Analysis of English Level of Students at Braulio Carrillo Colina High School

Analysis of English Level of
Students at Braulio Carrillo Colina
High School Upon Complexion of
Third Cycle

Presented by
Vivian Campos Fuentes
Roy Alejandro Gómez Gómez

We are living in a globalized and
competitive world where
professionals have to study and
work hard to become qualified
candidates for any position.

The use of different technological
means are creating expectations in
the students who increase their
interest to learn a foreign language
and acquire knowledge about
social and cultural aspects about it.

The greatest problems in the
current education are the
desertion and the lack of interest
from the pupils to the curriculum
subjects. They feel that the system
is not attractive for them and that
the best thing to do is to forget
about the tasks.

There is a need for creating
techniques that involve all the
students in English lessons that
really work for the development of
own communities taking into
account that English is the
universal language.

Why do students not take
advantage of the opportunity to
learn English that is offered in
public schools? What is going on in
our high schools that students do
not feel motivated?

And, in conclusion, why do
students from public high schools
have a low level of English when
they finish their studies, even
when they know there are so many
opportunities waiting for them?

General Objective
To suggest how Conversational and
Academic English classes can be joined
to create an attractive method of
teaching that improves students´
English level in Public High Schools.

Specific Objectives
To identify the main reasons why high
school students do not get a good level in
English at the end of the teaching-learning
process.
To analyze the evaluation criteria carried
out in Academic High Schools with
Technological Orientation.

To determine strengths and
weaknesses in the methodology used
in Conversational and Academic
English classes.
To find out about the materials used
as support in the teaching-learning
process.

I. English Language
This part has as objective to get the
birth of English explaining where, how
and when the language was developed
in a specific context giving a cultural
fact for the humanitysuppported by
authors who have given their
reference through a chronological line.

Talking about English as standard
language at this moment. It will try to
explain aspects in which this language
has had a great importance to
different areas in many fields.
The English like a tool to improve our
future joined to the technology and it
applied to many ways to communicate
opening new opportunities.

II. Education
It is so important the meaning of this
word to clear our concept involving
good and intelligent people who are
giving real concepts about it. It is the
key towards success for every country.
It helps to boost the economy and to
generate democratic society. The main
resource of any country is Human
Resource.

III. Motivation
Our Educational system has lack of
motivation in all of the
components in its structure. Piaget
and his theories about the
constructivism are a master piece
of this project.

IV. Importance of English in Costa
Rica
As we know, this language is not
only a cultural reference. In another
hand, English is a tool to increase
economical, social, trade, political
aspects. It is the best mean of
communication referring English like
language standardized.

V. Theories for learning TEFL methodology
When we talk about English teaching,
it means different ways adapted to focus
each topic applying strategies. It allows
keeping the knowledge using certain
methods during the class and catching the
students´ interest. It will develop the most
adequate approaches to get the goal.

VI. English proficiency in Public High School
students
It is important to know what are the results as
result of a labor composed by several members
in its develop. Those philosophies, policies and
currents facing a real situation when you are a
teacher. These data will be taken of MEP´s
instruments, others surveys, and proved thesis.

Methodological Framework
Type of Investigation
Sources
Limitations
Variables
Techniques to Obtain the Data
Description of the Instruments
Attainments

Type of Investigation
• According to Harper Collins1 a descriptive
investigation follows an inductive research
process and involves the collection and
analysis of qualitative data to search for
patterns, themes, and holistic features.

Sources
• Students from Ninth level at Braulio Carrillo
High School
• Conversational and Academic Teachers at
Braulio Carrillo High School.

Limitations

• Population is not confident.
• Some of the teachers did not answer the
interview.
• Unreal information.

Variables

• Variable #1
– English Level

• Variable #2
– Methodology

• Variable #3
– Supporting Material

Techniques to Obtain the Data.
• A survey and the interview could identify and
classify events into groups or categories. They
were presented and applied clearly in order to
be filled out properly.

