Published

2016-07-01

Students’ Beliefs About Their English Class: Exploring New Voices in a National Discussion

Creencias de los estudiantes acerca de su clase de inglés: explorando nuevas voces en una discusión nacional

Keywords:

Beliefs, classroom environment, English language learners, qualitative research (en)
ambiente del salón de clases, creencias, estudiantes de inglés, investigación cualitativa (es)

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Authors

  • Jessica Villarreal Suarez University of Quindio
  • Jully Vanessa Muñoz Taborda Univeristy of Quindio
  • Jorge Mario Perdomo Santacruz University of Quindío Institución Educativa Bosques de Pinares

The main objective of this study was to identify 6th to 11th grade students’ beliefs about their English class in a public institution in Armenia, Colombia. By means of interviews, drawings, and focus groups with 30 students, four beliefs were established. It was found that students’ beliefs are attached to the experiences they have lived in their English class; the discipline, the monotony, the lack of interesting material, and the impact of foreign language learning are the main related aspects. Implications and recommendations for further research are proposed based on the necessity of giving students a voice in the development of current national policies of language learning and also in the debate about the effectiveness of these policies and their impact inside schools.

El objetivo principal de este estudio fue identificar las creencias de los estudiantes de los grados 6o y 11o acerca de la clase de inglés en una institución pública en Armenia, Colombia. Por medio de entrevistas, dibujos y grupos focales con treinta estudiantes, cuatro creencias fueron establecidas. Se encontró que las creencias de los estudiantes están asociadas a las experiencias que han vivido en su clase de inglés; la disciplina, la monotonía, la falta de material interesante y el impacto del aprendizaje de una lengua extranjera en los estudiantes son los principales aspectos involucrados. Se proponen implicaciones y recomendaciones para investigaciones posteriores teniendo en cuenta que hay una necesidad de darle voz a los estudiantes en el desarrollo de políticas nacionales de aprendizajes de lenguas y en el debate sobre la efectividad de estas políticas y su impacto en las escuelas.

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