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59DIFFICULTIES FACED BY EFL TEACHERS IN TEACHING ENGLISH TO THE STUDENTS IN RURAL SCHOOLS
Z.Z. Fayzulloyeva1, E.A. Murzina2
Teaching English in rural schools has been a complicated process for EFL teachers. Therefore, this article devoted to investigating the challenges faced by the teachers in teaching English to the students in rural schools. Most of the teachers encounter challenges in teaching English to the students in rural schools since many students show their dislike in learning English. Moreover, various factors such as poor parental support, lack of students' and parents' support, lack of learning or teaching materials at schools, both students' and parents' negative attitude towards learning English, lack of motivation and proper guidance, lack of interest in learning English, poor learning environment, poor family background and lower level of basic knowledge in English which contribute to the challenges faced by the teachers in teaching English at rural schools.
Key words: Challenges, English as a second language (ESL), Equipment, Rural schools.
Since English is a language that many people speak as a first, second, or foreign language all over the world, it is commonly recognized that English has historically been a worldwide language.
The school curriculum offers English as the primary subject for grades 1 through 11, under the educational curricula. As was previously said, ESL teachers have a number of difficulties when attempting to teach English. Particularly, the instructors who work in rural schools have a number of obstacles and hurdles as they carry out their duties. As a result, it appears that teaching English in rural schools is failing. Numerous reasons contribute to failure, including poor learning environments, a lack of adequate learning and teaching materials, inadequate supervision and motivation, and a shortage of qualified and educated teachers in rural schools.
When primary school students are given more attention to learn the fundamentals of the English language, when workshops, training programs, and motivational programs about the value of English are conducted for both parents and students and when interest is generated in learning English, these challenges and difficulties can be overcome. Additionally, all rural schools should have the same modern educational resources as urban ones, and a language unit should be developed with the appropriate resources.
One of the biggest difficulties for the majority of ESL teachers in teaching English has been the students' unfavorable attitudes toward learning. Juan asserts in a related study that the learners' unfavorable attitudes regarding English are a significant obstacle to successful instruction. Due to their inadequate language proficiency, learners exhibit this unfavorable attitude. [5]
Everyone agrees that it has been difficult for ESL and EFL teachers to teach English in nations where it is taught as a second or foreign language. The obstacles and difficulties ESL/EFL teachers have when teaching English have been the subject of numerous research studies in the past. Similar to this, most teachers in African nations have found it difficult to teach English. When teaching English at schools and other educational institutions, they run into a number of challenges.
Thus, English Language Teaching (ELT) appears to be ineffective. For instructors, one of the most difficult aspects of their jobs is teaching English to children in rural
1Murzina Elena Aleksandrovna - candidate of economical sciences, associate professor, Scientific Director, Colloquium Publishing House, Russia.
2Fayzulloyeva Zilola Zafarovna - teacher of English at the chair of Lexicology and Stylistics of English, Samarkand State Institute of Foreign Languages, Uzbekistan.
schools. The ESL teachers who work in rural schools have several obstacles and challenges as they carry out their teaching duties. The difficulties and students' inferior performance in English are caused by a number of different variables.
One of the biggest issues facing ESL/EFL teachers around the world is teaching English. According to Milon English is frequently classified into three contexts, such as English as a Native Language (ENL), English as a Second Language (ESL), and English as a Foreign Language (EFL) [2]. Therefore, English language instruction is based on the English curriculum in each nation, although most teachers find it difficult to teach English. There have been numerous prior studies done on the issues and difficulties ESL/EFL students have when learning English. Therefore, it is possible that learners who are socioeconomically disadvantaged have major consequences in learning, in accordance with the review of prior studies, drawing from a more recent study by Ngwaru and Opoku-Amankwa. This includes skipping class due to a shortage of supplies, watching over a sibling while parents seek for food, and even working odd jobs to support the family's income [3].
The low parental involvement in children's education only serves to exacerbate this. They contend that a lack of parental involvement is one of the things that causes students to perform poorly in school, especially while learning the English language. Endriyati claims that teaching English is difficult in both urban and rural settings. This is especially true when it comes to teaching English as a foreign language. The linguistic abilities of the students, including reading, writing, listening, and speaking, must be taken into consideration by the teachers. In addition, he argues that teachers should support technology, and he exhorts students to approach learning English with excitement, a positive attitude and motivation [1].
It should also be noted that Rajasekaran & Anburaj state that English's relevance in the modern world cannot be overstated. It is just as significant as having a college degree, and not knowing English well may prevent you from achieving your goals [4]. Nevertheless, pupils in rural areas frequently fail to recognize the importance of the English language. They lack the necessary resources and encouragement to learn English. Everyone has the option of learning English in cities, but when it comes to rural areas, they are left out in the cold. It is claimed that while there are numerous English-learning institutes in cities, there aren't any in rural areas.
In conclusion, many ESL teachers around the world have found it difficult to teach English in rural schools. Since a significant portion of students in rural schools are not interested in studying English, it can be concluded that all EFL teachers face difficulties when attempting to teach English to the youngest generation there. Additionally, a number of factors play a role in the difficulties experienced by English teachers in rural schools. These include inadequate parental support, a lack of both student and parent support, a lack of learning and teaching materials in schools, a negative attitude toward learning on the part of both students and parents, a lack of motivation and proper guidance, a lack of interest in learning English, a poor learning environment, a weak family background, and a lack of basic English knowledge.
References:
1.Endriyati et al (2019). Challenges in Teaching English at Rural and Urban Schools and Their Solutions, International Journal of Scientific & Technology Research, Vol: 8(10).
2.Milon, R. K. (2016). Challenges of Teaching English at the Rural Primary Schools in Bangladesh: Some Recommendations, Asia Pacific Journal of Social Sciences, Vol: 2(3).
3.Ngwaru, J. M. & Opoku-Amankwa, K. (2010). Home and school literacy practices in Africa: listening to inner voices, Lang. Education, Vol: 24, P. 295-307.
4.Rajasekaran, W. C & Anburaj, G (2015). Ways of Teaching English in Rural Areas. Journal of Humanities and Social Science (IOSRJHSS). Vol: 20(2), P. 100-102.
5. Usó, J. E. (2006). Current Trends in the Development and Teaching of the Four Language Skills. Berlin, New York: M. de Gruyter.
© Z.Z. Fayzulloyeva, E.A. Murzina, 2022.
