The Impacts of Conscious and Planned Instruction to Overcome Mother Tongue Interference in the Learning of English Language: The Results of Quasi Experimental Study

Abstract

It is said that the student’s use of MT (interference) in second/foreign language learning has negative influence on their learning and achievement. For this reason, solution should be given to the problem of mother tongue interference in the learning of foreign language.  Hence, the main aim of this study was to experiment the impacts of conscious and planned instruction to overcome mother tongue interference in the learning of English language. To achieve the purpose of this study, quasi- experimental research design was used. For this particular study, Wolayita  Liqa and Wolayita  Soddo Preparatory Schools were selected. Then, students of grade 11B at wolayita Liqaand grade 11T at Wolayita Soddo Preparatory Schools were selected for the study.   Next, homeroom teachers of Grade 11B and11T both at Wolayita Liqa and Wolayita Soddo Preparatory Schools respectively were allowed to pick the rolled paper as lotto. Accordingly, the experimental and controlled groups were made. In this study, students in the experimental group were given conscious and planned instruction to check whether or not it is possible to overcome the interference of mother tongue in the learning of English as foreign language.  A total of 150 minutes instruction was conducted in the experimental class. After the instruction, the students in both groups were given the speaking test. Then the, results of both controlled and experimental group were compared and contrasted to see the group who performed better in the test.  The analysis of data shows that the pronunciation of students are in controlled group on the four sounds are not equal . When we compare the result of experimental and controlled group, the students in the experimental group pronounced  the words containing ‘B’ ,’P’ ‘F’ and ‘V’ sounds  more than the students in the controlled group. This implies that students of experimental group performed better than students of the controlled  group. This could be because of the intervention and the conscious and planned formal instruction provided to students in the experimental group. Thus, it is possible to overcome the interference through conscious instruction. It was found that the intervention had a positive effect on the MT interference in the learning of English speaking skill.  This was proved through the higher scores that the experimental group obtained in the post-test. Finally, recommendations were given based on the conclusions and findings of the study.

Keywords: Conscious, English  Language, Interference, Learning, Mother Tongue,  planned instruction