Issues and Challenges in Learning English as a Second Language and its Mitigation

Abstract

English language has emerged as one of the most popular languages, with the power to elevate the standards of living, catering to the demands, ranging from the job requirement to social life connectivity. English is a language that dominates most of the aspects of the global scenario. This creates a strong need to learn this particular language. However, there exist certain issues and challenges, which stand significant to be addressed, in order to understand as to what actually obstructs the learning of English. The issues might arise at a teaching level or at any administrative level, causing challenges at the learners end. The causes may also lie in the family perceptions towards learning English which may weaken the motivation of the learner to learn and further, built-up a poor attitude towards the language. But, at a very primary level it is the self-motivation, attitude of the individual and strong self-esteem that produces a desire to learn this language. The geographical location of the English institutes may also pose a pressure on the learners, in terms of travelling expense and time. Poor teaching technology and improper implementation of government policies are some of the major issues that back such challenges. The significance of this paper lies in the fact that it highlights the issues and challenges of learning English as a second language (ESL) in modern ages. This work also attempts to highlight the mitigating measures to face such challenges in a multilingual country like India.