Sociolinguistic Factors Influencing English Language Acquisition Among Secondary School Learners: A Case Study of an IT-Specialized School in Urgench, Uzbekistan
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.23133627
Abstract
Language diversity is growing in the secondary schools of Uzbekistan, but English lessons are often planned in the same way for every student. This ignores the social and language differences that learners bring to class and may lead to unequal participation and unfair assessment. This qualitative case study is based on classroom observation and reflection on the author’s own teaching during one school term at an IT-specialized school in Urgench. The analysis showed that four connected factors shape participation, even when students have the same English level: regional background, family income, gender, and ethnic and language identity. Bilingual students also switched between languages (code-switching) regularly. The study suggests that classroom silence and code-switching should be seen as normal social behavior, not as weaknesses. It offers practical strategies for similar mixed EFL classes: differentiated instruction, scaffolding, and assessment that accepts translanguaging. The author’s contribution is a first-hand record of these patterns and teaching solutions based on the observations.
Keywords:
Sociolinguistics EFL code-switching differentiated instruction gender translanguagingReferences
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