Performance Differences between ELT Freshmen’s Receptive and Productive Skills

Abstract

Problem Statement: This study investigates whether the freshmen’s education at the preparatory school makes a meaningful difference in the freshmen’s performances who attend the preparatory programme and those who are exempt from this programme. Thus, it will lead to analyze the fact that whether the foreign language instruction that is offered at the preparatory school make learners more successful when they start their education in the department, and in what skills the preparatory school helps learners develop more. In doing so, the efficiency of the preparatory school will become clearer, and both teachers and learners will be aware of their level of achievement.
Purpose of the Study: This study mainly aims to find out whether there are performance differences among ELT freshmen who attended and who did not attend the Gazi University preparatory school in 2009 – 2010 academic year in terms of receptive and productive skills. In addition, the aforementioned research question will be analyzed in three dimensions; a) in terms of their attendance at the preparatory school b) in terms of gender c) in terms of programme type.
Method: This research employs quantitative design. The data related to freshmen’s gender, programme type and the information whether they attended the preparatory programme or not was gathered. Participants are 260 freshmen in total, 210 of whom are females, while 50 of them are males. While 122 of these freshmen are enrolled in the day programme, 138 of them are enrolled in the evening programme. They took Gazi University English Language Proficiency Exam one year before the time of this study. Their mid-term and final scores were gathered separately in addition to their gender, programme type and the fact that whether they attended preparatory school or not. 40% of their mid-term exams and 60% of their final exams were calculated for each skill course in both terms as it is stated in Gazi University Registrar’s Office Regulations. Exam scores of fall and spring terms were compared and commented on as well as the gender and education type.
Findings and Results: It is obvious in this study that their attendance at the preparatory school does not have a considerable effect on overall skills in spite of the fact that it causes some differences in certain terms and skills. Gender, similar to the attendance at the preparatory programme, does not lead to a worthwhile difference in the freshmen’s performances overall. Programme type, on the other hand, may be claimed to play a more important role in determining the freshmen’s success in receptive and productive skills.
Conclusion and Recommendations: The preparatory school exposed learners to foreign language skills more via various materials and opportunities; however, it needs to update its materials, gain more insight into learners’ less successful skills and their needs. Another alternative study, that is, the comparison of learners’ performances in receptive and productive skills can be carried out in all English Language Teaching (ELT) preparatory programmes of Turkish universities.