Mokinių požiūris į lietuvių kalbą: ryšys tarp kalbos vartojimo, mokėjimo ir mokymosi

AURELIJA TAMULIONIENĖ Institute of the Lithuanian Language STUDENTS’ ATTITUDES TOWARD THE LITHUANIAN LANGUAGE: THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN LANGUAGE USE, PROFICIENCY, AND LEARNING KEYWORDS: Lithuanian language, students’ language, language proficiency, language use. ABSTRACT This article presents the results of a study conducted in 2018–2019, which sought to determine which languages predominate in students’ speech and to show how the answers provided by students are related to their attitudes toward Lithuanian language lessons, the teaching of Lithuanian, and the Lithuanian language. The study found that two languages predominate in students’ everyday speech, depending on the domain of use: Lithuanian and English. Most students report speaking Lithuanian at home, and almost all say that they read books in Lithuanian. Other findings on language use vary by age: the older the students, the more often they choose English (e.g., for browsing the internet or watching films). The students’ answers revealed a strong relationship between proficiency in Lithuanian and their evaluation of Lithuanian lessons: students who struggle to learn Lithuanian do not like Lithuanian lessons, and vice versa. INTRODUCTION Research into students’ language is increasingly attracting the attention of scholars and the public, prompting discussion of the extent to which other languages may influence students’ language development and declining literacy. It is important to discuss changes in the use of Lithuanian during school age because this is precisely when the influence of other languages becomes most firmly established, while the greatest opportunities to shape language use are also found in school, since it is the only setting in which Lithuanian is compulsory. By identifying the languages that most strongly affect the Lithuanian used by students and assessing the links between Lithuanian and its teaching and learning, it is possible to use educational content to shape and strengthen students’ command of Lithuanian. The subject of this article is an analysis of the relationship between students’ language use, proficiency, and learning, based on data from 536 questionnaires collected from schools where the language of instruction is Lithuanian (students in primary grades (grades 3–4) and basic education (grades 5–6 and 7–8)), operating BENDRINĖ KALBA 92 (2019) www.bendrinekalba.lt ISSN 2351-7204 AURELIJA TAMULIONIENĖ. Mokinių požiūris į lietuvių kalbą: ryšys tarp kalbos vartojimo, mokėjimo ir mokymosi | 2 doi.org/10.35321/bkalba.2019.92.13 in various counties of Lithuania: Druskininkai, Kaunas, Klaipėda, Panevėžys, Šiauliai, Vilnius (the aim of the survey was to examine pupils’ attitudes towards the Lithuanian language)1. The article examines responses to the questionnaire, revealing the relationship between language use, proficiency, and learning. The aim of the article is to analyse the results of the pupil survey, identify which languages predominate in pupils’ speech, and show how the responses provided by pupils relate to their attitudes towards Lithuanian-language lessons, the teaching of Lithuanian, and the Lithuanian language. To achieve this aim, the following main objectives were set: 1) to analyse language use among pupils of different age groups and genders at home, when watching films, reading books, and browsing the internet; 2) to determine how pupils assess their knowledge of Lithuanian and foreign languages; 3) to reveal a possible relationship between Lithuanian-language proficiency and self-assessment of proficiency. A descriptive analytical method is used to examine pupils’ responses, while a quantitative (counting) method is used to calculate and present the frequency of responses. The first section of the article reviews the relevance and nature of the study; the second presents the study’s results and provides a comparative analysis of the data. 1. RELEVANCE AND NATURE OF THE STUDY A considerable number of studies on the linguistic attitudes of various social groups have been conducted in Lithuania, often examining particular questions from separate perspectives. However, there is still a lack of systematic empirical research focused on students’ language use and motivation to learn in primary and lower-secondary grades at schools where the language of instruction is Lithuanian. Recently, considerable attention has been devoted to students’ linguistic attitudes. Most often, researchers examine the attitudes of students in upper grades toward the Lithuanian language, conduct studies of the attitudes toward Lithuanian of students at schools for national minorities, and investigate the relationship between attitudes toward the standard language and dialects (e.g., Aliūkaitė et al. 2017; Ramonienė 2010; 2013; Ramonienė, Extra 2011). Numerous studies have been conducted in Lithuania and abroad on the linguistic attitudes of various social groups, as well as on the characteristics of Lithuanian-language use and proficiency (e.g., Čubajavaitė 2013; Urbaitytė 