s product-moment correlation coefficients have been exhibited in Table 3:
Table3: Pearson’s product-moment correlation coefficients computed between the variables concerned with the course and the measures of proficiency in writing and speaking:
Predictor Variable s Pearson’s product-moment correlation coefficients (r)
Structure
Test
Vocabulary
Test Composition
Test Speaking
Test
English Course Evaluation .30**
.30**
.29**
.36**
English Course Difficulty
.12
.13
.10
.12
English Course Utility
.31**
.33**
.32**
.33**
English Course Interest
.36**
.33**
.32**
.35**
N = 41 Level of Significance *p<.01>
**p<.001>
The correlation coefficients presented in Table 3 disclose that English Course Evaluation was significantly positively correlated with Structure Test, Vocabulary Test, Composition Test and Speaking Test r being .30, .30, .29 and .36 respectively. English Course Difficulty was insignificantly positively associated with Structure Test, Vocabulary Test, Composition Test and Speaking Test r being .12, .13, .10 and .12 respectively. English Course Utility had significantly positive correlations with Structure Test, Vocabulary Test, Composition Test and Speaking Test r being .31, .33, .32 and .33 respectively. Finally, English Course Interest was also significantly positively correlated with Structure Test, Vocabulary Test, Composition Test and Speaking Test r being .36, .33, .32 and .35 respectively. Thus, the hypothesis that the learner’s attitudes towards the language course would have significantly positive associations with his/her proficiency in writing and speaking may be thought over to have been largely accepted.
This finding lends support to those uncovered by Neidt and Hedlund (1967), Burstall (1970), Gordon (1980) and Haque (1989), and can be explained by considering the point that the subjects were substantially aware of the different aspects of their course. That is, course evaluation, utility and interest significantly and positively affected the learners’ proficiency in their writing and speaking while course difficulty had a little impact on their proficiency in the same skills.
Conclusions and recommendations
To sum up, the investigation produces three important findings.
Firstly, classroom anxiety had significantly negative correlations with all the tests of the subjects’ proficiency in EFL writing and speaking. This finding suggests that classroom anxiety considerably hampers learners’ proficiency in the productive skills of the target language.
Secondly, the subjects’ attitudes towards their teacher were significantly positively associated with all the measures of their proficiency in writing and speaking. This result is suggestive of the fact that the teacher’s evaluation, rapport, competence and inspiration have substantial impact on the learner’s proficiency in writing and speaking.
Thirdly, the subjects’ attitudes towards their course were in most cases significantly and in all the cases positively correlated with the measures of their proficiency in writing and speaking. This finding indicates that course evaluation, utility and interest largely and course difficulty slightly influence the learner’s proficiency in the productive skills of the foreign language they learn.
Based on the findings, the present researcher makes several recommendations.
As classroom anxiety seriously hinders and reduces the learner’s proficiency in the productive skills of the target language, some effective measures, such as systematic desensitization, guided participation, creating friendly atmosphere, ensuring large involvement of the learner, cognitive restructuring, self-assessment (Oscarson 1997), and so on have to be taken to alleviate it. Further, the strategy of cooperative learning (Macaro 1997) can be exploited to increase the learner’s motivation and retention, to help him/her develop a positive image of self and others, to provide a vehicle for critical thinking and problem solving, and to encourage collaborative social skills. Moreover, the learner should be taught what he/she lacks, needs and is interested in, and how he/she should be motivated to achieve proficiency in the skills of the target language. In other words, the teaching items, materials, equipment and assessment system should conform to the learner’s needs and interests.
The teacher in an EFL classroom is the only person who provides the learner with the input, with whom the learner practises the skills of the target language, and whom the learner mainly shows his/her performance in the productive skills. Therefore, the teacher should be well trained, professionally qualified and widely experienced, and keep him/herself abreast of the contemporary foreign language teaching methods, approaches and trends. He/she should act the role of ‘facilitator’ providing support for learning, ‘counsellor’ where the emphasis is placed on one-to-one interaction and ‘resource’ in which he/she is seen as a source of knowledge and expertise (Voller1997). That is to say, the teacher should provide environmental, emotional and linguistic support (Walker 1997).
Last but not least, since course evaluation, utility, interest and difficulty tremendously affect the learners’ proficiency in their writing and speaking, the teaching items, techniques, materials and equipment should match the learner’s level, needs, wants and interest.
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