International Journal of Education and Management Studies

V. Saraswathi ¹, Harini Jayaraman ², A. Arun Kumar ³

Affiliations
1 LAMED (Psychology), Chennai, IN
2 LAMED (Language Acquisition), Chennai, IN
3 LAMED, Chennai, IN

Abstract

Children's drawings are indicators of emotions, self-esteem, social competence, as well as other aspects of personality and are a way for children to call attention to topics that are personally important or emotionally significant. Strong emotions emerge in the form of images instead of words. Drawing allows students to experience rather than verbalize feelings. This study aims at understanding the child's emotions and personality using drawing as a tool and to develop a protocol for teachers. From August to October 2015, we conducted image analysis of 35 drawings of kids between three to six years of age from private schools in Chennai. Fifty kids (conveniently sampled) were asked to draw anything that they feel like and interviewed about their drawing (the reason behind the particular character/theme, the color, etc). Phenomenological analysis of the drawings were done under the following headings: theme, contents, zones used, connections between various elements of the picture, orientation to each other, spacing, margin, size, pressure, clarity and colors used. Field notes and reflective notes based on observation of each kid were developed and analyzed separately using N Vivo 7. This paper describes the study protocol and the preliminary findings of the pilot study.

Keywords

Image Analysis, Children's Drawings, Emotions, Chennai.

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Harini Jayaraman ¹, B. Poornima ², A. Arunkumar ³

Affiliations
1 Language Acquisition, LAMED, Chennai, ID
2 Language Acquisition, LAMED, Chennai, IN
3 LAMED, Chennai, IN

Abstract

Each student of foreign language has a different level of motivation to learn the language. This paper examines the motivation level of 191 students (between the ages of 15 and 55 years) of an international French language and culture institution. A self-reported questionnaire by Vivian Cook was used for the assessment. Five dimensions of language motivation were measured; Self-Image, Inhibition, Risk Taking, Ego Permeability and Ambiguity. The average score that the participant obtained in these five dimensions was termed the 'overall language motivation score'. Motivation levels were classified as high (48-64), above average (36-47), average (16-34) and low (below 15). The data was collected during the period of March-May 2015 and analyzed using SPSS 20. Results showed that motivation levels were; high (n=0), above average (n=35, 18.3%), average (n=155, 81.1%) and low (n=1, 0.5%). The study revealed that the majority of students lack overall motivation in learning the language, which is a factor for increasing attrition rates in higher levels of language learning. Foreign language learning classrooms should concentrate on reinforcing the intrinsic motivation through techniques that extrinsically motivate students. Further studies are required to qualitatively analyze the motivating factors and the reasons for attrition.

Keywords

Second Language, Motivation, Language Acquisition, Chennai.

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