Nilzo Muianga Minor Courses Monograph NM

Nilzo Constâncio Muianga
The Relevance of Minor Courses at Universidade Pedagógica de Maputo. The Case of

English Language Teaching Course.
Universidade Pedagógica de Maputo
Faculdade de Ciências da Linguagem Comunicação e Artes
Maputo
2021
Nilzo Constâncio Muianga
The Relevance of Minor Courses at Universidade Pedagógica de Maputo. The Case of

English Language Teaching Course.
This monograph was written under the

supervision of M.A Amade Baraza to be
submitted to the English department at
FCLCA, in partial fulfilment of the
requirements for attaining a degree in
Teaching English as a Foreign Language
with Portuguese Language Teaching
Minor Course.
Universidade Pedagógica de Maputo
Faculdade de Ciências da Linguagem Comunicação e Artes

Maputo
2021
TABLE OF CONTENTS
I. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT _____________________________________________ i
II. DEDICATION ______________________________________________________ii
III. Declaration ______________________________________________________ iii
IV. ABSTRACT _____________________________________________________ iv
V. LIST OF GRAPHS___________________________________________________ v
VI. LIST OF TABLES _________________________________________________ v
VII. LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS ________________________________________ v
1. INTRODUCTION ___________________________________________________ 1
1.1. Organisation of the monograph _______________________________________ 1
1.2. Rationale and significance of the study _________________________________ 1
1.3. Statement of the problem ____________________________________________ 2
1.4. Research question __________________________________________________ 3
1.5. Hypotheses _______________________________________________________ 3
1.6. Objectives ________________________________________________________ 3
1.6.1. General Objective ________________________________________________ 3
1.6.2. Specific Objectives _______________________________________________ 3
2. CHAPTER I ________________________________________________________ 4
2.1. LITERATURE REVIEW ____________________________________________ 4
2.1.1. MINOR ________________________________________________________ 4
2.1.1.1. The introduction of minor at Universidade Pedagógica de Maputo ________ 5
2.1.1.2. Minors that an ELT student can attend at UPM _______________________ 5
2.1.1.3. Minor courses in other Universities ________________________________ 5
2.1.1.4. Minor courses that can be combined with an ELT degree _______________ 6
2.1.1.5. Benefits of a minor course _______________________________________ 7
2.1.1.6. Disadvantages of a minor course __________________________________ 8

2.1.1.7. Criteria that students should take into account when choosing a minor _____ 8
2.1.1.8. Similarities between Minor courses and LEA course ___________________ 8
2.1.2. APPROACHES AND METHODS OF FOREIGN LANGUAGE LEARNING 9
2.1.2.1. Foreign language versus second language ___________________________ 9
2.1.3. LANGUAGE LEARNING ________________________________________ 10
2.1.3.1. The role of language teaching ____________________________________ 10
2.1.3.2. The Potential of the Second Language Classroom ____________________ 10
2.1.3.3. Limitations of the Classroom ____________________________________ 10
2.1.3.4. The role of input ______________________________________________ 11
2.1.3.5. The role of Motivation _________________________________________ 11
2.1.3.6. The role of language environment ________________________________ 12
3. CHAPTER II ______________________________________________________ 13
3.1. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODOLOGY ________________________ 13
3.1.1. Research ______________________________________________________ 13
3.1.1.1. Type of research ______________________________________________ 13
3.1.1.1.1. Quantitative research ___________________________________________ 13
3.1.2. Place of study __________________________________________________ 14
3.1.3. Target population _______________________________________________ 14
3.1.4. Research Ethics _________________________________________________ 14
3.1.5. Research constraints _____________________________________________ 16
4. CHAPTER III______________________________________________________ 17
4.1. Findings and Analysis _____________________________________________ 17
4.1.1. Findings_______________________________________________________ 17
4.1.1.1. Students’ findings _____________________________________________ 18
4.1.1.2. Teachers’ findings _____________________________________________ 27
4.1.2. Discussion _____________________________________________________ 32
5. CHAPTER IV _____________________________________________________ 35
5.1. CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS _________________________ 35
6. REFERENCES _____________________________________________________ 37
APPENDIX ___________________________________________________________ 39
APPENDIX I (Students questionnaire) ______________________________________ 40
APPENDIX II (Teacher's questionnaire) ____________________________________ 42

