COMPARING THE ROLE OF ENGLISH LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY (ELP) WITH OTHER FACTORS IN PAKISTANI UNIVERSITY STUDENTS’ DROPPING OUT AND UNIVERSITY TEACHERS’ PERCEPTIONS (ABOUT IT)

Abstract

This article aims to compare the role played by English Language Proficiency (ELP) with other factors in the students’ dropping out among university students of Sciences, Social Sciences and Arts/Humanities groups. It is hypothesized that not being proficient in English Language can increase the risk of dropping out at the university level as compared to other factors i.e., academic, administrative, family, health issues and financial or personal problems. The participants were thirty students of three major disciplines from Bahauddin Zakariya University, Multan who had taken re-admission; the data collection tool was a questionnaire divided in three sections in which statements about five factors of dropping out Likert scale. The analysis was done through measuring the coefficient of variation (CV) by grading the factors from most important to least important. Lacking English Language Proficiency and Health/Personal/Financial factors were rated as the most significant causes of dropping out. In this regard, university teachers’ perceptions about the role played by English Language Proficiency impacting learners’ academic achievements have also been explored through a survey. Although, they also consider ELP as the vital factor affecting the university students’ performance; yet, they have mixed tendency to consider it to be wholly responsible for failure. Some suggestions, related to academic practices and administrative policies based on the opinions on students, are also made at the end to reduce the dropout rate.