Abstract
English language teaching and learning have experienced a huge shift
within the Ecuadorian educational context in the last two decades and various
measures haven been implemented. In this sense, international and
standardized exams have become common means that certify the proficiency
of this foreign language among students and teachers from different
educational levels. Thus the present study had as its objective to determine the
proficiency level of the English language of students in the last grade of General
Unified Baccalaureate (BGU), as well as identify the linguistic competences the
students had the most and the least difficulties with. In order to achieve these
objectives, a quantitative exploratory study was carried out in eight public, rural
educational institutions. The results of the test, administered to a sample of 142
students, yielded that the English proficiency level of the study participants is
unsatisfactory, corroborating existing data with regard to the low English
proficiency level of Ecuadorian students. The participants also demonstrated a
low proficiency level in three linguistic competences, which may hinder their
use of the target language for different purposes in their future lives.
Keywords: secondary education; educational research; foreign
language; english.
Date Received: 01-07-2017
Date Acceptance: 30-08-2017
53
Arbitrado
Ecuadorian English Education: Level of Proficiency and Linguistic
Competences of Rural Students