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I. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
I would like to express my appreciation to my parents: Constâncio Samuel Muianga and Gilda
Jacinto Munguambe who did their best to provide me with education. Without their support,
this degree would not have been possible.
My deep thankfulness goes to my supervisor M.A Amade Baraza for his guidance throughout
the entire work. His patience, kindness and, above all, his feedbacks were of paramount
importance for the materialisation of this work. My gratitude is beyond words.
My special gratefulness goes to my aunt Clara Isabel Muianga who motivated me to work hard
on my studies. Furthermore, I am very grateful to my siblings: Tucha Constâncio Muianga and
Cleiton Constâncio Muianga for their support and motivation during my studies.
I would also like to give many thanks to my classmate and friend Nelson Luís Paulo Manguele
for having been supportive throughout the course.
Last but not least, I am thankful to all the participants of this study; UPM, FCLCA Year III and
Year IV ELT students along with UPM English language teachers who participated in this
study.
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II. DEDICATION
I dedicate this study to my beloved mother Gilda Jacinto Munguambe and my beloved daughter
Adny Nilzo Muianga.
iii
III. Declaration
I declare that this monograph has been written by me under the supervision of M.A Amade
Baraza, it has never been submitted to any University nor has it ever been used as a partial
fulfilment for attaining any degree. Furthermore, all the information used in this work has been
acknowledged.
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IV. ABSTRACT
Back before 2014, almost all the subjects of the English Language Teaching Course at
Universidade Pedagógica de Maputo were taught in English. With the introduction of minor
courses in 2014, the students started to have, apart from ELT which is their major course, a
compulsory teaching-oriented language course taught in other languages other than English.
This study, entitled The Relevance of Minor Courses at Universidade Pedagógica de Maputo.
The Case of English Language Teaching Course, aimed at analysing the relevance of the
current minor courses offered by UPM to ELT students and suggest alternative minor courses.
The participants involved in the study were 86 students: year III and year IV ELT students
along with 11 ELT teachers.
The research question that guided the study is: to what extent are the current minor courses
relevant to ELT students? To answer the research question, the study was conducted using a
quantitative research approach and the instrument of data collection used was a questionnaire
that was designed using Google forms.
Research has shown that, at large, the current minor courses are a hindrance to ELT students.
Hence, the results justify the need of introducing alternative minor courses to the existing ones.
Keywords: Minor Course, English Language Teaching, exposure.

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V. LIST OF GRAPHS
Graph 1. Students' answer of question 1 .............................................................................. 18
Graph 2. Students answer of question 2............................................................................... 19
Graph 6. Students' answer of question 6 ............................................................................. 23
Graph 9. Teachers' answer of question 1. ............................................................................ 27
Graph 10. Teachers' answer of question 2. .......................................................................... 28
VI. LIST OF TABLES
Table 1. Students' answer of question 9. ________________________________________ 26
Table 2. Teachers' answer of question 5.________________________________________ 31
VII. LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS
CLIL: Content and Language Integrated Learning
EL: English Language
ELT: English Language Teaching
ESP: English for specific purpose
FCLCA: Faculdade de Ciências da Linguagem, Comunicação e Artes
FL: Foreign Language
FLA: Foreign Language Acquisition
LEA: Línguas Estrangeiras Aplicadas
M.A: Master of arts
SL: Second Language
SLA: Second Language Acquisition
UPM: Universidade Pedagógica de Maputo

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1. INTRODUCTION
Universidade Pedagógica de Maputo is a public University in Mozambique that has as its first
and foremost objective to train teachers at all levels, from primary to higher education. In this
University, there is a vast diversity of courses: English Language Teaching, Sociology,
Psychology, Mathematics, Portuguese, French; just to mention some.
In 2014, a major change in the curriculum was observed: the University introduced minor
courses in all major courses and the ELT Course was not an exception. Those minors, as Journal
Notícias (2015) points out, had as their prime objective to prepare students for the labour market
demand. The students would not only engage in one area of study, as it was usual, but two so
as to increase their chances of finding jobs. It can be said that the University thought of a “two-
in-one” package.
This study is entitled The Relevance of Minor Courses at Universidade Pedagógica de Maputo.
The Case of English Language Teaching Course.
1.1.Organisation of the monograph

This monograph is organised as follows:
Part I: Introduction: provides background information of the study and states the reason for
carrying out the study.
Part II: (Chapter I) Literature Review: presents theories related to this study.
Part III: (Chapter II) Research Methodology: This chapter presents the methods that were used
to collect data, the participants involved in the study, the research constraints and how the
ethical issues were tackled.
Part IV: (Chapter III) Findings and Analysis: This chapter presents, analyses and discusses the
findings from the respondents.
Part V: (Chapter IV) Conclusion and Recommendations: This chapter presents the conclusion
and the recommendations of the study.
1.2.Rationale and significance of the study

