A comparative study on the passivity of the students learning English as a second language at Aleksandras Stulginskis University

Abstract

The article focuces on the comparative analysis of the causative factors influencing the student passivity in 2005 and 2017 as well as on classwork methods stimulating their activity. The analysis was based on the results obtained in 2005 and 2017. The results showed that the main reasons of the students‘ passivity in 2005 during their english classes was their habit to be silent acquired in the high school as well as their unwillingness to show emotions (female approach) and laziness (male approach). In 2017 the students were still unwilling to show their emotions (both female and male approach) and habit to be silent (both female and male approach). In 2005 the active students pointed out discussion as the most accetable method to acquire competence in the English as the second language, whereas the passive students prefered teamwork to any other classroom activity. Both target groups emphasized the importance of good psychological climate during the classes. In 2017 discussion was found to be the most acceptable method to acquire competence and better speaking skills for the active students and active classwork methods for the passive students, while the latter indicated that the psychological climate during the classes is exceptionally important helping them to cope with the stress and language barrier. The obtained results also showed that the students in 2017 were more consciuous of the importance of beiing active during the classes.