The role of Libyan parents in their children 's acquisition of English as a second language

Abstract

It has been established that parents play a major role in education attainment. This research paper presents the role of the family in children’s learning of a foreign language. Families in different countries, regions, and cultural background have different attitude s and opinions about the ways of methods of learning foreign languages. This study presents the participation of mothers in children learning of a foreign language and the current situation of children learning English in particular city in Libya from the age of two to six years. This research also attempts to analyze the form different perspectives, including parents’ attitude towards second language learning, educational background, and parents culture influence. The study also locked at the major in which these families support these children. The nature of current mothers’ participants is described based on quantitive data obtained through interviewing and discussing mothers individually. In order to explore parents' perspectives on learning English to young children and what parents can do either to support their children in learning English at home; or pre- school requirement for learning English. Mothers from different education background were interviewed for children. The results showed that parents have a very positive attitude towards learning English to young children. They enthusiastically support their children by helping them with homework, memorizing vocabulary and providing educational media such as watching English learning videos, asking relatives or people who knowing uneducated mothers showed little enthusiastically in supporting their children. In general, The Libyan families environment is somewhat helpful in acquiring English as a second language.