Challenges of Teaching English Language in a Multilingual Setting: An Investigation at Government Girls Secondary Schools of Quetta, Baluchistan, Pakistan

Abstract

Baluchistan is a multi-linguistic and multi-ethnic province of Pakistan. In this region, the inhabitants for communication purpose speak a number of local languages such as Baluchi, Brahvi, Pashto, Saraiki, Punjabi, Urdu, Sindhi and Persian. Students who attend the government schools speak these languages. This study aimed to explore the challenges faced by the secondary school female teachers while teaching the English language in their multilingual classrooms. The purposive sampling was used and 10 government secondary school female teachers participated in the study. The data was collected through a semi-structured interview protocol and classroom observation checklist. The data was analyzed by using thematic analyses technique. The findings of the study revealed a number of challenges. Teaching English language in a multilingual context is an enormous challenge for the English teachers due to linguistic diversity in the classrooms. The students in the multilingual classrooms lack confidence to use English language because they hesitate to commit mistakes. The curriculum may be inappropriate for helping students to improve their English proficiency. In the multilingual classrooms code-switching is commonly used by the teachers to instruct the students. The study suggests that; the teachers may be trained to cope with the challenges they face in their multilingual classrooms.

Perceptions of Students and Teachers about Students’ Proficiency in English Language at Higher Secondary Level in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan

“…There was always a dominant use of the mother tongue even in the English class as evident from the students' opinion. These results are in line with the findings of Al-Mahrooqi (2012) and Rasheed (2017) whose findings indicated that a majority of the students avoid using English in the classrooms or outside the classroom for fear of being laughed at by their peers.…”

“…Majority of the classrooms are teacher-centered and students hardly find any chance to practice English in the classroom. Imran, Asghar and Ghani (2016) attribute this lack of proficiency in English to students' poor knowledge and incorrect use of the parts of speech and articles; Gopang, Ansari, Kulsoom and Laghari (2017) to students' anxiety of learning English language; Haider (2012) to inadequate pedagogical approach; Maldonado Garcia (2018); Panhwar, Baloch and Khan (2017) to traditional methods of teaching English and lack of proper training on the part of English teachers; and, Rasheed (2017) to multilingualism, students' weak linguistic background, lack of exposure to English, students' anxiety of English and lack of teachers' training.…”

Usefulness of Mobile Assisted Language Learning in Primary Education

“…The prime challenge for the English language is multilingual classrooms, facing by the teachers as well as students not only in Quetta, Pakistan but also in other parts of the globe. Due to the different local languages spoken by the students in the classroom, teachers and students have to face a number of problems because it becomes a big challenge for English teachers to deal with students speaking different languages in the classrooms [56].…”

Usefulness of Mobile Assisted Language Learning Application

“…Multilingual classes for educators as well as learners are the primary challenge of English not only in Quetta, Pakistan but also in other parts of the sphere. Various local dialects and languages are spoken by students in the classroom, thus teachers and students have many challenges with English teachers facing a greater challenge of dealing with different language speakers in classrooms (Rasheed et al, 2017). Various challenges faced by English instructors and pupils include the ignorance of the professors, educational policy and the examination system and long curricula (Khan & Khan, 2016).…”