Prior to thinking of minor, the researcher wondered why the English Language Teaching Course
has some subjects taught in Portuguese: Psychology, Pedagogy and Anthropology, just to
mention some. From the researcher’s perspective, those subjects could be taught in English and,
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thereby, this could increase the amount of time the students are exposed to the target language
(English).
When the researcher started attending a minor course in Portuguese, he realised that it was
hindering him to quickly develop his competence and his performance in English. In addition,
he realised that he was not the only one that was struggling to keep the balance between the
major and the minor courses, therefore, he wondered to what extent was it possible to train
qualified English Language Teachers that had to divide their attention in two different areas of
study that take place within different languages with apparently poor exposure.
This research is important because not only does it aim to promote an ELT course that is solely
taught in English as a way of enhancing the quality of future ELT trainees, but also suggest
minor courses that are most likely to bring job opportunities to ELT students.
1.3.Statement of the problem

Back in 1990, when Mozambique introduced a private education, the linguistic revolution
started to take place and, as result, the English language started to be taught in many schools
including public schools. In the same year, Universidade Pedagógica Maputo (UPM), former
Instituto Superior Pedagógico (ISP), established a department of English and the foremost
objective was to train English language teachers that would not only promote the language, but
also boost their chances to find jobs either in public or non-governmental organisations.
Since then, teachers of English as a Foreign Language have been being trained and the
University Curriculum has been changing to adapt to the new trend of the teaching and learning
process, along with the labour market demand.
In 2014, the ELT course curriculum was drastically reformed, another component was
introduced to the course, the students not only had to study the English language teaching
related subject, but also had to take minor courses and those minor courses were taught in other
languages other than English, say Portuguese. Those minor courses, from the researcher’s
perspective, as they are not taught in English, end up taking the students away from the core
course (ELT) because students no longer engage in learning and improving their English skills
along with the teaching methodologies, but also have to learn and improve another language
along with its teaching methodologies and this situation, in some cases, steals from the students
the opportunity to master the English language. This is due to the fact that the classroom is the
prime, if not the only environment where most ELT students in Mozambique, in general, at
UPM, in particular, have to practise and enhance their English skills. Krashen (2009) argues
3
that the classroom is only of extreme importance if the target language is not spoken outside
the classroom.
Nevertheless, teachers, unlike other speakers of a language, are expected to master the language
and be able to teach it. This means that not only should teachers be “good” speakers of the
language they are supposed to teach, but also know how it works (language system) and how it
can be taught to people of other languages who may eventually have little or even no linguistic
background of the language to be taught/ learnt.
The purpose of this study is to analyse the relevance of the current minor courses offered by
UPM to ELT students and suggest alternative minor courses.
1.4.Research question
 To what extent are the current minor courses offered by UPM relevant to ELT students?
1.5.Hypotheses
 The current minor courses offered by UPM to ELT students are a hindrance to ELT
students because they are forced to divide their attention into two areas of study that
take place within two different languages, yet the exposure is poor in both areas.
 The current minor courses offered by UPM to ELT students are not a hindrance to ELT
students because by the time they finish their courses, they can teach two languages and
therefore have more job opportunities.
1.6.Objectives
1.6.1. General Objective
The main objective of this study is to analyse the relevance of the current minor courses offered
by UPM to ELT students and suggest alternative minor courses.
1.6.2. Specific Objectives

 Find out how both teachers and students feel about the current minor courses;
 Identify the challenges faced by students in the process of learning;
 Propose alternative minor courses to ELT students.

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2. CHAPTER I
2.1.LITERATURE REVIEW
2.1.1. MINOR
According to Collins Dictionary, minor refers to something that is less important, serious,
significant than other things or situation.
In law, the term is used to refer to someone who is usually under the age of 18 and he or she
must be under the care of a parent or guardian, unless they are emancipated. Duhaime’s Law
Dictionary (n.d) states that minor refers to a person who, according to the law, is underage.
Those people are usually below the age of 18 or 21 depending on the country.
Before defining what minor is, in the context of education, it is important to define what is
meant by major since, in some cases, like the case of UPM, the former depends on the latter
and not the way around.
Major, in the context of education, is the primary area of study that one pursues at University.
Furthermore, it is a concentration which is a university main student specialisation, this
specialisation takes place in the course of students’ undergraduate studies. (Modoff: n.d).
Minor, unlike Major, is a course that, in most cases, complements the major and it allows
student to explore or experience another discipline. (Moody: 2019).
Minor is also defined by Wignail (2021) as a secondary academic discipline, where students
focus their attention on, in addition to their major.
According to Plano Curricular da Língua Inglesa (2014), Major is the main part of the course
which corresponds to 180 credits, that is, 75% of the course. Minor, on the other hand,
corresponds to 60 credits which are worth 25% of the course. Both Major and Minor are taken
as compulsory part of the courses at UPM.
The University of Washington defines minor course as an additional area of specialisation

which takes 25-35 credits.
Looking at all the above-mentioned definitions, it can be concluded that minor is an additional
or complementary part of the course that students take in order to explore other different areas,
related or even unrelated to the core course (major).
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2.1.1.1.The introduction of minor at Universidade Pedagógica de Maputo

