The impact of family context in English language learning in Chilean graders :a case study

Abstract

This case study, based on a research project, aims to analyse, by describing a vulnerable context, how personal input; the absence of parents or caregivers, affect affective-social life and consequently, academic results of students. The research contemplates a pedagogical proposal to set methodological activities that increase motivation in English learners and it also puts forward the constituents of an effective attitude of the teacher to supply the affective role in the students’ life, and also students motivation with the subject, not only by improving the results in English language learning, but also increasing the motivation of students in the subject. The research was carried out in a delegated-administration school. The sample is composed by 12 students with low results in the English language subject from 3 different 10th grade classes at Liceo Industrial y de Minas Ignacio Domeyko, which is considered as a vulnerable school (SIMCE, 2015). The motivation of students during English classes, will be evaluated by observing student’s participation in this period, considering the methodology currently used in English lessons in the school, as well as the attitude of the teacher towards students. On the other hand, different investigation instruments will be applied to parents /caregivers of students in order to measure their absence or lack of interest in the process of learning English language of their children, as their level of schooling is also associated with parents/caregivers approach with the language and the input in the family context. Finally, as a contribution for the Chilean education, a methodological proposal, based on Love Biology written by Maturana (2004), is suggested to improve the language learning process in destitute social context and students with absence of parents and/or caregivers. Keywords: Motivation- Affectivity– Love Biology.