Second grade students' viewpoints on learning english as a foreign language

There are many studies on early language learning confirming that exposure to language is a reliable factor for language learning effectiveness. However, the starting age is an important factor for predicting oral performance because the studies show that the students who started learning a foreign language at an early age were closer to the language level of a native speaker than student who started to learn a foreign language later in life. Nevertheless, there are many different factors influencing foreign language learning, e.g., parents’ viewpoints on foreign language, teacher’s usage of the language, motivation for learning, student as an individual … For some time now, the European Union is encouraging learning at least two foreign languages from an early age on. The impact of globalisation can be seen everywhere, in the digital world as well as in the “real” world, so the need for communicating in different languages is increasing. English as a foreign language is learnt in most of the European countries, as one of the global languages. One of the relevant studies on early language learning in Europe ELLiE (Early Language Learning in Europe) was carried out in the years 2007–2010. Its results were the theoretical and practical background for the European countries to start with early language learning. In Slovenia, there was a similar research done in 2008/09 about introducing the second language in the early years of primary school. Since this study was conducted more than ten years ago and English has been an obligatory subject in primary school for five years now, we decided to do research on any changes in students’ viewpoints on learning English. The aim of this research was to investigate students’ viewpoints on English lessons; how much they like English lessons and if they find them difficult or not, which didactic materials, methods and topics they prefer, developing which language skills they enjoy the most, as well as how much and through which activities they are exposed to English outside the school, i.e. at home. For the purpose of this study, we used an anonymous questionnaire, which was completed by 130 students in second grade. The results showed us that most of the students like English lessons and they find them hard only sometimes. Their favourite activities were singing, dancing and different games (games with movements, too). The students chose developing listening skills as their favourite language skill activity. Most of the students are often or sometimes exposed to English at home. The results of this research offer insight into teaching and learning English. Its findings can help teachers with organising and preparing English lessons in the early years of primary school