Investigating Difficulties of Teaching English Language as a University Requirement in Sudan

Abstract

Recently, the standards of English among Sudanese school pupils and university students have deteriorated a lot. It is important to recognize the factors behind this deterioration. Regarding the tertiary level, it is thought that the teaching of English as a university requirement is faced by many difficulties. This study is an investigation into difficulties of teaching English as a university requirement in Sudan. It is firstly hypothesized that the teaching materials used by Sudanese universities to teach English as a required subject are neither adequate nor appropriate. Secondly, universities do not qualify their teachers academically and professionally. Thirdly, most students are not motivated to learn the language. Finally, both teachers and students face a number of difficulties arising from class environments. To confirm or reject the hypotheses of the study, the researcher used three tools; a questionnaire for teachers of English language as a university requirement, a questionnaire for students taking English language as a university requirement and an interview for heads of departments that are responsible for teaching this required language. The sample of the study was three groups. Fifty teachers, three-hundred students and five heads of departments participated in the study. The numerical data collected from these subjects were statistically analyzed and the results were critically discussed. The results of the study confirm that the teaching materials used by Sudanese universities to teach English as a university requirement are neither adequate nor appropriate and that the time allocated to teach this required subject is not enough. They also confirm that universities do not qualify

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their teachers academically and professionally. Besides, they confirm that both teachers and students face a number of difficulties because of their university policies. However, the results of the study reject the hypothesis that most university students are not motivated to learn English as a required subject. The findings show that most students have high instrumental motivation to learn the language which proves that they are aware of the utility of the language as a means for achieving some of their ambitions in life.