2018). Researchers have examined how learning foreign languages influences students’ attitudes toward Lithuanian, and investigated the relationship between these factors and attitudes toward the Lithuanian language 1 Data were collected as part of the project “The Impact of Other Languages on Students’ Lithuanian and Self-Awareness: Situation, Trends and Possibilities,” funded by the State Commission of the Lithuanian Language (approved by Order No. V-10 of the Chair of the State Commission of the Lithuanian Language, dated 16 January 2018, under the programme “Research Programme on the Functioning and Change of Standard Lithuanian, Dialects and Other Language Varieties”; implementing institution: the Institute of the Lithuanian Language; agreement date: 16 July 2018, No. K-2/2018). BENDRINĖ KALBA 92 (2019) www.bendrinekalba.lt ISSN 2351-7204 AURELIJA TAMULIONIENĖ. Mokinių požiūris į lietuvių kalbą: ryšys tarp kalbos vartojimo, mokėjimo ir mokymosi | 3 doi.org/10.35321/bkalba.2019.92.13 lessons. The results presented show that “children’s attitudes toward the Lithuanian language are most closely related to <...> the child’s enjoyment of reading, writing and speaking <...>; children who enjoy these activities most often say that they like Lithuanian-language lessons” (Dabašinskienė et al. 2011: 143). Studies emphasize the importance of students’ attitudes and motivation to learn. Much attention is devoted to learning another (usually a second) language. It is acknowledged that success in language learning is determined by motivation associated with linguistic attitudes and the learning environment (Ushioda 2013; Dörnei 2014). Recent studies examine the attitudes of children and adolescents toward the Lithuanian language and its prestige. Research shows that attitudes toward language as a value take shape at a younger school age; unfortunately, “the prestige of the Lithuanian language declines with age—the higher the grade, the fewer students value its social significance” (Poderienė, Vaičiakauskienė 2019: 215). Recent models of motivation to learn and attitudes toward Lithuanian are presented, and it is noted that “[A] positive attitude toward the Lithuanian language, Lithuanians, Lithuania and one’s own identity influences motivation, which in turn leads to better language proficiency” (Vilkienė et al. 2019: 63). Data for this study were collected in 2018–2019. A questionnaire survey was chosen. The questionnaire consists of two parts. The first part contained general questions; the second presented statements, with the option to choose one of the responses (Disagree / Neither agree nor disagree / Agree). Students in the upper grades (5–8) completed the questionnaire independently, while the questions and statements were read aloud to students in the lower grades (3–4), who marked their answers. The data collected during the study were manually processed statistically and analyzed using the electronic spreadsheet Microsoft Office Excel. In view of the article’s topic, the following aspects were selected for analysis: 1. Students’ age (grade). 1. Which grade are You currently in? ____________ 2. Students’ gender. 3. Mark your gender: □ male / □ female. 3. Language use. 6. Which language or languages do you usually speak at home? □ Lithuanian, □ Polish, □ Russian, □ English, other ______________ (write in) 7. Write down which language you usually use to a) watch films ________________________________________________ b) read books ______________________________________________ c) browse the internet ____________________________________________ BENDRINĖ KALBA 92 (2019) www.bendrinekalba.lt ISSN 2351-7204 AURELIJA TAMULIONIENĖ. Mokinių požiūris į lietuvių kalbą: ryšys tarp kalbos vartojimo, mokėjimo ir mokymosi | 4 doi.org/10.35321/bkalba.2019.92.13 4. Students’ attitudes toward Lithuanian language lessons, the teaching of Lithuanian, and the Lithuanian language. 9. Mark how well you are doing at school in learning these subjects: 9b. Lithuanian: 1 – very poorly, 2 – poorly, 3 – well, 4 – very well (circle) 9d. Foreign language: 1 – very poorly, 2 – poorly, 3 – well, 4 – very well (circle) What is your opinion of the Lithuanian language? Think about what you believe and mark the answer that suits you best. Statements Disagree Neither agree nor disagree Agree 6. I like reading books. 11. The Lithuanian language is difficult; I find it hard to speak and write well. 14. Lithuanian language lessons are uninteresting. 19. I like Lithuanian language lessons. 