Impediment in Advancement of Bilingualism in Schools: Grammar Translation Method and Communicative Language Teaching Approaches

Abstract

Purpose: This study is designed to analyze the impact of socio-economic condition, variant teaching methods, learners’ attitude, and environment of school in the overall learning of English as a second language in different school types. In countries where English is a second language, the access to English in school has been limited to the upper strata of society while lower strata can only bear the fee of government schools which obstruct the acquisition of second language. Bilingualism is highly associated with the ability to use two language and this research is conducted to investigate the basic differences between teaching strategies, school environment and learners’ attitude towards English as second language in different school types. All these factors are considered to address the contrasting ideologies of private schools and government schools which foster or restrict the process of bilingualism.

Methodology: This study was designed quantitatively to gather data from 36 participants (12 from each school type i.e., government school, private school and semi government school). Questionnaire contained three sections and were distributed to participants between 20-30 years of age. Two particular teaching methods i.e. Grammar translation method and Communicative language teaching approaches are focused to investigate the impediment in advancement of bilingualism.

Findings: Socio-economic condition of family affects the choice of school where people with strong financial background prefer to admit their children in highly famous English language school. Bilingualism is prioritized in private school where appropriate environment is provided to the learners while other school types do not implement effective strategies which can help students in learning highly prestigious language.

Conclusion: English grammar translation method and communicative learning teaching approaches are used differently in public and private schools which formulate different communicative competency of students.

Recommendations: Future studies can be conducted to scrutinize the role of other teaching methods such as direct method, audio-lingual method, total physical response, and structural approach in different types of classrooms to assess the learning of English as second language.