Challenges faced by ESL learners

Learning a foreign language or a second language is not easy. Immigrants to the English-speaking countries like the US, Britain or Australia, face difficulties in learning English as a second language (ESL). Several reasons have been identified the lack of expected progress in the ESL students. There are many challenges as the learners’ struggle with notable difficulties. What adds to the challenges is the lack of a supportive environment for these students. Real-time cognitive constraints such as incorrect pronunciation and lack of vocabulary lead to hesitation in speaking and lower motivation for writing. It is not just the students but also the teachers too who face challenges in ESL classrooms. It essential to understand those constraints and remove them to build a positive learning environment for ESL students

The reason why I am interested in this topic is because of my own experience of learning a second language (English). I was born in India and received my education in my native language, which is Hindi. I studied in a Hindi medium school where the teaching instructions were given only in Hindi. It was much later that I went to an English medium school when my dad got transferred to another city. As a result, my written and oral skills in English always remained weak. At home and at school, we barely spoke in English, and I never got good grades in English. In India, you have an advantage in social and professional realms if your English skills are good. Thus, even though I am not moving to another English-speaking country, I feel the pressure of being good with my written and oral skills in English in my own country. I am aware that countless students like me face the stress and challenge of learning English as a second language.
Challenges for the students

Research on speaking English in a non-English speaking country show that language barriers, psychological factors, learning environment and practicing the language are all linked to each other (Abrar, 2018). For example, in India, especially the North East (NE) region is multilingual because of the vast linguistic diversity. Different states and tribes use different languages in states like Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Mizoram, and Sikkim (Devi, 2017). As English is the first language and the official language, the children are taught English much before they learn their own native language. It is interesting to see how well a tribal child can speak English as compared to his tribal mother tongue. Ironically, English is not the second language here, but it is the regional language which is given the status of the second language as stated by Devi (2017). The United Arab Emirates looks at improving English language skills as a top priority. The country is introducing new strategies for the teaching of English as a second language in kindergarten and primary school classes (Al-Awidi & Ismail, 2014).

Challenges faced by ESL teachers

Teaching English as a Second Language (ESL) conversation is one of the toughest tasks for the teachers. Students fail to become active role players during ESL learning because of their weak conversational skills (SaravanapavaIyer, 2016). Proper grammar and vocabulary are essential for conversational skills. International students deal with the issues of vocabulary, grammar, and linguistic fluency when learning English-language. Language problems can leave the international students experiencing unfair perceptions and lack of belonging (Ravichandran, Kretovics, Kirby, & Ghosh, 2017). Their success relies on the fluency of the English as a second language.  A recent study on undergraduate students in Pakistan concludes that majority of ESL students feel the usual situation-specific anxiety when facing an ESL exam. However, students admit that they avoid speaking English and get nervous while conversing in English (Mari, 2016).

Speaking is the most challenging language skills for ESL learners as it requires complex skills of conveying ideas verbally. The skills go beyond the understanding of the grammatical rules of a foreign language and require highly complex skills as stated by Abrar (2018). Language is used in a social context through interactions within the family and broader society. However, within the classroom, the language is acquired mainly through reading. Learners do not understand what they lack behind in communicative competence as stated by Amuseghan, (2007). Speaking is a very significant skill in any language as it gives a powerful impression and evokes the personality of the speaker. Being educated but with no English communicative competence is seen as an educated man without the knowledge of computer today (Abbasi, 2011). One cannot ignore sociocultural theories of learning in second language education. It is essential to assess the teacher and their development and understanding of themselves and their students. Developing language assessment literacy of the teachers is critical here. The teacher should carry the knowledge of the language, culture, and learning (Scarino, 2013). It is essential for the teacher to understand the cultural background of the student and assess them before teaching the language.

ESL programs worldwide face challenges of space, scheduling, and staffing. It is a constant probe elm to find space to house ESL classes at many schools (Billak, 2017). The areas and classrooms are not suitable for teaching. The shortage of staff can create a bottleneck issue, as the number of ESL students continues to grow. Scheduling the classes is the second challenges often students are pulled out of the classes, or the classes get disrupted. These are serious challenges that need to be looked into.
Teachers struggle with multiple challenges when dealing with English from diverse angles. The curriculum and textbooks create a void among teachers, textbook, and learners. Lack of adequately trained teachers for ESL is another issue that adds to the challenges in dealing with English (Alam, 2018). Communicative Language Teaching can be readjusted and restructured so that the curriculum and textbooks become more practical and constructive. Teacher education courses should work on language curriculum to improve vocabulary, grammar to develop mastery of essential teaching skills. The language curriculum should be made more specific for ESL learners (Ngwaru, 2013).

Strategies for improving ESL learning

As stated by Gunawardena, Sooriyampola, & Walisundara (2017), teachers need to adopt simple themes and bilingual approaches to improve issues of limited English vocabulary among students. By offering sufficient language, scaffoldings can help in removing barriers with language. It is essential to generate democratic classrooms and stress-free environments to promote learning. It is necessary for the teachers to m observe the students rather than making assumptions. Student skills can get proper direction with the right exposure to language that can result in effective reading, listening and speaking.

