UNRAVELING PARENTS' PERCEPTIONS OF ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNING

Abstract

Purpose of the study: This research aims to analyze parents’ perceptions towards the learning of English and the ways they help their children deal with English and language assessment.
 Methodology: This qualitative study addresses 74 Chilean parents’ perceptions of English teaching and learning. A semi-structured interview was conducted to capture the participants’ perceptions. The data were categorized using content and frequency analysis and the principles of metaphoric analysis.
 Main findings: The findings suggest that parents hold a positive perception of the English language and believe it is useful for their children’s lives even though they might find the learning of the language difficult.
 Social implications/Originality: Participants can produce metaphors that regard English as an ability and metaphors that focus on the process of learning the language. The findings of this research are useful for university stakeholders, teachers, preservice teachers, and students.
 Novelty/Originality of this study: In this study parents, stakeholders who have usually left aside from the language teaching and learning process, are interviewed to unfold their perceptions of what they see and believe when their children learn English.