IMPACT OF THE ENVIRONMENT ON STUDENTS ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT IN ENGLISH LANGUAGE
CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION
Research background
English language is considered one of the most widely spoken languages all over the world. Although it comes second to Mandarin in the total number of speakers, it is widely spread compared to other languages. English is the official language of 53 countries in the world, more than 750 million people speak it either as a native or second language More than 196 have English as an official language. In addition to that English will give you more opportunities in speaking, communicating effectively whenever or wherever you go abroad, enabling you to have wide opportunities in looking for jobs and business one day. English will make you more desirable to employers. It will also provide wide access to knowledge in all its meanings and shapes. Besides, more than 53% of the world Web Sites and Internet, computer use English language, and this absolutely show the importance of it, beside that it is the language of science, using it in education and scientific research. It is a global language and has wide uses including also the fields of Diplomacy, Tourism and Aviation, many references and textbooks in Universities worldwide are written in English language.
Sudan has witnessed general deterioration in the standard of English language. This can be seen clearly via the students marks in English language, the teachers'
observations and the performance of the students in English language in the classroom, etc. The weakness of English language took place as a result of a variety of factors e.g. Teachers low qualification, students low motivation for learning English language, the absence of literature from the English language syllabus and inadequate school environment. Among these the school environment in Sudan is the focus of this research. No doubt that there is a strong bond between school environment and language learning because environment is like a motor that facilitates the language acquisition. For instance, through good environment we can see the best achievement of a language learning and teaching. Hence the researcher suggests that literature school environment can never be separated from any level of language learning. Therefore, if school environment was under any reasons separated from a language, this would cause a big damage in the learning process. Therefore, learning English involves many factors that would affect the process of learning positively or negatively; learning environment comes on the top.
Statement of the research problem:
This research attributes the deterioration of the standard of English language achievement in secondary schools to the deterioration of the school environment and the educational aids that may ease the language attainments.
Objectives of the research:
1- Examine the impact of the environment on students’ achievement in English
language.
2- Identify the environmental problems that affect students’ performance in English
such as (The class environment, seats, paints, audio and visual aids)
3- Finding better solutions for poor achievement problems in English language, and avoid the negative impacts of poor education environment.
Research approach:
A comprehensive review of existing literature was previously carried out in order to identify the occupational health & measures to measure the gap between learning environment and students’ achievement in Khartoum State. In order to test its convenience for the educational processes, a questionnaire form designed, and administered through four different schools in Khartoum State. The questionnaire form designed to meet the objectives of the study, namely to determine the impact of environment on English language learning in this important area. A questionnaire survey was done then developed consisting of questions that inquire about the importance of school environment and its impact on students, measure the main variables.
The study population consisted of all persons who are currently studying English in Khartoum State. A convenient sample of 50 English teachers were identified in a random
selection process and the respondents were 42 teachers which represent over 90% of the total sample.
The questionnaire was administered through Khartoum secondary schools, this tool described the objectives of the study and asked the English teachers to participate in this study, then a forty-two questionnaire forms were completed, administered and analyzed by computer software (SPSS).
Thesis layout:
This thesis composed of five chapters. In the first chapter, introductory information has been given covering a background for the research as well as research statement problem, and objectives. Second chapter is a literature review covering a theoretical framework of the thesis that explained definitions of terms for the main titles of this thesis and a historical background of previous studies. Third chapter consists of research materials and methodology, fourth chapter covered, analysis and discussion, and the fifth chapter included conclusions and recommendations.
Chapter Two Literature Review
2.1- Introduction:
An intensive review of related literature has been done about the factors which are affecting students’ English achievement at the country and beyond, to reveal that several researches on this topic were organized and carried out in developing and developed countries as well, showed that school environment was one of the most important factors which affected and was more important for students’ English achievement than the other factors.
The contents of this chapter present background, the definition of school environment, characteristics of good school environment, previous studies and conclusion.
Extreme demographic changes in classrooms in recent decades, as well as the impact of globalization on potentials regarding fluency and mastering English (today’s “lingua- franca”), have made it mandatory upon academics to shed more light on the learning and teaching issues that impact English learners, in both the English as a foreign language (EFL) and English as a second language (ESL) settings. In this repute, many studies have scrutinized learners’ environment and its relationship to their academic achievement. These studies have focused on several factors, including essential value, values for achievement, self-efficacy, self-schema, prior knowledge, cultural background, and socio-economic
status (Bandura & Locke, 2003; Eccles & Wigfield, 2002; Ruddell & Unrau, 1997/2004; Wigfield & Eccles, 2000). However, few EFL studies seem to have addressed the impact of environment of schools and classrooms on students’ motivations and achievement in English language; further, many studies seem to have examined the conjoint effect of said issues. It is these issues that the present study seeks to address using a sample of EFL teachers of secondary levels in the Republic of Sudan, Khartoum city, which is a developing, predominately Arabic-speaking nation in northeast Africa.
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