THUMBS UP OR THUMBS DOWN? STUDENT'S THOUGHTS ABOUT LEARNING ENGLISH (RIBOTTA)

The author has always wondered why there are people who do not like learning languages. She finds languages so fascinating and exciting that it is hard for her to believe there are people who think they do not need more than their mother tongue to survive and be happy. Giving the issue some thought, it can be stated the answer to her question is easy to find, since human beings are not alike. We are heterogeneous; we love different things and enjoy different activities. Then, the answer would be simpler than she thought: there are people who do not like learning languages, because they have other interests, like sports, fashion or science. Yet, this answer is not enough. It is not reasonable that out of 40 students, only a few enjoy English lessons at secondary school. Why is this happening? Why do students not even give it a try? Why do they feel bored and tired during English lessons? Which reasons do they have for not liking English?

These are the questions that were on the author's mind before starting this work and which she attempted to find an answer to. She decided to interview students of all ages and ask them, not the teacher or the headmistress, all these questions. All through the following pages, she analyzes students’ answers and thoughts about English and the lessons they have at secondary school.

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