Teaching a language has many different features. A teacher does not only teach and pay attention to students’ language skills, such as reading, writing, listening, and speaking, but also helps, facilitates, and encourages students to have enthusiasm, good attitude, and motivation towards English. Furthermore, teachers have to understand what students learn, how and why such learning influences them, how lessons could be beneficial for them in the future. Hence, language teaching requires teachers to teach students to develop both academic and personal abilities.
Key words: problems with language learning, English Language Teaching, Educational technologies, Classroom management, English as a foreign language teaching, challenges, solutions.
Преподавание языка имеет много различных особенностей. Учитель не только преподает и обращает внимание на языковые навыки студентов, такие как чтение, письмо, аудирование и речь, но и помогает, облегчает и поощряет студентов иметь энтузиазм, хорошее отношение и мотивацию к английскому языку. Кроме того, учителя должны понимать, чему учатся студенты, как и почему такое обучение влияет на них, как уроки могут быть полезны для них в будущем. Таким образом, преподавание языка требует от учителей обучать студентов развивать как академические, так и личные способности.
Ключевые слова: проблемы с изучением языка, преподаванием английского языка, образовательными технологиями, управлением классом, изучением английского языка как иностранного языка, проблемы, решения.
The languages used widely in science, technology, art, tourism and international communication and international affairs are advanced languages and adopted as a foreign language in the world today. The teaching of a language as a foreign language means that the language is not only within its borders, but it also interacts with other nations and cultures, it is studied more so as to be recognized and taught in an effective way. As the teaching of English as a foreign language becomes widespread, teaching materials and teaching environments are diversifying and developing. Various problems and challenges emerge while the development and application efforts are under way to keep pace with the modern educational methods of teaching English as a foreign language.
Teaching English as a foreign language is a challenging task, particularly when it is done in places where English serves a very limited purpose. Students are challenged by their lack of vocabulary mastery, low concentration, lack of discipline, boredom, and speaking problem, including lack of English exposure, classroom size and shortage of English teachers. Meanwhile, teachers’ challenges are shortage of teachers’ training, language proficiency issue, limited mastery of teaching methods, unfamiliarity to IT, and lack of professional development. In addition, facilities issues including inadequate resources and facilities, and time constraint. The solutions to overcome these challenges were also suggested in this study. The efforts taken are divided into two; efforts done by the university and by the English teachers. On the other hand, applying various teaching methods and techniques, matching students’ proficiency level and learning situation, making use of available resources and facilities, providing motivational feedback, looking for appropriate methods or materials, and teachers’ self-reflection are the English teachers’ efforts in tackling English teaching challenges.
Teaching a language has many different features. A teacher does not only teach and pay attention to students’ language skills, such as reading, writing, listening, and speaking, but also helps, facilitates, and encourages students to have enthusiasm, good attitude, and motivation towards English. Furthermore, teachers have to understand what students learn, how and why such learning influences them, how lessons could be beneficial for them in the future. Hence, language teaching requires teachers to teach students to develop both academic and personal abilities.
However, teaching English becomes a crucial issue when it is taught as a foreign language. Teaching English as a foreign language is a demanding task when it comes to the places where English serves limited exposure. English has never been widely used as the lingua franca of the majority of the population. This is because the geographic position of Uzbekistan is far away from English-speaking countries as well as several particular cultural values that to some extent, cannot motivate students to study English.
Generally, teaching English might seem similar to any other teaching, yet it has its own unique challenges. These challenges exist in various forms. Since teachers may get only basic preparation in the supportive theory and practical applications, they may then struggle for embodying teaching methods effectively.
Furthermore, English teaching process tends to be challenging when it comes to the teachers’ qualification, language proficiency level, and training since these points can cause teachers’ confidence. Teachers whose teaching training is not enough might strive to embody teaching methods effectively. Applying appropriate teaching methods and techniques is tough because the teachers do not merely think of how to transfer four language skills, but also how to remain students’ motivation and enthusiasm in learning and practicing English (Ansari,2012).
Crowded class. According to Emery (2012), one of the most often mentioned problems encountered by English teachers is that “overcrowded classes and the effect of such condition can have on teaching and learning”. Also lists one of the challenges in teaching English that is the size of the classroom. Likewise, Baker and Westrup (2000) state several problems of teaching large classes, such as “desks and chairs are fixed or difficult to move; students sit close together in rows; little space for the teacher and students to move in the classroom; walls between classrooms are thin, and noise will disturb other classes”. Consequently, it is necessary that teaching and learning process requires comfortable and enjoyable atmosphere, otherwise, teachers might be in failure to fulfill students’ need and achieve learning goals.
Lack of vocabulary. One of the most challenging tasks students encountered is mastering vocabulary. Why students lack vocabulary, i.e. students believed that they did not need to know words because they were not common, even rarely used in their daily lives, therefore, they have no motivation to learn the words. Consequently, students in English as a foreign language context are limited by their knowledge of grammar and vocabulary of the target language and have to struggle to comprehend the content.
