چکیده:
The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of informal English language teaching in childhood on English knowledge and attitude towards the English language in adulthood. The research design was of a causal-comparative nature. The statistical population included all the first-year undergraduate students of Islamic Azad Universities who had been studying humanities in the academic year of 2015-2016. A sample size of 200 students was selected by multistage cluster sampling method. The research tools were English knowledge test and attitude questionnaire which were developed by the researcher. Statistical analyses using MANOVA was implemented. Findings revealed that the informal English language teaching in childhood, as compared to its absence, leads to more English knowledge and improves attitude towards the English language in adulthood. Based on the obtained results, it is recommended that English language learning should not only start at an earlier age but it should also and be taught informally.
خلاصه ماشینی:
Department of Educational Psychology, Islamic Azad University, Science and Research Branch, Tehran, Iran Abstract The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of informal English language teaching in childhood on English knowledge and attitude towards English language in adulthood.
Researches have been done by scholars such as Gardner (1985), Yang (2012), and Ahmed (2015) to highlight the key role of this variable in the process of learning and teaching foreign and second languages.
In addition, some researchers such as Johnson and Newport (1989), Asher and Garcia (1969; quoted by Marinova-Todd, Bradford Marshal and Snow, 2000), and Khalifa Gawi (2012) advocated a critical period hypothesis (CPH), and confirmed the learning of English in childhood.
In the study of Gorjian, Mahmoudi, and Mir (2010), there was no significant relationship between attitude, age, gender, and English language learning; in this study, although age does not affect language learning, but in Iran, the age variable can be associated with social and psychological limitations which are examined that it may affect the process of language learning, so it may not be coherent because of various factors, such as differences in statistical populations and samples, time and environment of testing and ignoring some other influential factors.
Therefore, due to the important role that the attitude plays in the academic achievement of learners, various studies and researches in this field is of great importance; consequently, parents and educational leaders are encouraged to start teaching English from childhood.