English language education keeps on looking for new ways of teaching the second language in various planned forms to ESL learners.  A study focusing on English language teaching strategies applied in Pakistan suggests that there is a great need to train and motivate teachers as stated by Abbasi (2011).
Scope for improvement

English language teaching and learning can be both overwhelming. Countless methods are used and applied in ESL classrooms.  The way English is taught to students impacts their motivation and skill levels (Abbasi, 2011). English Language teachers make use of uniform educational methods in ESL classrooms, without realizing the particular needs of the student and their cultural background.

ESL teaching in developing countries needs to integrate embedding thinking skills to motivate ESL learning. A study on Sri Lankan teachers’ perceptions of ESL reveals the impact of the cultural environment on the teaching thinking skills. Certain biases among teachers influence student engagement and learning (Gunawardena, Sooriyampola, & Walisundara, 2017). A random study on teachers indicates that the teachers can increase the motivation of the students and develop reading strategies with the help of computers. The objective is to enhance their reading skills, listening skills and speaking skills (Al-Awidi & Ismail, 2014). However, schools need adequate infrastructure and support to do that.

English Language teachers are following a collaborative learning approach in the classrooms, through face-to-face discussions, virtual game settings and problem-solving activities (Saha & Singh, 2016). The objective is to shift the learning process to make it more interesting for learners. Students can participate in different kinds of creative, and entertaining games to motivate English language learning. Teachers and students can work together within classroom settings to show a critical sensitivity towards transnational linguistic and cultural practices in an adult ESL classroom setting (Meadows, 2018). The scholarly efforts should be reimagined based on transnational frameworks.

Students can benefit from receiving reading support the ESL class as well as what is offered in the classroom. The double exposure can boost their reading skills. Staffing is another common challenge. Many administrators are of the view that any English speaker can work as an ESL teacher (Billak, 2017). They do not realize that ESL is a complex field that requires educators with specific training. Thus, it is no surprise to see ESL classrooms run by untrained teachers.

Scope for improvement

ESL teachers in rural Malaysia reported positive attitudes towards classroom code-switching in the study. However, factors like subject access, teachers’ persona, interpersonal relationships and classroom management impact the teaching experience (Siong & Ming, 2017). The findings illustrate the interplay of socio-environmental factors within ESL classrooms. It is essential to implement culturally responsive teaching strategies in an ESL classroom to motivate students’ participation in the class. Thus culturally responsive teaching strategies can be incorporated into the teaching instructions to enhance communication skills (Chen & Yang, 2017). The teachers’ attitude and her or his skill levels play a significant role in motivating the students and their achievement. Along with the instructional decisions and practices, teachers must use psycho-social constructs to prepare the minds of learners (Ashade, 2011).

Creating a lighter atmosphere within the classroom with the help of music or cracking jokes or interacting with the students motivates the students to participate. Mock interview, role-play, dialogue or any other kind of conversations can prove to be productive. Acknowledging students conversation activities with appreciation and rewarding them with claps reduces learners’ anxiety and motivates them to participate in the classroom activity. The learner should be given the freedom to choose whatever topic for discussion as stated by Ashade (2011).

The use of computer-assisted reading is encouraged by English instructors in teaching ESL/EFL. Survey of multiple universities on the use of computers in language teaching and learning indicated that the quality of reading skills developed with computer-assisted reading (Al-Seghayer, 2016). Thus, it would be useful to integrate computer integration practices in ESL classrooms to engage ESL in a meaningful way. At the same time, the ESL/EFL instructors should carry the skills and competence to use computer-assisted technology and create learning opportunities as stated by Al-Seghayer (2016). In a computerized reading environment, multimedia elements such as sound, pictures, and videos are made available to the students. The faster and dynamic interaction between readers and electronic texts improves the learning environment (Al-Seghayer, 2016). Communicative Teaching Approach Strategies can help the teachers to train ESL learners to be communicatively competent (Abbasi, 2011).

Successful implementation of the ESL curriculum relies a lot on the teacher expertise. The ESL official curriculum is often taught by teachers with varying knowledge and experiences as stated by Ngwaru (2013). Curriculum planners should re-examine the goals of ESL and revise the program to build linguistic and communicative competence (Amuseghan, 2007). Most English curriculum aims at four language skills of speaking, reading, listening and writing. There are different language levels of phonetics and phonology, syntax, lexis, morphology, and semantics involved (Amuseghan, 2007). ESL curriculum needs to strike a balance between communicative competence and linguistic competence.

Conclusion

Communication skills have always been essential and Teaching English as Second Language is fast gaining prominence in 21st-century. The above discussion highlights the problems areas in the field of ESL learning and teaching. Numerous challenges arise for both teachers and students due to an imperfect curriculum, shortage of classrooms and inadequate training for the teachers. There is a need to strike the right balance between the teachers, their training, and the curricula, as well as the students, their relation with the teachers and the learning environment within the class. This is possible only by revising and updating the curriculum and training the teachers on a regular basis. The students need constant motivation and a positive learning atmosphere to get over their anxieties of leaning a second language.

Do you like your ESL class?
What do you feel about learning English?
What’s more difficult for you, reading, writing or speaking English?
Do you like your teacher?
Do you understand the lessons?
Do you feel motivated to go to the class?
Do you speak English within the class?
Do you speak English outside the class?
Are you afraid of make mistakes in English?
Do you get support from your teachers an dither students?

References

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