Lack of Concentration In Class
When students do not have the concentration can’t learn the material. Concentration depends on these factors:
- fatigue and insomnia
- environment
- family problems
When all these factors are eliminated, the student can do his best to learn the language and gain a good score.
Lack of English exposure. Teaching English as a foreign language is a challenging duty in the places where English has inadequate exposure. Lack of
English exposure also serves less opportunity for students to use English. The lack of English purposes demotivate students to practice and understand English due to students’ insufficient background knowledge of English.
Moreover, it gets more difficult for teachers to encourage students to be enthusiastic in using English due to the lack of English exposure.
Lack of Repetition And Frequent Practice of Students.
Since students are not interested to learn English, so they will be tired of repeating and practicing the language. If the language is taught by the use of audio and video, then the students will learn it within a short period of time. Teacher should use the specific methods which are from the experiences of teachers in order to motivate the students in learning English.
Limited resource accessibility. Another challenge in English language teaching is the issue of resources. In many countries appropriate books are either not available or not used in the classroom. The inadequacy of resources also constitutes a trial to the English teaching and the larger number of students is the large number of sources is needed. In addition, lack of facilities and equipment hinder teachers to embody an effective teaching process.
Linguistic problems. Mukattash (1983) categorized English teaching challenges that are encountered into two: first, most inaccuracies done regarding the pronunciation, morphology, syntax, and spelling; second, most of students have problems in expressing themselves when using English. Specific problem connected to pronunciation, stress, and intonation become problem for students. As a consequence, these linguistic problems are found in all language skills, which make students demotivated in practicing a target language. Another issue regarding linguistic problem is first language or mother tongue interference.
Both teachers and students frequently talk using their mother-tongue language which unconsciously affects their English performance. When teacher and students speak in their mother-tongue, they sometimes use English words in the midst of the sentences and disremember that every language varies in stress, intonation, and pronunciation.
The role of teachers in English teaching
Some students mentioned that learning English is the function of the teachers’ characteristics, so that if students love their teachers and use his motivation and creativity, they will be more interested in English. Although this is an accepted scientific principle and is true for all subjects, but we must accept that this is more prominent in practical lessons. When the students love their teachers, they will be more interested in learning.
Solutions to Solve English Teaching Challenges. The discussions below are only the solutions for some English teaching problems, and the rest are not yet found. Nevertheless, to some extent, these solutions can be used and referred to a certain problem.
To embody an effective teaching, teachers have to ask students to understand native language and similarity of native language and mother tongue.
In summary, reforming attitude involves not only teachers and students, but also government in order to come up with precise education system.
Different teaching methods and techniques application. There are numerous methods of language teaching that can be implemented. English teaching problems, teachers must use a variety of methods for teaching English language. In addition, that through applying various methods, particularly in matching the method and teaching topic, it will help teachers to establish an effective teaching process. Additionally, applying various techniques in language teaching should be taken into account because it will enable teachers to create suitable condition for students in learning English as well as help students to deal with their learning challenges. Therefore, students can be helped in their language learning when teachers understand what best teaching methods or technique meet the need of students.
On teachers’ competence:
- Continued study is necessary for the advancement of teachers’ professional standing and efficiency. Regular attendance of seminars and in-service training in English such as series of demonstration classes and workshop conferences must be conducted by grade levels in the district. Moreover, they should read professional books and magazines to acquire insights and enrich their professional competence.
- Teachers should develop skill in teaching English, the willingness to prepare a wealth of instructional materials, a knowledge of the broad characteristics of the students’ language and of English structure and a warm friendly attitude that will counter balance the students’ lack of knowledge of the language.
- Teachers should be encouraged to converse in English during meetings and conferences.
- All teachers should always speak English with their students anywhere at any time.
Before the learners speak on atopic, they can work in pairs or groups of three or four to prepare it. This gives the learners the chance to learn new items from each other. Here is an example using a same or different information gap activity. Then each learner can describe pictures or topics to each other. Without looking at other learner’s picture or topic, the opponent speaker must response to the description whether it is the same or different. All learners can take changes in practicing this way.
Teaching students foreign language must lead communicative character, when student masters language with the help of communication, that is to say, not only masters separate words and speech examples, but learns to make statements with familiar to him\her models in correspondence with his communicative demands. Communication in foreign language must be motivated and aimed. It is necessary to create in student positive psychological attitude to foreign speech. Exactly game is the way of creating such a positive motivation. Games on lessons must be incidental and isolated. It is necessary to have prevailing game method, uniting and integrating other types of activity in the process of teaching language.
References:
- Banks, T. (2008). Foreign Language Learning Difficulties and Teaching Strategies. California: Dominican University.
- Bash, L. (2003). Adult Learners in the Academy. Bolton, Ma.: Anker Publishing Company.
- Jarvis. P. (2004). Adult Education and Lifelong Learning: Theory and Practice.3rd. London: Falmer Press.
- Malcolm S.Knowles(1973) — The Adult Learner: A Neglected Species. American society for training and development. Madison
- Tight, M. (2003). Key Concepts in Adult Education and Training. Florence, Ky.: Routledge.
