Challenges of Rural Students in English Language Acquisition

English as a language has been used in India for more than a century, but it continues to pose challenges for many of the non-native speakers. It is used as a link language and widely used in academic institutes, offices, business and industrial concerns and so teaching of English in schools has gained importance in the education system of our country. In a multi-lingual and multi-cultural country like India, classes of mixed ability groups are a feature of every small town and village. In most of the rural parts of India, learning - teaching process is done in the vernacular language. On the other hand, most of the competitive examinations (higher education & employment) require English as medium of instruction. Vernacular language is spoken and is in common use. Teachers require proper guidance on the effective methods of language-teaching. The ratio of students and teachers is high, leading to ineffectiveness. The rural atmosphere also does not provide students the opportunity to speak and learn English. This paper deals with the difficulties rural students face while learning English