A Case Study on the University Students‟ Beliefs on the Methodology Used for English Language Teaching.

Abstract

Beliefs are a main construct in the process of Language learning. Students‟ beliefs on the methodology that their teachers employ in improving language skills of the students play a major role in English language teaching and learning. The aim of this research is to identify the attitudes of the university students on the methodology used in the English language teaching process. The data was collected by a modified questionnaire administered from the Beliefs about Language Learning Inventory by Horwitz. It was distributed among forty first year undergraduates of the Faculty of Business Studies and Finance in the Wayamba University of Sri Lanka. For further confirmation, three lecturers who conducted English lectures for the Faculty of Business Studies and Finance were interviewed. 100% of the students accept that they should repeat and practice a lot to be successful in the Language classroom. 92.5% of the students believe that new technology must be used in an innovative way and 52.5% of the students think that exposure to the culture of the native speakers is important in enhancing the English Language competence. According to the key findings of this research, it is evident that time allocated for the practice is not satisfactory and immediate correction of errors is essential as errors can be fossilized. Due to the less exposure to the culture of native English speakers, it is beneficial to encourage students for the practice of the language as it will develop the communication competence. Therefore, it is important to promote student centered learning and out of classroom language learning among the university students to be successful in English language learning process. The research findings depicts that it is vital to introduce information communication technology to the second language classroom.