25. I do not like the Lithuanian language. Efforts were made to select study sites in different parts of Lithuania; therefore, the counties of Druskininkai, Kaunas, Klaipėda, Panevėžys, Šiauliai, and Vilnius were selected. FIG. 1. Counties selected for the study (map from the internet, available online: http://www.lietuvoszemelapis.com/apskriciu-zemelapiai) The following criteria were used in forming the samples: participants’ age (grade) and participants’ sex. TABLE 1. Characteristics of the participants County | Druskininkai | Kaunas | Klaipėda | Panevėžys | Šiauliai | Vilnius Total: | 73 | 96 | 62 | 42 | 70 | 193 Sex | Female | Male | Female | Male | Female | Male | Female | Male | Female | Male | Female | Male 40 | 33 | 44 | 52 | 31 | 31 | 20 | 22 | 35 | 35 | 105 | 88 Grade | 3,4 | 5,6 | 7,8 | 3,4 | 5,6 | 7,8 | 3,4 | 5,6 | 7,8 | 3,4 | 5,6 | 7,8 | 3,4 | 5,6 | 7,8 | 3,4 | 5,6 | 7,8 18 | 22 | 33 | 19 | 19 | 58 | 18 | 22 | 22 | 0 | 42 | 0 | 39 | 15 | 16 | 55 | 77 | 64 BENDRINĖ KALBA 92 (2019) www.bendrinekalba.lt ISSN 2351-7204 AURELIJA TAMULIONIENĖ. Mokinių požiūris į lietuvių kalbą: ryšys tarp kalbos vartojimo, mokėjimo ir mokymosi | 5 doi.org/10.35321/bkalba.2019.92.13 2. RESEARCH RESULTS In light of the aim of this study, language use in students’ everyday lives, language proficiency (students’ self-assessment), and the relationship between language proficiency and learning were examined. 2.1. Language Use in Everyday Life This study first examined students’ choice of language in everyday life; that is, it sought to determine which language students speak at home, watch films in, read books in, and browse the internet in. The results show that most of the respondents speak Lithuanian at home (93%), while English (20%), Russian (16%), and Polish (3%) are spoken much less frequently; only isolated respondents speak other, less commonly used languages, such as Spanish, French, German, etc. The results indicate that the choice of language used in everyday life does not depend on gender. The responses are distributed fairly evenly: most girls (71%) and boys (68%) speak mainly Lithuanian at home, less often English (14% of girls and 15% of boys), Russian (11% of girls and 13% of boys), or other languages. In the questionnaires, students could indicate several languages. Although most stated that they speak only Lithuanian at home, some also indicated that, in addition to Lithuanian, they use English and, less frequently, Russian. These data are difficult to interpret unambiguously. It may be that some students indicated several languages not because they communicate in both languages at home, but because there are occasional instances when they communicate with friends in both languages, write on social networks, and so on. The data are presented in Figs. 2 and 3. FIG. 2. Language spoken by students at home FIG. 3. Language spoken by students at home: data by gender BENDRINĖ KALBA 92 (2019) www.bendrinekalba.lt ISSN 2351-7204 AURELIJA TAMULIONIENĖ. Mokinių požiūris į lietuvių kalbą: ryšys tarp kalbos vartojimo, mokėjimo ir mokymosi | 6 doi.org/10.35321/bkalba.2019.92.13 The study sought to determine how students’ age influences their choice of language. More than half of the 8th-grade students (77%) indicated that they speak Lithuanian at home; the figures for the other grades are broadly similar (64–69%). English was reported as a language spoken at home by the largest proportions of 6th-grade (22%) and 3rd-grade (21%) students; the results for grades 5, 7, and 8 range from 10% to 14%, while the smallest proportion reporting that they also speak English at home was among 4th-grade students (8%). The largest proportion of students who speak Russian at home was in grade 7 (17%); the figures provided by students in grades 4, 5, 6, and 8 are similar (10–14%), while the fewest students who indicated Russian as a language spoken at home were in grade 3. Figure 4 provides detailed information on the home language use patterns of students in different grades. FIG. 4. Language spoken by students at home: data by grade Responses to the question about which language films are usually watched were more varied. Half (50%) of the students indicated that they watch films in Lithuanian, while others (35%) chose English; Russian (3%) and Polish (1%) were selected only in isolated cases. Students also reported languages that are used quite rarely, such as Arabic, Korean, and French, among others. It is possible that not all of them understood the question correctly. For example, the choice of Korean raises considerable doubts. One might suggest that students watch Korean films, which are currently very popular, but these are most likely translated into English or another language, or shown with subtitles. Despite these circumstances, the main patterns became clear and are evident: Lithuanian and English predominate (see Fig. 5). The data were examined to determine whether gender influences language choice. The results are similar: slightly more girls than boys indicated that they watch films in Lithuanian (53%; boys—48%); correspondingly, girls watch films in English somewhat less often BENDRINĖ KALBA 92 (2019) www.bendrinekalba.lt ISSN 2351-7204 AURELIJA TAMULIONIENĖ. Mokinių požiūris į lietuvių kalbą: ryšys tarp kalbos vartojimo, mokėjimo ir mokymosi | 7 doi.org/10.35321/bkalba.2019.92.13 (32%; cf. boys—38%); similar proportions of students (girls—12%, boys—13%) watch films in Russian (see Fig. 6). FIG. 5. Language in which students watch films,% FIG. 6. Language in which students watch films: data by gender,% The study also assessed how students’ age affects their choice of language when watching films. The hypothesis formulated before the study—that the older the students, the more often they watch films in