The influence of language users’ attitudes towards the learning and teaching of English language in three post-independence Namibian schools

Abstract

This research sought to examine the influence of language user’s attitudes to the teaching and learning of English Language in three selected post-independence Namibian schools. The research was motivated by the high failure rate in English Language by Namibian learners. Generally, the majority of learners fail to effectively read, write and speak in the medium of English Language despite the officialization of the language in the school curriculum at independence in 1990. The monolingual language policy that Namibia chose has had far-reaching, detrimental implications for Namibians and for its development evidenced by the high failure rate against a background of high spending by both parents and government on education. This research thus looked at the extent to which users’ language attitudes towards the medium of English vis à vis other languages affect teachers’ teaching and learners’ learning of English Language.