Impact of Using Classroom English on Developing Khanyounis Governorate Eleventh Graders' Communication Skills and their Attitudes towards English

Abstract

This study aimed at investigating the impact of using classroom English on developing eleventh graders' communication skills and their attitudes towards English. To achieve the study aims, the researcher adopted the experimental approach with two groups' pre-posttest design (experimental and control). To collect the data, the researcher prepared an achievement test (pre, post & delayed) and an attitude scale (pre & post) to determine the students' attitudes towards English language. After examining the validity and reliability of the tools, the tools were implemented on the study sample consisting of (80) male students from Khalid El-Hassan School who were randomly selected from the original population of (1743) students in West Khanyounis Directorate of Education in the schoolistic year 2014-2015. The sample was divided into two groups: the experimental group consisting of (40) students and the control one consisting of other (40) students. The two groups were similar in their age, previous learning, general achievement and achievement in English language. The classroom English was used in teaching the experimental group, while the traditional method was used with the control one in the first term of the scholastic year (2014-2015). The experiment lasted for twelve weeks (2 lessons per week). After three weeks, a delayed test was administrated to the experimental group and control group to test retention. After the data had been analyzed using SPSS program, the study revealed that there were significant differences at (α ≤ 0.5) in the scores of the control and the experimental groups in favor of the experimental group on the posttest, which was attributed to the impact of the classroom English. The findings also pointed out that there were statistically significant differences at (α ≤ 0.01) in the experimental group students' attitudes towards English in the post application of the attitude scale. Additionally, there were statistically significant differences at (α ≤ 0.01) in the retention test between the control and the experimental groups in favor of the experimental group. The study also showed that there were no significant differences in mean scores between the post-test and delayed (retention) test of the experimental group. Based upon the previous findings, the study recommended that teachers are advised to use the classroom Englishwhile teaching English as it can enrich the teaching-learning process,improve students' achievement level in English and enhance their communication skills. It also suggested that further research should be conducted on the effect of classroom English on other English language,and the treatment of learning difficulties in English.