A QUANTITATIVE STUDY OF TEACHING ESL THROUGH VERBAL BEHAVIOR PRACTICES IN PRIVATE SECTOR HIGH SCHOOLS OF LAHORE, PAKISTAN

Abstract

The purpose of this quantitative study is to examine the verbal behavior practices used by English Language Teachers (ELTs) for teaching English as a second language in the private-sector high schools in Lahore. The study is grounded in B. F. Skinner’s (1957) behaviorist theory. A convenience sampling technique was employed to select 100 English-language teachers from five private-sector English-medium high schools in Lahore. To increase heterogeneity, schools were sampled from different strata of class, environment, and educational quality. An adapted survey questionnaire was used to collect data from English language teachers. The data were analyzed statistically to present the results through tables and charts. The results reveal that teachers frequently use mands, tacts, echoics, and intraverbal techniques to teach English as a second language to students. The participants have responded that they mostly use the complex technique of intraverbal prior to simple techniques of mands, tacts, and echoics. The study finds that only 17% (n=17) of ESL teachers are English Language Teaching (ELT) certified, and 83% (n=83) are non-certified. The study recommends that verbal behavior practices should be used in the classrooms by the English language teachers, and schools should hire ELT-certified teachers for better teaching of English as a second language through verbal behavior practices in Pakistan.