English—was confirmed. The results show that students in the lower grades are more inclined to watch films in Lithuanian; the results reported by 7th-grade students are evenly split, while 8th-grade students already indicate that they watch films in English somewhat more often (see Fig. 7). FIG. 7. Language in which students watch films: data by grade As the study data show, there are two main languages in which films are watched—Lithuanian and English (see Fig. 8); films are watched in Russian much less often (in different grades, 10% to 16% of students watch films in Russian). BENDRINĖ KALBA 92 (2019) www.bendrinekalba.lt ISSN 2351-7204 AURELIJA TAMULIONIENĖ. Mokinių požiūris į lietuvių kalbą: ryšys tarp kalbos vartojimo, mokėjimo ir mokymosi | 8 doi.org/10.35321/bkalba.2019.92.13 FIG. 8. The language in which students watch films: data by grade The majority of students (as many as 85%), when asked to indicate the language in which they read books, named Lithuanian (see Fig. 9). Thus, almost all students read books in Lithuanian, while English is read much less often (13%); only isolated cases of other languages were reported. This is very important to note: if students choose Lithuanian when reading, their language use can be positively influenced through reading and the choice of good literature. The results by gender are broadly similar (see Fig. 10): just a few percentage points fewer girls said that they read books in Lithuanian (83%; cf. boys – 86%), while correspondingly just a few percentage points more said that they read in English (14%; cf. boys – 10%). FIG. 9. The language in which students read books FIG. 10. The language in which students read books: data by gender The results by grade are broadly similar—in all grades, Lithuanian predominates (77–91%). Students in Grade 5 (91%) and Grade 3 (90%) most often choose to read in Lithuanian; the responses from students in Grades 6–8 are evenly distributed, with 82% of students in these grades reading in Lithuanian, while the data for Grade 4 stand out somewhat—77% of students in this grade indicated that they read BENDRINĖ KALBA 92 (2019) www.bendrinekalba.lt ISSN 2351-7204 AURELIJA TAMULIONIENĖ. Mokinių požiūris į lietuvių kalbą: ryšys tarp kalbos vartojimo, mokėjimo ir mokymosi | 9 doi.org/10.35321/bkalba.2019.92.13 in Lithuanian, while 19% read in English. Across the different grades, 7% to 16% of students indicated another language in which they read books. The results are shown in Fig. 11. FIG. 11. The language in which students read books: data by grade Students were also asked which language they use to browse the internet. A somewhat larger proportion reported browsing the internet in English (47%); Lithuanian is used somewhat less often (45%), followed less frequently by Russian (7%) and other individual languages (1%). Girls choose to browse in Lithuanian more often than boys (49%; cf. boys – 38%). The result for browsing in English is reversed: girls choose to browse the internet in English less often (42%; cf. boys – 55%). The choice to browse the internet in Russian is almost equal: 8% of girls and 6% of boys browse in this language. The results are shown in Figs. 12 and 13. FIG. 12. The language in which students browse the internet FIG. 13. The language in which students browse the internet: data by gender Before conducting the study, the hypothesis was put forward that the older the students, the more often they choose to browse the internet in English. The predictions were confirmed—the results indeed show that older students are more inclined to browse the internet in English (see Fig. 14). A marked change can be seen from BENDRINĖ KALBA 92 (2019) www.bendrinekalba.lt ISSN 2351-7204 AURELIJA TAMULIONIENĖ. Mokinių požiūris į lietuvių kalbą: ryšys tarp kalbos vartojimo, mokėjimo ir mokymosi | 10 doi.org/10.35321/bkalba.2019.92.13 Grade 6: 81 percent of pupils in this grade already report that they browse the internet in English (cf. Grade 3 – 48 percent, Grade 4 – 40 percent, Grade 5 – 60 percent). It is becoming clear that pupils in lower grades prefer to browse the internet in Lithuanian, but later, apparently having learned some English, they choose this language. FIG. 14. Language in which pupils browse the internet: data by grade In summary, it can be said that two languages predominate among pupils—Lithuanian and English. Lithuanian is preferred (regardless of pupils’ age and gender) in several areas: it is used as the language spoken at home, and books are read in Lithuanian. The choice of language for watching films and browsing the internet depends on age: pupils in lower grades choose Lithuanian, while those in higher grades switch to English. 