THE EFFECTS OF FOREIGN LANGUAGE TEACHER’S COMMUNICATION ABILITY ON PRIMARY SCHOOL STUDENT’S INTEREST IN FOREING LANGUAGE COURSES

Abstract

In this study it is aimed to determine the relationship between communication skills of primary school English teachers and attitudes of primary school students towards English courses. In this study, comparison survey model was used. And descriptive scanning method was used to examine the attitudes and interests of primary school students towards English lessons in line with age, gender, class, the number of siblings variables and communication skills of English teachers. The study group of the research consists of 138 students who took English lesson in the 2nd grade, 3rd grade and 4th grade of primary school in Erzurum’s central districts in 2019-2020 academic years. And it consist of 86 English teachers working in these primary schools in Yakutiye and Palandöken districts. In this study, the data were obtained by using the scale “Attitude Scale Towards English Lesson” consisting of 16 items and the scale “Communication Skills Inventory”consisting of 45 items. The obtained data is analyzed by SPSS programme and frequency, percentage calculations, t-test and ANOVA statistical methods were used in the analysis of the data. As a result of this study, a significant difference was found between student’s attitudes towards English lessons and their gender and attitudes. It was concluded that the communication skills of teachers differ according to gender, education level, age, duration of professional servise, relationhip with the institution they work, but there is no significant difference. However, a significant difference was found in communication skills of teachers in school types, education levels and gender variables.