Implicit Beliefs about English Language Competencies in the Context of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education: A Comparison of University Students and Lecturers in Namibia

Abstract

In many African countries, English is the medium of instruction in higher education even though students may not always be entirely familiar with "standard" English. This study aimed at investigating the relevance of English language competencies for teaching and learning from the perspective of students and lecturers. The study was carried out in Namibia and guided by the conceptual framework of implicit theories. Through a self-administered questionnaire, data were collected from a sample of 286 undergraduate students and 34 lecturers. Students and lecturers differed statistically significantly in all their views on the topic under investigation. While most of the lecturers (85.3%) believed that their students would not have good English language competencies, the majority of students (87.8%) rated their English between good and excellent. Most lecturers believed that insufficient English language competencies would cause a variety of problems for students such as having difficulty expressing themselves in English, following lectures, taking good notes during lectures, understanding academic texts, and writing coherent essays; in contrast, the majority of students believed that they had no such problems. The results are discussed with regard to practical implications for teaching and learning in higher education.

Perceptions of lecturers on English as a primary medium of instruction at a selected university in South Africa

“…As a result, they give poor answers. The participants' views concur with Otaala and Platter (2013), who show that ESL students in Namibian universities are unable to focus in most lessons due to language related challenges. Thus, lack of academic literacy skills among most ESL students hampers effective teaching and learning in multilingual and multicultural classrooms.…”

Students as the source of demotivation for teachers: A case study of Vietnamese university EFL teachers

“…They perceived adverse student attitudes and behaviours as barriers to effective teaching and often limited their instruction to mere delivery of content knowledge, with little or no attempt to engage students in the lesson. Teachers also attributed students' poor achievement to their students' low English proficiency (Otaala & Plattner, 2013) rather than to their own ineffective teaching. As Ryan and Deci (2017) point out, these are compensation strategies which give teachers a sense of accomplishment and somehow fulfil teachers' need for feeling competent.…”

English lingua franca as a language of learning and teaching in northern Namibia: A report on Oshiwambo teachers' experiences

“…With regard to concept formation, UNESCO 1981(in Otaala 2005 is also in agreement that the language used by a child on daily basis-very often the child's mother-tongue-is more conducive to conceptualization than another language of which phonetic and writing systems are different and unfamiliar. Therefore, as Malefo (1986in Otaala 2005 suggests, it is important to use mother tongue as a LOLT so that learners do not think in one language and express themselves in another.…”

“…In addition, because English is a "universal language", it has a high status and there are numerous methods of teaching it (Otaala 2005:127). Moumouni (1968( , in Otaala 2005 explains that by using English as a LOLT, countries can work together and exchange resources, teachers and experience. For example, many Namibian English teachers have been trained in the United Kingdom (UK), Nigeria, Australia and so on.…”

“…According to UNESCO (1953, in Otaala 2005, a child's mother tongue is the best medium of communication because he or she is able to identify with other members of his or her community through its use. As a result, parents who are in favour of mother-tongue education argue that it improves communication between parents and children, as well as enabling children to identify with their parents' culture and religion (Otaala 2005:124).…”