The Role of Cultural Schemata in Learning English Language Skills

Abstract

The current study aims to find out the effect of the cultural schemata on learning English language skills and investigate the activation of background knowledge of learners to ensure a better understanding of learning the English language. To conduct the study and fulfil its aims, the following hypotheses are set: 1) there is no statistically significant difference between the mean scores of the experimental group's achievements at the recognition and the production levels in the post-test. 2) to achieve the aims and confirm the hypotheses, the experimental design which is a non-randomized experimental group pre-test–post-test design. The sample of the current study consists of (50) pupils in the fifth literary stage, derived from Al-Barudy preparatory school for girls. Both groups have been equalized in such variables from the educational level of parents, age, English grades achievement in the fourth stage, and the post and pre-test of both groups. The experiment lasted two months; the researcher taught the two groups during the academic year 2021-2022. to analyze the obtained data, different statistical means have been used for many t-tests for two independent samples to measure the pupils' post-test achievement. After the statistical treatment of the data, the results expose that teaching pupils by using cultural schemata has provided it is effective in background knowledge activation in reading, listening, speaking and writing and also raises pupils' motivation to learn the English language. Based on the results, the obtained conclusions in this study, suitable "recommendations and suggestions for further studies are put forward.