Teachers and students perceptions of teaching english in small classes in Ecuador

Abstract

Abstract: Teachers and students perceptions of teaching English in small classes in Ecuador is the theme of this research; this study was conducted in a public high school in Machala, Ecuador. In this institution, five English teachers and sixty students were surveyed through a questionnaire. The quantitative method was applied in this research to calculate the percentages of answers given by teachers and students in relation to the variables analyzed. In this analysis, it was necessary to consider main aspects which concern about teachers and students perceptions about benefits of teaching learning English in small classes, the teaching strategies sources that benefit the teaching process, and limitations of teaching and learning English in small classes. In addition, surveys and note-taking were the techniques and observation formats and questionnaires were the instruments applied in this research. The results of this study show that the main benefits of teaching and learning English in small classes were that there more opportunities of teacher-student interaction, proper feedback provided. Nevertheless, the main limitation face in small classes is that there are anxiety among learners due to the teachers' control and discipline.