2.2. Self-assessment of language proficiency In studying pupils’ language, the aim was also to establish their language proficiency based on their self-assessment. Pupils were asked to assess how well they were doing in learning Lithuanian. Pupils in lower grades (Grades 3–4) had to indicate a score from 1 to 4: 1 – very poor, 2 – poor, 3 – good, 4 – very good. Pupils in higher grades had to underline which marks (from 1 to 10) they received most often. The data provided by pupils were consolidated, with marks of 10–9 assessed as very good (4), 8–6 as good (3), 5–4 as poor, and 3–1 as very poor (1). The results were compared with the results of self-assessments of foreign-language proficiency. The responses revealed that almost half (43 percent) of pupils were doing very well in learning Lithuanian, while half as many were doing well or poorly (26 percent each), and only a small proportion (6 percent) were doing very poorly (see Fig. 15). A greater difference emerged when the results were assessed by gender (see Fig. 16): more girls (35 percent; cf. 17 percent of boys) reported doing very well. More similar BENDRINĖ KALBA 92 (2019) www.bendrinekalba.lt ISSN 2351-7204 AURELIJA TAMULIONIENĖ. Mokinių požiūris į lietuvių kalbą: ryšys tarp kalbos vartojimo, mokėjimo ir mokymosi | 11 doi.org/10.35321/bkalba.2019.92.13 results were obtained for responses indicating good (40 percent of girls, 45 percent of boys), poor (22 percent of girls, 30 percent of boys), and very poor (3 percent of girls, 8 percent of boys). Thus, girls’ overall self-assessment is much better than boys’. FIG. 15. Responses to the question of how well pupils are doing in Lithuanian FIG. 16. Responses to the question of how well pupils are doing in Lithuanian: by gender The results show that pupils in Grade 4 (40 percent) and Grade 3 (34 percent) rate their knowledge of Lithuanian most highly. Results change from Grade 5 onward, with pupils’ self-assessments declining: fewer than a quarter of pupils in Grades 5–8 (15–23 percent) think they are doing very well in Lithuanian, and the smallest proportion holding this view is in Grade 7 (15 percent). The proportion who think they are doing well in Lithuanian is fairly similar across grades (32–42 percent), with the exception of Grade 5 pupils—just over half of them (51 percent) think they are doing well in Lithuanian. In every grade, the smallest proportion of pupils think they are doing very poorly in Lithuanian (2–8 percent). Detailed results are presented in Fig. 17. FIG. 17. Responses to the question of how well pupils are doing in learning Lithuanian: by grade BENDRINĖ KALBA 92 (2019) www.bendrinekalba.lt ISSN 2351-7204 AURELIJA TAMULIONIENĖ. Mokinių požiūris į lietuvių kalbą: ryšys tarp kalbos vartojimo, mokėjimo ir mokymosi | 12 doi.org/10.35321/bkalba.2019.92.13 Having established how well students are doing in Lithuanian, the results were then compared with their answers about their proficiency in a foreign language. Nearly half of the students across all grades believe that they do very well in a foreign language (49%), while fewer—a third—said that they do well in a foreign language (32%); slightly more than one sixth selected the answer poorly (17%), and only isolated cases indicated that they do very poorly in a foreign language (2%). The data show that girls and boys give fairly similar assessments, with no major differences observed (cf. the results for Lithuanian, where girls’ self-assessments are much better). FIG. 18. Responses to the question of how well students are doing in a foreign language FIG. 19. Responses to the question of how well students are doing in a foreign language: by gender Results are fairly similar across all grades (see Fig. 20). Sixth-grade students rate their foreign-language skills the highest (55%; fourth-grade students rate their Lithuanian skills the highest—40%), and more than half of fifth-grade students (54%) and half of eighth-grade students (51%) give similar ratings. About a third of students in every grade believe that they do well in a foreign language (results range from 28% to 37%), and only isolated students selected the answer very poorly (from 0% to 4%). FIG. 20. Responses to the question of how well students are doing in learning a foreign language: by grade BENDRINĖ KALBA 92 (2019) www.bendrinekalba.lt ISSN 2351-7204 AURELIJA TAMULIONIENĖ. Mokinių požiūris į lietuvių kalbą: ryšys tarp kalbos vartojimo, mokėjimo ir mokymosi | 13 doi.org/10.35321/bkalba.2019.92.13 Having analyzed the data on assessments of students’ Lithuanian and foreign-language skills, the results were then compared to determine what differences emerge. The greatest differences occur when comparing the responses very well (4) and well. About half of all students believe that they do very well in a foreign language, while an equal number believe that they do well in Lithuanian. Responses for all other self-assessment levels and across all grades are similar for self-assessed proficiency in Lithuanian and foreign languages. FIG. 21. Responses to the question of how well students are doing in learning Lithuanian and foreign languages: by grade Students rate their proficiency in both Lithuanian and a foreign language well. The main difference is that, in the opinion of a larger proportion of students, they do very well in a foreign language, while they do well in Lithuanian. Only a small proportion of students across all grades believe that their proficiency in Lithuanian and foreign languages is very poor. 2.3. The relationship between Lithuanian proficiency and the evaluation of