Background Interview Data

The interview data regarding overall English learning experience of the students in the past corroborate the questionnaire data. However, the data reveals some interesting stories from students both from public and private sector education. The interview data gives the views of the students, regarding learning English, who attended public and private institutions in Pakistan.

Students’ English Learning Experience in School and College

(1) Views of the students who attended Private Institutes

One of the students who attended private school said,

S4: ‘umm well my background is from private institution schools so therefore my English when I compare with students my English is better. I have been to various English institutions like Berlitz and got tuition classes. umm they have been wonderful as for their grammar and accent was concerned.’

The student is very confident having not only attended private school but also private English learning institutes such as Berlitz which is chain of state of the art English language centers where most qualified ELT faculty teach. The student also spoke in mixed American and British accent appreciating the teachers had good grammar and accent. This student appreciated the divide between public and private schooling system.The student said, S4: ‘due to the private sector and government divide there is a huge difference’

One of the students who attended both the private and public sector educational institutions in Pakistan was of the view that English learning experience in college has not been good.

S8 ‘English language or any language is learned through practice but bad luck is we have different systems in Pakistan and standard and educational standards we have different courses so everybody has no uniform standard. I was from private from primary but situation was different in private sector and atmosphere was very good…during initial period I never understood my class fellows laughed at me but then I did not stop speaking right or wrong and then I improved...learning experience was from 6 to matric...but then bad luck in college was there was no concentration on English teachers used to give lecture in local languages not English...in college I didn’t

S2: ‘ Sir it’s nice because I was in English medium school so teachers used to talk in English… teachers talked in English but then I just kept learning when I came in level up teachers left and level was down of English language…. it was about environment… I didn’t get good environment in college there was nothing like English.’

S10: ‘sir my English language learning experience was very well I did my

matriculation from Beaconhouse and they used D syllabus and Oxford syllabus used it was cool and awesome experience but when I came to college level I didn’t have good experience because teachers are not well qualified’.

(2) Views of the students who attended Public sector Institutions

On the other hand the students who come from public sector local medium school felt completely unprepared. Even one of the students who got his school education in local language medium felt that he did not learn anything in the past and it is going to be first time that he will be learning English in the university. Another student from a small town reported that he did not get good teachers. These teachers only focused on grammar and not on any skill development. These teachers in public school or college have a Masters degree in English literature with little or no exposure of teaching English language. The government appoints English teachers based on one common qualification which is a Masters in English as mentioned in Chapter 2. The Higher Education Commission has recently taken initiatives to train ELT faculty at school, college and university. It is likely that situation improves in due course of time (See Chapter 2).

S5: I learned in sindhi medium school and colleges so it is first time I am learning.

S13 ‘well sir emm all experience I had from school life was good but it has not been

helpful because I was from small town so teachers weren’t good...at school there was only focus on grammar and nothing on spoken...so it wasn’t so good...and I didn’t attend college I was in government school...I got as much from teacher as I could I also took tuition he encouraged me to read newspapers to watch movies’.

One of the students who came from a middle class family said that his English learning experience has been hard because his parents are illiterate and he did not learn anything from his parents. However, his parents sent him to the private school where he got a good environment and he has improved.

S15: ‘language learning experience was struggling and hard because I am from middle class family and my parents are illiterate ...I didn’t learn anything from parents’ side but then I realized that without English I can’t move...I started my learning and with that dedication I had a craze that I had to learn it and now I have learned it.my previous school and I was from private school and college teachers were amazing and had good environment of English learning and I improved.’

(3) Expectations with the English Course at University

Despite the fact that the students had different English learning experiences in the past , the majority of the students felt positive about the English language course at the university. The students said that English is very important and it is as important as their major engineering subjects as S6 said, ‘ English is as important as other subjects’ and S8 said, ‘ our all

engineering subjects are in English and they are equally important. The majority of the

students look forward to this English language course and expect that this course would help them to improve their English language. The students are required to attend the Centre and avail themselves of different opportunities of learning English (Chapter 2). On the other hand, some of the students from private schools said,

S4 said ‘ Since I have done a lot in School in university I am not expecting anything that much to gain but let’s be positive’

However, they hoped that there will be new things which can help with English.

S2 ‘Sir learning English at university is important. It helps us to build confidence in

future… we need it for job. It is important now a days to speak in English. With this course I think that we might know more… we might have more confidence better than now’

S5 ‘ I think eemm English learning program and centre is important for every

university. It is for students help… and important for students to learn… important for future for a student is is important to learn English. It is important that course should help us in future career and help us in studies.’

S12emm as compared with school and college learning English at university Is higher

level in my opinion English learning at university is very important for me… past was ok but now we need pillar of English… and university helps us and identify our needs… my expectations are v high’.

am showing off. Even in English class they force to speak English but students prefer to remain quiet than to speak English… it is bad luck

S15 my expectations are very broad and high because before coming I thought

everybody would be speaking in English and there would be very good English speaking environment.. but then I found very different situation at my department level….but then whenever I saw ELDC (language Centre) department then I found that environment is good and power to improve our English’.

The comments of the students with regard to preparedness for the university English language course are positive. There are students who learned English from the Oxford syllabus and reputable private schools who felt that they already know English and therefore they do not expect much from English language course at the university.