Language proficiency plays a very important role in the academic, social, and professional development of individuals. It refers to an individual’s ability in using language skills such as listening, speaking, reading, and writing for meaningful communication. English language proficiency helps learners improve their comprehension, communication skills, critical thinking, and confidence in various educational settings. Students with higher proficiency in English are able to perform better in academics and participate actively in classroom activities. The paper studies the English language proficiency among secondary school students in the Chümoukedima District of Nagaland, with specific comparisons based on gender, locality, and type of school. A sample of 200 secondary school students were selected from various schools of Chümoukedima district through simple random sampling technique. Data were collected using a standardized English language proficiency test. The collected data were analyzed using mean, standard deviation, and t-test to test the formulated null hypotheses. The findings revealed significant differences in English language proficiency with regard to gender, where females performed significantly better than males leading to the rejection of the null hypothesis. With regard to locality, no significant difference was found between urban and rural students, and the null hypothesis was accepted. A significant difference was found between students studying in private and government schools, resulting in rejection of the null hypothesis. The findings suggest the need for improving English language teaching practices, especially in government schools, and providing equal academic support to enhance proficiency levels among all secondary school students.
Authors: Pooja Roy, Elizabeth Hangsing
Keywords: English language proficiency, secondary school students, gender, locality, private and government schools, Chümoukedima district, Nagaland