the Lithuanian language and its lessons When evaluating the results obtained, it is important to determine how much they are shaped by the relationship between Lithuanian proficiency and the evaluation of Lithuanian lessons, or by opinions about the Lithuanian language in general. The relationship between students’ self-assessment and the statement The Lithuanian language is difficult; I find it hard to speak and write well. was examined. More than two thirds of the students (68%), who indicated that they were doing very well in learning Lithuanian, disagree with this statement; almost half of the students (44%) who chose the response well also disagree. The largest proportion of students, that is, almost half (43%), who indicated that they were doing very poorly in Lithuanian, believe that Lithuanian BENDRINĖ KALBA 92 (2019) www.bendrinekalba.lt ISSN 2351-7204 AURELIJA TAMULIONIENĖ. Mokinių požiūris į lietuvių kalbą: ryšys tarp kalbos vartojimo, mokėjimo ir mokymosi | 14 doi.org/10.35321/bkalba.2019.92.13 is difficult. The relationship between students’ assessment of how well they are learning Lithuanian and their belief that Lithuanian is difficult is strong and direct: if they are not doing well in learning Lithuanian, they consider it difficult, and vice versa. FIG. 22. Relationship between Lithuanian proficiency and the statement The Lithuanian language is difficult; I find it hard to speak and write well The relationship between self-assessed Lithuanian proficiency and the statement I do not like the Lithuanian language. was also examined. Before the study began, it was assumed that students might dislike Lithuanian if they were not doing well in it. However, this assumption was only partly confirmed: only about a third (33%) of the students who chose the response very poorly indicated that they agreed with the statement I do not like the Lithuanian language (see Fig. 23). More students with poor grades disagreed with the statement I do not like the Lithuanian language (37%). These results are encouraging: although students receive poor grades for their Lithuanian proficiency, they do not regard the Lithuanian language as something they dislike. Nevertheless, the responses are essentially distributed proportionally: the students who most often disagree with the statement are those who chose the response very well in their self-assessment (82%), while the fewest are those who chose the rating very poorly (37%). There is a relationship between Lithuanian proficiency and liking the language, but in none of the response groups is the statement that students dislike Lithuanian the preferred response. BENDRINĖ KALBA 92 (2019) www.bendrinekalba.lt ISSN 2351-7204 AURELIJA TAMULIONIENĖ. Mokinių požiūris į lietuvių kalbą: ryšys tarp kalbos vartojimo, mokėjimo ir mokymosi | 15 doi.org/10.35321/bkalba.2019.92.13 FIG. 23. Relationship between Lithuanian proficiency and the statement I do not like the Lithuanian language To assess the relationship between Lithuanian proficiency and the evaluation of Lithuanian lessons, the relationship between self-assessed language proficiency and the statements Lithuanian lessons are boring and I like Lithuanian lessons. was examined. A direct relationship was observed in the responses. Several questions phrased in different ways were deliberately included in the questionnaire to check the reliability of the results, and the responses were therefore selected so that one was a negative statement (I do not like Lithuanian lessons), while the other was an affirmative statement (I like Lithuanian lessons). Almost half of the students who had chosen the response very poorly (43%) indicated that they found Lithuanian lessons boring (cf. the percentage of students who were doing very well in Lithuanian, i.e., 8%). Only almost one fifth (17%) of these students agree with the statement I like Lithuanian lessons (cf. the percentage of students who indicated very well, i.e., 58%). The responses are shown in Table 2. TABLE 2. Relationship between Lithuanian proficiency and the statements Lithuanian lessons are boring and I like Lithuanian lessons BENDRINĖ KALBA 92 (2019) www.bendrinekalba.lt ISSN 2351-7204 AURELIJA TAMULIONIENĖ. Mokinių požiūris į lietuvių kalbą: ryšys tarp kalbos vartojimo, mokėjimo ir mokymosi | 16 doi.org/10.35321/bkalba.2019.92.13 In conclusion, it can be stated that the relationships between proficiency in Lithuanian and attitudes toward the Lithuanian language, as well as between proficiency in Lithuanian and the evaluation of Lithuanian lessons, are significant, while the relationship between learning Lithuanian and proficiency in it is very strong. CONCLUSIONS 1. An examination of language use among students of different age groups and genders revealed that: 1.1. Students of both genders speak Lithuanian at home, much less often English, Russian, or Polish, and only in isolated cases other, less commonly used languages (Spanish, French, German, etc.). More than half of the students in all grades speak Lithuanian at home. The fewest students who speak Lithuanian at home are in grade 7 (almost three-fifths), while the largest proportion who speak English at home are in grade 6 (almost one-quarter). 