Contextual and learner factors in the development of English second language proficiency

Abstract

The senior secondary school learners' limited English proficiency motivated the researcher to investigate the extent to which contextual and learner factors contributed to this problem. The ultimate aim was to recommend guidelines for dealing with the problem. The review of literature and empirical methods of research were used to this effect. The literature review revealed that the learners' societal, home/family and school/classroom contexts contributed to learners' development ofESL proficiency. It further showed that the independent learner factors (i.e. learner factors that are not influenced by the context from which the learner comes and/or in which SLA takes place) and dependent learner factors (i.e. learner factors that are completely or partly subject to the influence of the context from which the learner comes or in which SLA takes place) significantly influenced the development ofESL proficiency. With its focus on language learning strategies, the empirical investigation found a significant relationship between the learners' level ofESL proficiency and use of direct strategies (i.e. strategies that involve the mental processing of the target language, albeit in different ways and for different purposes). The investigation found no significant relationship between the learners' level of ESL proficiency and use of indirect strategies (i.e. strategies that underpin the process of language learning). Several contextual and learner factors were found to influence the relationship between the learner's strategy use and the development ofESL proficiency. These findings formed the basis for recommending specific guidelines for dealing with limited ESL proficiency, as well as recommending possible directions for future research.