Assessment of difficulties in English reading comprehension and expressive writing among secondary school students in relation to their attitude towards English

Abstract

Language has always a subject to research for its role in registering diverse range of human finer thoughts in literature and in the form of verbal communication. Reading comprehension and expressive writing in English is a complex domain to learn and teach because it requires bringing together many skills. It can also be applied in many different ways. In India also, English has been taught as compulsory subject. In the present study the researcher attempted to study above two areas. The major finding of the study is more than half of secondary school students faced average level of difficulties in English reading comprehension whereas one-third of students faced less than average level of difficulties in English reading comprehension and a small proportion of students faced high to very high level of difficulties in English reading comprehension. More than half of secondary school students faced average level of difficulties in English expressive writing whereas one-third students faced less than average level of difficulties in English expressive writing and a small proportion of students faced high to very high level of difficulties in English expressive writing. A negative and significant relationship exists between difficulties faced by secondary school students in English reading comprehension and their attitude towards English in terms of desire to learn English, academic confidence, perceived usefulness, perceived difficulty and teacher and curriculum dimensions. A significant difference exists between male and female secondary school students on difficulty in grammar and male secondary school students experiencing more difficulty in grammar as compared to female students. All the areas of attitude towards English i.e., desire to learn English, academic confidence, perceived difficulty and teacher and curriculum as well as overall attitude towards English except perceived usefulness decrease difficulties in English expressive writing among secondary school students significantly.