1.2. Half of the students surveyed watch films in Lithuanian, more than a third watch them in English, and individual students watch films in Russian, Polish, and other languages. Girls watch films in Lithuanian somewhat more often than boys, whereas boys watch films in English more often. Students in lower grades more often watch films in Lithuanian, while those in higher grades (from grade 7 onward) watch them in English. 1.3. Students of both genders and different ages read books in Lithuanian; only slightly more than one-tenth read them in English. Students of any age choose to read books in Lithuanian, so it is important to take this into account when compiling lists of recommended reading. Reading in particular can influence the language used by students. 1.4. Almost half of the students surveyed browse the internet in English, while browsing in Lithuanian is somewhat less common. Girls choose to browse in Lithuanian more often than boys. Students in lower grades also tend to browse the internet in English, and from grade 5 onward, as they become more proficient in English, they browse in that language increasingly often. Understandably, Lithuania still lacks localized computer programs; they are less familiar, and some of the Lithuanian terms used in them are difficult to understand. Nevertheless, it is very important to give students opportunities, where possible, to complete online tasks in Lithuanian during lessons in various subjects. 1.5. Two languages predominate in students’ speech—Lithuanian and English. Lithuanian is preferred (regardless of students’ age and gender) as the language used at home, and in it BENDRINĖ KALBA 92 (2019) www.bendrinekalba.lt ISSN 2351-7204 AURELIJA TAMULIONIENĖ. Mokinių požiūris į lietuvių kalbą: ryšys tarp kalbos vartojimo, mokėjimo ir mokymosi | 17 doi.org/10.35321/bkalba.2019.92.13 reading books. The choice of language for watching films and browsing the internet depends on age: in the lower grades, Lithuanian is chosen, while in the upper grades pupils switch to English. 2. Having examined how pupils assess their proficiency in Lithuanian, the following was established: 2.1. Fewer than half of the pupils think that they do very well in Lithuanian, a quarter think that they do well, and only a few pupils choose the answer very poorly. Girls assess their Lithuanian-language knowledge more highly than boys: more than a third of girls and only a fifth of boys assess it as very good. Conversely, a few girls and fewer than a tenth of boys assess their knowledge as very poor. Fourth-grade pupils assess their Lithuanian-language knowledge most highly. The situation changes from grade 5 onward: fewer than a quarter of pupils think they do very well in Lithuanian, and grade 7 has the fewest such pupils. 2.2. Half of the pupils in all grades think that they do very well in a foreign language, a third think that they do well, and only a few pupils assess their foreign-language knowledge as very poor. No substantial differences in the results were observed between the sexes. Pupils in grades 6–8 assess their foreign-language knowledge most highly (whereas fourth-grade pupils assess their Lithuanian-language knowledge most highly). 2.3. Pupils assess their proficiency in both Lithuanian and a foreign language well. The main difference is that more than half of the pupils think they do very well in a foreign language, whereas when assessing their Lithuanian-language knowledge, most pupils report that they do well in Lithuanian. Only a very small proportion of pupils across all grades think that their proficiency in Lithuanian and foreign languages is very poor. 3. Having examined the relationship between proficiency in Lithuanian and its teaching, the following was established: 3.1. There is a direct relationship between the teaching of Lithuanian and the belief that Lithuanian is difficult: if pupils report that they do poorly or very poorly in Lithuanian, they consider it difficult, and vice versa. Regardless of how pupils assess their existing knowledge of Lithuanian, the majority disagree with the statement that they do not like Lithuanian. Nevertheless, a relationship does exist between proficiency in Lithuanian and liking it. 3.2. There is a strong relationship between proficiency in Lithuanian and pupils’ assessment of Lithuanian lessons: most pupils who struggle with Lithuanian (they chose the answer very poorly) say that Lithuanian lessons are uninteresting (fewer than a tenth of the pupils do very well in Lithuanian). BENDRINĖ KALBA 92 (2019) www.bendrinekalba.lt ISSN 2351-7204 AURELIJA TAMULIONIENĖ. Mokinių požiūris į lietuvių kalbą: ryšys tarp kalbos vartojimo, mokėjimo ir mokymosi | 18 doi.org/10.35321/bkalba.2019.92.13 LITERATŪRA Aliūkaitė D., Mikulėnienė D., Čepaitienė A., Geržotaitė L. 2017: Kalbos variantiškumas ir jos vertinimas perceptyviosios dialektologijos požiūriu: variantų ir vietų vaizdiniai, Vilnius: Vilniaus universiteto leidykla. Čubajevaite L. 2013: Sociolingvistinis Kauno moksleivių paveikslas. Daktaro disertacija. Prieiga internete: