Perception of Undergraduate Agriculture Students towards English Language
Author : Dr. Gurpreet Kour and Sheeba Namit David
Abstract :
Background: The University of Agriculture, similar to other professional institutions like medical, law, and engineering schools, instructs all core subjects in English, and examinations, both oral and written, are conducted in English as well. Given the significance of English proficiency in these academic endeavours, the study aims to investigate the attitudes of agriculture students towards the English language and its four essential skills: listening, speaking, reading, and writing. The impetus for this research arises from the observed challenge where a majority of agriculture students struggle in their core subjects due to weaknesses in English proficiency.
Purpose: The primary objective of this study is to assess the attitudes of Agriculture students toward the English language and its fundamental skills. Additionally, the research seeks to identify potential differences in the attitudes between male and female students regarding English.
Method: This study adopted a mixed-methods approach to address its research questions. To ensure validity and reliability, the researcher utilized both quantitative and qualitative approaches for data collection and analysis. The quantitative data were gathered through a questionnaire employing a five-point Likert scale with 30 closed items. The analysis of the quantitative data was conducted using SPSS version 20.0. On the other hand, qualitative data were obtained through semi-structured interviews involving 30 purposefully selected students. Thematic analysis was employed to analyze the qualitative data, providing a comprehensive understanding of the participants' perspectives.
Keywords :
Agriculture students’ attitudes, English language skills, students’ attitudes, mixed methods, questionnaire, interviews, ESP, needs, Agriculture English, Curriculum.
