No one can dispute the assertive position of English as a communicative language. It is enjoying status of medium of instruction as well as compulsory subject in Pakistan. But it is facing numerous problems in learning. The failure rate of the students is increasing which is deplorable. The failure in this subject means the failure in the public examinations. The concerns about the situation can be observed by all the stakeholders. The recent study is an attempt to probe into the alarming situation that has been conducted in the male colleges of public sector of Districts Mi-anwali and Bhakkar, the remotest Districts of Pakistan. This study deeply looks into the obstacles faced by the intermediate collegiate students in learning it. Four out of seven public sector colleges of both districts have been selected; taking from urban and rural areas to get genuine and reasonable data in this connection. The study has examined the position of English in the presence of Urdu and Saraiki, the mother tongues of students with the background of the brief survey of the position of English and the learners of it. Many factors have been indicated that are responsible for creating obstacles in learning English. Results point out that students of the context desire to learn English but numerous factors stand on their way of progress that need to be eradicated for the better future of this language. The ambiguous educational policies, the bias attitude towards English, the behavior of parents and teachers, the adverse policies of the government, the unavailability of modern teaching technology to the public sector, the shortage of English teachers especially in the remotest located colleges, the flawed syllabi and examination system, the lack of teaching training and the deprived position of teachers are the major factors that are arising obstacles in learning English. The study emphasizes upon the state support by adopting positive approach to the issue to strengthen the position of English.
References
[1]
Mansoor, S. (2003) Language Planning in Higher Education: Issues of Access and Equity. The Lahore Journal of Economics, 8, 19.
[2]
Rahman, T. (2006) Language Policy, Multilingualism and Language Vitality in Pakistan. Trends in Linguistics Studies and Monographs, 175, 73.
[3]
Abbas, S. (1998) Sociopolitical Dimensions in Language: English in Context in Pakistan. Journal of Applied Language Studies, 23, 42.
[4]
Malik, F.J. (1996) The Teaching of English in Pakistan: A Study in Teacher Education. Vanguard, Lahore.
[5]
Kannan, R. (2009) Difficulties in Learning English as a Second Language. Vol. 8, ESP World. www.esp-world.info
[6]
Shamim, F. (2008) Trends, Issues and Challenges in English Language Education in Pakistan. Asia Pacific Journal of Education. http://www.informaworlalld.com/smpp/title~content=t713724324
http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/02188790802267324
[7]
ITS (nd) Tutorial School. http://www.tuition.com.hk/academic/concept.htm
[8]
Gass, S.M. and Schachter, J. (Eds.) (1989) Linguistic Perspectives on Second Language Acquisition. New York: Cambridge University Press. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/CBO9781139524544
[9]
Chomsky, N. (1965) Aspects of the Theory of Syntax. MIT Press, Mass, 5-6.
[10]
Foertsch (1998) Second Language Learning. North Central Regional Educational Laboratory, Learning Point Associates.
[11]
Celce-Murcia, M. (2001) Teaching English as a Second or foreign Language. 3rd Edition, Heinle & Heinle Publisher, Boston.
[12]
Mansoor, S. (2004) The Status and Role of Regional Languages in Higher Education in Pakistan. Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development, 25, 333-353.
[13]
Rahman, T. (2002) Language, Idealogy and Power. Oxford University Press, Karachi.
[14]
Krashen, S.D. (1981) Second Language Acquisition and Second Language Learning. Pergamon Press Inc., Oxford.
[15]
Cummins, J. (1984) Bilingualism in Education: Aspects of Theory. Research and Practice, Longman, London.
[16]
Lado, R. (1957) Linguistics across Cultures: Applied Linguistics and Language Teachers. University of Michigan Press, Ann Arbor.
[17]
Gumperz, J.J. and Dill, A.S. (1971) Language in Social Groups. Stanford University Press, Stanford.
[18]
Marshall, C. and Rossman, G.B. (2006) Designing Qualitative Research. Sage Publications, Thousand Oaks.
[19]
Partridge, B. and Starfield, S. (2007) Thesis and Dissertation Writing in Second Language. Routledge, London.
[20]
Foddy, W.H. (1994) Constructing Questions for Interviews and Questionnaires: Theory and Practice in Social Research. New Edition, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK.
[21]
Mansoor, S., Zafar, M., Hussain, N., Sikandar, A., Azam, S.I. and Tatari, S.K. (2005) English and Employment in Pakistan. Unpublished Summary Report, Aga Khan University, Centre of English Language, Karachi.
[22]
Gibbs, G. and Jenkins, A. (1992) Teaching Large Classes in Higher Education: How to Maintain Quality with Reduced Resources. Kogan Page, London.
[23]
Xu, Z. (2001) Problems and Strategies of Teaching English in Large Classes in the People’s Republic of China. In: Herrman, A. and Kulski, M.M., Eds., Expending Horizons in Teaching and Learning, Proceedings of the 10th Annual Teaching Learning Forum, 7-9 February 2001, Curtin University of Technology, Perth, 7-9.
[24]
Horwitz, E.K., Horwitz, M.B. and Cope, J.A. (1986) Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety. The Modern Language Journal, 70, 125-132. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-4781.1986.tb05256.x
[25]
Memon, G.R. (2007) Education in Pakistan: The Key Issues, Problems and the New Challenges. Journal of Management and Social Sciences, 3, 47-55.
[26]
Taylor, L. (2006) The Changing Landscape of English Implications for Language Assessment. ELT Journal, 60, 51-60.
[27]
Demircan, Ö. (1988) DündenbugüneTürkiye’deyabancidil [Foreign Languages in Turkey: From Past to Today]. Remzi Kitabevi, Istanbul.
[28]
NEC (2005).
http://www.gilanifoundation.com/homepage/Free_Pub/EDU/NATIONAL_EDUCATION_CENSUS_ 2005_Pakistan.pdf
[29]
Alderson, J.C. (2004) Foreword. In: Cheng, L., Watanabe, Y. and Curtis, A., Eds., Washback in Language Testing: Research Contexts and Methods, Lawrence Erlbaum, London, ix-xii.