https://www.vdu.lt/cris/handle/20.500.12259/56358. Dabašinskienė I., Balčiūnienė I., Krivickaitė E. 2011: Ar ankstyvasis užsienio kalbų mokymas lemia požiūrį į gimtąją kalbą? – Kalbų studijos 19, 143–147. Prieiga internete: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/265980537_Ar_ankstyvasis_uzsienio_kalbu_mokymasis_lemia_poziuri_i_gimtaja_kalba. Dörnyei Z. 2014: Motivation in Second Language Learning. – Teaching English as a Second or Foreign Language. Celce-Murcia, M., Brinton, D. M., Snow, M. A. (eds.), Boston, MA: National Geographic Learning / Cengage Learning, 518–531. Poderienė N., Vaičiakauskienė S. 2019: Lietuvių kalbos prestižas: mokinių nuostatos dėl lietuvių kalbos švietimo politikos kontekste. – Lituanistica 65, 3(117), 199–219. Ramonienė M., red. 2010: Miestai ir kalbos I. Kolektyvinė monografija, Vilnius: Vilniaus universiteto leidykla. Ramonienė M., red., 2013: Miestai ir kalbos II. Kolektyvinė monografija, Vilnius: Vilniaus universiteto leidykla. Ramonienė M., Extra G. 2011: Multilingualism in Lithuanian Cities. Languages at Home and School in Vilnius, Kaunas and Klaipėda, Klaipėda / Tilburg: Klaipėdos universiteto leidykla. Urbaitytė K. Kauno kitakalbių kalbinės nuostatos ir tapatybė [interaktyvus], Kaunas: VDU, 2018. Prieiga internete: https://www.vdu.lt/cris/handle/20.500.12259/35646. Ushioda E. International Perspectives on Houndmills, Basingstoke, Hampshire Motivation. – Language Learning and Professional Motivation Challenges, New York, NY: Palgrave Macmillan. Vilkienė V., Vilkaitė-Lozdienė L., Bružaitė-Liseckienė J. 2019: Lietuvių kalba Vilniaus lietuviškose, lenkiškose ir rusiškose gimnazijose: mokėjimo kokybė, kalbinės nuostatos ir motyvacija, Vilnius: Vilniaus universiteto leidykla. Prieiga internete: https://www.vu.lt/leidyba/images/eknygos/Lietuviu_kalba_mokyklose.pdf. Gauta 2019 12 09 Priimta 2019 12 30 BENDRINĖ KALBA 92 (2019) www.bendrinekalba.lt ISSN 2351-7204 AURELIJA TAMULIONIENĖ. Mokinių požiūris į lietuvių kalbą: ryšys tarp kalbos vartojimo, mokėjimo ir mokymosi | 19 doi.org/10.35321/bkalba.2019.92.13 PUPILS’ ATTITUDE TOWARDS THE LITHUANIAN LANGUAGE: THE CONNECTION BETWEEN LANGUAGE USAGE, PROFICIENCY, AND LEARNING Summary The article presents the results of a 2018–2019 study aimed at identifying the most prevalent languages in pupils vernacular, showing the correlation between the pupils’ answers and their own attitudes towards Lithuanian classes as well as towards teaching the Lithuanian language and the Lithuanian language in general. Analysis of the data has revealed that, depending on the area of usage, the daily pupils vernacular is dominated by two languages: Lithuanian and English. The Lithuanian language takes the lead (irrespective of the age and gender of pupils) in several areas: Lithuanian is the language spoken at home and the language for reading books. In other areas, such as watching films and browsing, the choice of language depends on the age, with younger pupils opting for the Lithuanian language, while seniors make a transition towards English. Notably, all pupils choose to read their books in Lithuanian. This is an important factor to note, because it is through reading that the language can be empowered. Analysis of the self-grading of the proficiency of the Lithuanian language has showed that girls tend to give themselves higher grades for their Lithuanian language skills compared to boys. The highest self-grades of Lithuanian language skills have been observed among fourth-graders. Beginning with grade 5, the grades shift and the self-grading tends to go down. The study suggests that pupils tend to give themselves high marks in terms of their proficiency in both Lithuanian and foreign language. The main difference is that the majority – more than one-half – of pupils believe that their foreign language skills are excellent; in grading their own Lithuanian language skills, many pupils rated their Lithuanian language proficiency as good. And only a fraction of pupils across all grades believe that their Lithuanian and foreign language skills are very poor. Investigation of the connection between the proficiency of the Lithuanian language and teaching has highlighted a strong and direct relationship between the self-grade in Lithuanian and the belief that the Lithuanian language is very difficult: pupils who rate their Lithuanian BENDRINĖ KALBA 92 (2019) www.bendrinekalba.lt ISSN 2351-7204 AURELIJA TAMULIONIENĖ. Mokinių požiūris į lietuvių kalbą: ryšys tarp kalbos vartojimo, mokėjimo ir mokymosi | 20 doi.org/10.35321/bkalba.2019.92.13 language skills as poor or very poor also say that this language is difficult, and vice-versa. The pupils’ answers have also revealed a strong tie between the self-grade in Lithuanian and the fondness for Lithuanian classes, with pupils who are failing in Lithuanian having little fondness for Lithuanian language classes, and vice-versa. KEYWORDS: Lithuanian language, pupil vernacular, language proficiency, language usage. AURELIJA TAMULIONIENĖ Lietuvių kalbos institutas Petro Vileišio g. 5, LT-10308 Vilnius [email protected] BENDRINĖ KALBA 92 (2019) www.bendrinekalba.lt ISSN 2351-7204