Reluctant Teachers, Rustic Students and the Remoteness of English

Abstract

Initially this study started with the main objective of examining the English language environment available to the learners in a remote locality. However, when it was realized that there was no English language environment outside the English language classroom, the issue was approached from the perspective of the instructors and their instructions as they were the main source of English language exposure which the learners received. The main subjects of this study were a group of 25 pupils and three English language teachers in School A. Qualitative approach was used to gather data through observation, interviews and documents. Field and formal analysis were carried out using interpretative and descriptive statistics. In order to validate the findings, cross checking and triangulation were carried out. The study revealed that subjects received very minimal English language exposure. Whatever little exposure they received in class were of poor quality. The teacher was the only source of exposure through their English language class. As such, the English language teachers had a vital role to play. However, the "qualified" teachers were not motivated to teach. They treated School A as a temporary posting while awaiting a more permanent posting to a school or district of their choice. While they "buy" their time teaching was not very close to their heart. Thus, could these teachers motivate their students to learn? When they did teach they were hardly ever prepared and made numerous errors in English. Whatever little homework given was seldom returned by the students and if completed and handed in, the work was hardly looked at. In short the findings suggest that the reluctance of the English language teachers in the milieu of the rustic learners has resulted in the remoteness of English language in School A.

Pada peringkat awal, kajian ini dikendalikan dengan objektif utama untuk mengkaji persekitaran bahasa Inggeris yang sedia ada bagi pelajar-pelajar di kawasan pedalaman. Walau bagaimanapun, setelah mendapat maklumat awal bahawa persekitaran bahasa Inggeris tidak wujud selain di dalam bilik darjah, maka kajian ini beralih kepada
perspektif pengajar dan pengajaran bahasa Inggeris di dalam bilik darjah. Kajian ini mendapati bahawa guru bahasa Inggeris merupakan sumber pendedahan utama bahasa itu bagi subjek kajian ini. Subjek-subjek terdiri daripada sekumpulan 25 orang pelajar dan 3 orang guru bahasa Inggeris di Sekolah A. Pendekatan kualitatif digunakan untuk mengumpul data melalui pemerhatian, temu duga dan dokumen. Analisis lapangan dan formal dilakukan melalui kaedah interpretasi dan statistik deskriptif. Pengesahan dapatan dilakukan melalui proses pemeriksaan rentas dan triangulasi. Kajian ini juga menunjukkan bahawa subjek menerima pendedahan bahasa Inggeris yang amat terhad. Segala pendedahan hanya terhad di dalam bilik darjah pada kualiti yang amat rendah. Oleh kerana guru merupakan satu-satunya sumber utama pendedahan bahasa Inggeris melalui kelas mereka, maka peranan mereka amat penting. Malangnya guru-guru ini tidak mahir dan tidak bermotivasi untuk mengajar. Semua guru menganggap bahawa Sekolah A sebagai posting sementara sambil menunggu posting pilihan mereka yang lebih tetap. Maka tidak hairanlah semasa mengajar guru-guru tersebut lazimnya tidak bersedia terlebih dahulu dan melakukan banyak kesalahan bahasa Inggeris. Apa sahaja kerja rumah yang diberi kepada murid jarang dilengkapkan dan jika disudahkan dan dikembalikan kepada guru jarang pula disemak oleh guru-guru tersebut. Ringkasnya, kajian ini menunjukkan bahawa guru bahasa Inggeris yang cetek kemahiran dan ilmu menjadi salah satu punca kepinggiran bahasa Inggeris di Sekolah A.