Education of Foreign Languages Examined Using the Semantic Differential

Abstract

Aim. The main aim of our project is to find out the opinions of selected groups of respondents about the teaching of foreign languages. Methods. For verification, we chose to apply the research method of semantic differential and matched it in relation to psycholinguistics. Semantic differential is a research method aimed at verifying how respondents perceive concepts. We focused on verifying what the term language teaching evokes in three different groups of respondents (pupils/students, parents, and teachers). 16 bipolar terms were chosen, which the respondents had to evaluate on a scale of 1 to 7. The given term was evaluated more positively, the smaller the value of the number was. Didactic research was attended by 231 respondents who were divided into three basic groups: teacher, parent, and pupil/student. Then, the experimentally obtained data was statistically analysed and compared using post-hoc tests to determine which of the groups showed any results of significance. Results. Of the used terms, only 3 were statistically significant: contemporary - outdated, valuable - worthless and cheerful- sad. The statistically significant difference was manifested in the two groups of pupils/students and parents. Pupils/students evaluated the teaching of foreign languages as contemporary, valuable, and fun. By contrast, parents are inclined to answer that teaching foreign languages is outdated, less valuable and sad. Conclusion. The results evoke the implementation of new innovative based methods, for example, on integrated teaching (CLIL method) or new activating teaching methods.