English as a medium of instruction in non-formal education: an inquiry on its challenges

Abstract

This phenomenological study aims to discover the challenges that may hinder the effective teaching of language in Non-formal Education. Teachers in non-formal education may face various challenges where their teaching becomes defective and unsuccessful, and these challenges can affect the development of a student's ability in the aspect of communication which is very important to a person's life. The focus of this study is the perception of the different teachers that had experiences in teaching language in ALS (Alternative learning system) Non-Formal Education within Tagum City. There were 14 participants in this study. They are elementary and secondary teachers from different schools within Tagum City and were teaching ALS learners within Tagum City. They have different teaching experiences. In the key informants, seven of the 14 participants are asked to share their experiences in handling non-formal education. The informants‟ answers will serve as a lens in determining and knowing the knowledge and perceptions of teachers in non-formal education. The Essential Themes on the Challenges Faced by Teachers using English as a Medium of Instruction in Non- Formal Education, Fundamental Knowledge in English, Difficulty in Understanding the English Language, Limited Meeting Time, and Limited Exposure to Activities in Learning English. The Essential Themes on how do these Challenges Affect Language Teaching in Non-Formal Education are: Managing Students who have difficulty in learning the English Language, Addressing the Diversity of Students in Non-Formal Education, and Implementing Activities Using the English Language. And lastly, the Essential Themes on the insights of teachers teaching in the non-formal education are: Ways to Develop Student's Ability in Understanding the English Language, Activities done to help Students in Improving their Use of English Language, Experiences that have affected their Perspectives as a Teacher, Valuable Lessons Learned as a Teacher in Non-Formal Education. Therefore, these findings would add to the knowledge about the significance of teaching language, especially the out-of-school learners.