The Attitudes Towards the English Language in Relation to Achievements at a Multicultural school

Abstract: This dissertation aims to study students at a multicultural school and their attitudes towards English, both as a school subject and as a language. Furthermore, the study investigates the relation between the students’ achievements in the subject and their attitudes. An interview study was performed with year nine students at a multicultural school. Thirteen interviews were conducted; twelve with students and one with the English teacher, which all concentrated on the relation between the students’ background and their attitudes towards the English language and English as a school subject, as well as their achievements in the subject.The results show that immigrant students do not manage to reach the aims and criterion posed in the syllabus for English to the same extent as native students. Even so, their attitude towards the language and the school subject is not affected. The study shows that immigrant students are as positive towards English as native students.