Neurocognitive factors impact on english language learning and speech production of students of 9 years basic education in Nyagatare district

Abstract

Learning a foreign language has not been an easy exercise for teenagers who have already embarked on other science subjects to advance their education levels in Rwanda. This research aimed to investigate the neurocognitive factors impact on English language learning and speech production and identify the extent to which the brain works to acquire language skills while learning other science subjects such as mathematics, physics, biology, chemistry, medicine including, but not limited to, any learning subject that virtually should not go unmentioned, and why do learners fail in using the acquired skills in English language mainly speaking. This is not a clinical study. Rather, it is an educational study which sought firstly to explore how successfully English language learning is acquired with the application of brain activation methods. Secondly, to evaluate the cognitive stage of 9-year-basic education thanks to students’ English language learning and speaking skills. The third was to investigate the effect of intrinsic motivation on English language learning and speaking of9-year-basic education students, and the fourth was to measure how much memory affects vocabulary acquisition and retrieving of information in a language learning and speaking. Specifically, the key question was, ˝How do neurons in the human brain behave to capture information, and translate it into meaning for the learner to develop language learning and speech production?”In order to answer this question, the study carried on a semi-longitudinal approach coupled with a mixed method design to seek solution to the learning of English language at teenage. That said, 40 students of Senior 2 were surveyed on English language learning to sound them out about the level of difficulties they encounter in learning English. Then, a classroom experiment followed for a period of six weeks (6) from 15 April to 23 May 2024 to collect relevant data on the issue at hand. Both quantitative and qualitative data were harvested in line with neurocognitive factors that affect English language learning and speaking of those teenagers. During data analysis, SPSS software version 22 was used to outlay them via multivariate tabulations and histograms. These were used to present quantitative data, while qualitative ones were discussed thematically. After all concerned analyses, the study found a great influence of neurocognitive underpinnings like anxiety, stress, motivation, brain activation techniques on English language learning and speaking of the participants. In the pre-test, the mean scored ranges between 1 and 2.5 with Standard Deviation that swings between 0.405 and 0.802 for all questions, while the mean scores in the post-test aligns between 3.5 and 5 with Standard Deviations that wheel between 0.267 and 0.813, which significantly indicates high scores after the treatment. Therefore, neurocognitive factors do substantially impact on the English language learning and speech production of learners in 9 years basic schools. Thus, linguists, language teachers, sciences teachers, curriculum designers, educationists, educational stakeholders, policy makers, politicians and any scholar involved in behavioural sciences and pure sciences should demonstrate a holistic understanding of neurocognition and its effects on youngsters, and apply it to their professions bearing in mind that, they work with humans with brain which contains neurons that are core organs required in education, especially English la