PROBLEMS OF INTRODUCING EARLY ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNING
PROBLEMS OF INTRODUCING EARLY ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNING
Saltanat Kydyrbaeva
Student, Astana International University,
Kazakhstan, Astana
Dinara Kaharman
Master of Philology, Astana International University,
Kazakhstan, Astana
The need for early learning of a foreign language is officially recognized by the state. English language teaching in our country's schools is conducted from pre-school classes. But there are a number of problems that teachers face when teaching English in elementary school. There are completely different students in the class: they differ in the level of learning, the ability to master the language, to communicate in English in a group, different motivations to learn English, as well as intellectual abilities.
The aim of this article: to determine whether it is necessary to introduce English in primary schools.
To achieve the main goal, I have the objectives:
1) To show the disadvantages of implementing English at primary schools.
2) To distinguish the importance of learning the native language.
3) To criticize the methods of teaching English in primary schools.
1. According to Satybaldiev Erkinjon’s article theoretically, the acceleration of the so-called "social adaptation" can hamper the normal mental development of children. According to the primary education program, very strict requirements are imposed on children of this age in mastering knowledge systems in the logic of school education, which implies the formation of these functions. The consequences of such a discrepancy can be a premature loss of learning motivation, various emotional disharmony, the appearance of defensive neurotic reactions that develop into stable personality traits, "learned helplessness", etc.
2. As stated by Petrova Lyudmila’s article the most important point in learning English is prostrating cerebral walls. The pupil knows enough, but doesn't dare to speak out. When he gets into a language situation, he gets lost, doesn't know where to start, is hysterical that he'll say everything wrong and eventually prefers to remain silent.
The first grade is occasionally attended by children with a clear speech disfigurement. She means, they gasp Russian and Kazakh sounds poorly and don't ask the letters correctly. Speech lights can also be associated with the fact that parents or grandmothers "babble" with youthful children. Although it's necessary to talk to a small child from the very moment of his birth easily and clearly pronounce words so that he learns to utter them correctly.
3. As specified by Balalaikina Anastasia’s article, teachers of English face many challenges, as linking two language systems is quite a difficult process for junior school students.
The situation is aggravated, on the one hand, by low-quality textbooks focused on the same topic, and, on the other hand, by excessively overloaded grammar that is not explained at the proper level. The tasks presented by him are too difficult for younger students. The text is written in a language accessible to children, far from modern. In addition, in the process of learning English in elementary school, students face the following difficulties.
- Lack of effective and adequate motivation to learn a foreign language.
- Personal psychological barriers faced by some students in the process of learning a new language.
- Lack of systematic training and true communication with native English speakers.
A total of 100 respondents took part in this survey. 56.7% of respondents were aged from 15 to 18 years. When learning English, 46.2% of respondents prefer the classical method, 23.1% the communicative method, and the rest prefer The Audio Linguistic Method and Total Physical Response.
The results of this survey show that the majority (57%) of respondents voted for English lessons to be introduced starting only from the middle grades (from the 5th grades). The rest (43%), as expected, were against such an introduction. More than three out of four (75.4%) started learning English from the 5th grade. Despite this, the majority (38.3%) of respondents have an average level of English proficiency (three out of five). Only a small (3.3%) part speak the language five out of five. In spite of the fact that many (36.7%) experienced interest and joy when coming to the lesson, the remaining (30%) experienced anxiety and fear, and some (15%) even indifference. Moreover, when doing homework in English, almost half of those who voted always tried to do it, but it didn't always work out. Some (35%) didn't even always do their homework. Therefore, I can say that even those who started learning English, it would seem, only from the middle classes, it is hard and motivation to learn the language will disappear.
For the majority (37.3%), the most difficult thing in learning a foreign language is to learn grammar, for some (30.5%) to understand speech by ear, and for the rest (32.2%) to learn new words and so on. In my opinion, the first thing a student should do is master his native language well, since it is very important and is the main component for his further development. The preservation of the first language is especially important for the development of a child's positive self-esteem and well-being. In addition, from the
elementary grades, students should learn a second language - Russian, which is the language of interethnic communication. For this reason, a third language, English, will be excessive here, since it will be a big burden for primary school students.
The majority (38.3%) experience anxious and unpleasant feelings during the lesson during work. Almost half (49.2%) of those who voted feel tense and anxious when a teacher asks them in class. This may indicate that students are learning the language through force.
More than half (54.1%) most like to work in pairs or the group and discuss something. This means that paired or group work is not carried out in the classrooms, which are very important and useful for the development of students' communication skills. The majority (29%) believe that the main thing in the lesson is to learn grammar, and some (24.2%) think to understand texts by ear, and for some (19.4%) it is the main thing to communicate with each other in English. Almost half (45%) voted to have more songs, music, various texts to listen to and so on in the lessons. As expected, when learning a language, the majority (36.7%) prefer the classical method. Schools usually teach the classical method of language learning, but this method has its drawbacks. In this method, little time is given to communication, classes take a lot of time, which is why the study will take place slowly throughout the school year.
The total number of respondents is 144 people, which is only about 8% of Astana residents. Due to the small overall sample size for analysis, the responses collected may not be accurate and may not represent the viewpoint of all students in Astana. For complete and accurate results, I may need as many respondents as possible.
There were cases with respondents who could not answer some questions. It was difficult for respondents to choose the answers, as they did not find themselves in such situations or did not face such problems. In subsequent surveys, it would be convenient to include answer options where respondents could write their own answers.
According to the survey results, it can be seen that English should not be introduced from primary school.
One of the problems of early English language learning is the lack of effective and relevant motives for the student to master English and the influence of his native language. From early childhood, there is no need for such motives, since the child speaks his native language with the help of which he solves all communication problems, basic life, socio-cultural and cognitive interests. Accordingly, the student does not see the point in learning the language, referring to the reason that he will not use it. Also, the lack of systematic classes and real communication with native English speakers is also a problem.
In my opinion, the methods, systems and processes of teaching English at school should be greatly simplified. Therefore, the material should be presented intelligibly, accessible and understandable to every student. Grammatical basics should be explained simply and clearly, and at the same time arouse a natural interest in learning among students themselves. It is obvious that such "interest" can be caused by the simplicity, clarity and conceptuality of teaching, allowing students to systematically assimilate the material and obtain appropriate knowledge.
The main purpose of this study was to determine whether it is necessary to introduce English in primary schools. It also shows the shortcomings of the introduction of English in primary schools, emphasizes the importance of learning the native language and criticizes the methods of teaching English in primary schools. In general, these goals have been achieved. In total, most respondents consider it unnecessary to introduce English from primary school. According to the results of the survey, it can be understood that the most difficult thing for them in learning a language is to learn grammar, which may be more difficult for elementary grades. Also, according to the results, it can be seen that many respondents need a foreign language only to watch movies, read books, and so on. From here, you might think that young children, moreover, will not have any purpose for learning a foreign language. Less than half of respondents believe that the introduction of English from primary school is mandatory. Nevertheless, the Ministry of Education should pay attention to what the workload will be for primary classes.
References:
- Balalaikina A.A. The problems of teaching English to children of primary school age and ways to solve this issue / A.A. Balalaikina. — 2020. — URL: https://clck.ru/32s6Cv
- Petrova L.V. Problems of teaching English to primary school pupils / L.V. Petrova. — 2021. — URL: https://clck.ru/32s6BD
- Satybaldiev E.K. Problems with learning a foreign language in primary school children, their causes and possible solutions / E.K. Satybaldiev. — Text : direct // Young scientist. — 2019. — № 18 (256). — Pp. 46-47. — URL: https://moluch.ru/archive/256/58691/