Ecuadorian English Education: Level of Proficiency and Linguistic Competences of Rural Students

Abstract

English language teaching and learning have experienced a huge shift within the Ecuadorian educational context in the last two decades and various measures haven been implemented. In this sense, international and standardized exams have become common means that certify the proficiency of this foreign language among students and teachers from different educational levels. Thus the present study had as its objective to determine the proficiency level of the English language of students in the last grade of General Unified Baccalaureate (BGU), as well as identify the linguistic competences the students had the most and the least difficulties with. In order to achieve these objectives, a quantitative exploratory study was carried out in eight public, rural educational institutions. The results of the test, administered to a sample of 142 students, yielded that the English proficiency level of the study participants is unsatisfactory, corroborating existing data with regard to the low English proficiency level of Ecuadorian students. The participants also demonstrated a low proficiency level in three linguistic competences, which may hinder their use of the target language for different purposes in their future lives.