Description of the Instruments

• Students’ Survey: 29 items
• Teachers Interview : 18 questions

Attainments

• Students at Braulio Carrillo High School
• Teachers at Braulio Carrillo High School
• Magister University Students

Data Analysis and Results
• Students’ Survey:

First Part

Source: Students from Braulio Carrillo High School, Cartago, 2010

Second Part


Third Part


Teachers` Interviews
• How do you describe the level of domain of
the English language achieved by students
from public schools once they complete
secondary education?”
– 4 teachers answered the students’ level is
deficient and one answered the English level is
average. This result shows 80% of the teachers
think students do not have an average or a high
English level, and 20% of the teachers think they
have an average level.

• “How do you describe your general
knowledge about pedagogical methodology
for the teaching of English as a foreign
language?”
– 3 professors answered it is adequate, one teacher
said is excellent, and one teacher said is
insufficient. They pointed out that teachers must
be updated and try to speak English as much as
they can.

• “How do you describe the support that you
receive for your labor as a foreign language
teacher from students’ parents?
– Three teachers said parents’ supports is
insufficient and two said it is poor. Some of the
professors mentioned students belong to lower
class and parents never attend to meetings

• “What strategies do you usually apply to
evaluate the students’ level of domain of the
English language?”
– Professors said working in groups because
students feel more comfortable, monitoring and
clarifying questions, written exams, conversations,
oral presentations, role plays and interviews.

• “How do you describe your students’ general
attitude toward the English class?”
– Three professors said it is positive, one said it is
negative, and one said is neutral. Some of the
comments described by professors were: it is hard
to catch students’ attention due to today’s huge
quantity of distracters, sometimes they enjoy the
activities in the class. Another comment is “We
just need more time and a great change, try to do
our best” (Leiva, Yanira)

The main cause of low students’
English level is the students’ discipline
because the bad behavior interrupts
the English learning process. Students
present economic and social
problems. These issues produce
student’s insecure and a bad behavior.

The methodology applied by most of the
Academic and Conversational teachers is
appropriate. Professors try to apply
attractive strategies in order to catch
students’ attention. According to teachers’
observations there is not communication
to among Ministry of Education, parents,
and school’s authorities. It causes a lack of
support for teachers and students.

The material used by teachers is
attractive and useful. However;
teachers need to find more
material from different sources,
create storage where all teachers
can find material for the topic they
need to teach.

The evaluation between Academic and
Conversational English is very different. In
Academic English the written exams have
the biggest part of the evaluation. It is one
of the causes why students do not improve
what they are expected because they think
Academic English is more important
because of the National Exams in Fifth
grade.

The low English level is a problem that
professors at Braulio Carrillo can improve
through some strategies. First, teachers
should diagnose students English level by
written and oral evaluations. Second,
evaluators must give a complete feedback
to each student. Third, professors should
evaluate their lessons and go deeper those
topics students have problems or are
difficult to apply in the daily life.

The methodology can improve if
teachers work together and share the
material they apply in their
classrooms. Students are going to feel
secure and comfortable if they see the
group of English professors working
together and hard for their
improvement in the subject.

Supporting material in the classrooms is an
essential tool through the English learning
process. Students can learn better and
faster if professors used the proper
material. In the case of Braulio Carrillo
Colina High School, teachers can find out
material if they ask for workshops and
trainings about materials to editorials that
sell books related to the topics they have
to develop in the classrooms.

The evaluation in high schools with
technological orientation can help students to
work in their weaknesses and strengths.
Professors have to look for professional and
technical help; probably at the office of
Technologies at Ministry of Education of Costa
Rica. The evaluation between Academic and
Conversational English is different, as a result;
teachers must be updated in evaluation
strategies. Students’ participation and English
improvement must be important parts in
evaluation.

Analysis of English Level of Students at Braulio Carrillo Colina High School

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Analysis of English Level of Students at Braulio Carrillo Colina High School