According to Jornal Notícias (2015), Universidade Pedagógica de Maputo introduced minor
courses in 2014. This is a result of a new curriculum that had as its prime objective to guarantee
that students finished their courses with two areas of study and this would help them to not
suffer when looking for jobs because instead of just looking for job opportunities in one area,
they would look for it in two.
According to Dr Hipólito Sengulane, former UPM director, quoted by Jornal Notícias (2015),
students doing Philosophy as their major course, for example, would, if they wanted, do a minor
that is even far apart from their major. As an example, a student could major in Philosophy and
minor in computer engineering.
2.1.1.2.Minors that an ELT student can attend at UPM

If a student is majoring in English Language teaching course, he or she can do a minor in
Portuguese, French, Bantu Languages (Xironga) and Deutsch. When choosing a minor, the
school does not set any eligibility criteria. The only thing which it does, however, is to put a
limited number of vacancies in the system, usually 15 per minor courses. So, the first 15
students who choose a particular minor course are the ones that automatically stay with it,
consequently, if a student goes to the University system after a certain minor course has been
filled, for example the one he or she wanted to attend, they will have to choose what is available
in the system.
2.1.1.3.Minor courses in other Universities

At Stanford University, if a student wants to pursue a minor course, they have to submit a
request to the department in which they want to pursue a minor. So, the department tells them
whether their request has been accepted or rejected. In this University, minor courses are
optional. In addition, a student can change or drop the minor course whenever they deem it
necessary. (Stanford University: 2021). Similarly, at University of Washington students are not
required to have a minor. Moreover, a student can take up to three minor courses depending on
their will. (University of Washington: 2021).
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2.1.1.4.Minor courses that can be combined with an ELT degree

According to Lilienthal (2021) the following list comprises some of the best minors to pair with
an English major:
 Journalism;
 Linguistics;
 Creative writing;
 Psychology;
 Communications and
 Education.
With a minor in journalism, if an English major likes writing, editing and or reporting, they can
work at a newspaper, magazine, publishing company or other media outlet.
A Linguistics minor enables students to become suitable candidates to work in technical

writing, proofreading or translation.
A creative writing minor course strengthens students’ skills in writing fiction, poetry and
creative non-fiction skills. These skills will therefore give them the opportunity to work in
marketing, screenwriting and playwriting, for example.
The fourth minor course, Psychology, to be specific, helps students to learn the intricacies of
human mind and this is a very useful skill. So, an ELT teacher with an in-depth knowledge of
Psychology can understand the reason behind certain students’ behaviours and try to correct
them, if need be.
A minor course in communication helps the ELT major student to enhance their interpersonal
skills and better understand what makes the message “click” in other people’s mind. This minor
is also good for people who are willing to pursue a career in public relations or marketing.
The sixth minor, theatre arts, helps the ELT major to not just be able to understand how theatre
is written, but also how it works. This job apart from dealing with playwriting, deals also with
marketing and publicity.
Last but not least, the minor in education gives the ELT major students more chances to be
suitable candidates than those who have only a degree in English, this is because the former are
likely to have much more background in education than the latter.
7
Furthermore, according to geteducated.com, the first America’s free online Counselling Centre
for adult-students that has as a mission to help consumers to make informed choices about a
college/ University degree, the frequent minor studies for English majors are:
 Economics;
 Public Relations
 Linguistics
 Foreign language
 International studies
 History
 Women’s studies
 Journalism
 Psychology
 Religious studies
 Humanities
 Technical writing
Note that all of the previously mentioned minors are taught in the target language: English, with
the exception of a minor in foreign language. So, making an analysis, we can arrive at the
conclusion that however English is a national language of many countries that offer Bachelor’s
degree in English, hence the students of those countries being much more exposed to the
language because the input is found both in and outside the classroom, the Universities tend to
stick to English as a medium of instruction in both major and minor courses.
2.1.1.5.Benefits of a minor course

One of the benefits that a minor course provides to students is that it shows employers, including
the schools where students take minors that the students are hard-workers. On top of that,
minors can help students to get more job opportunities because some employers may demand
an employee with some characteristics that a student who does only a major may not have.
(Wignail: 2021). In Mozambique, for example, there are some private schools that have English
as their official language, in case they happen to hire a teacher, say, a Portuguese teacher, they
sometimes demand not just a Portuguese teacher, but a Portuguese teacher that has as an English
minor curse.
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2.1.1.6.Disadvantages of a minor course

When talking about minors, not everything is beneficial. Below are some drawbacks that a
minor course can bring about to students:
Taking a minor course can be a hindrance in the sense that it can take a student away from their
main course. (Wignail: 2021) Some minors are far apart from the major, others are even to some
extent related, however, they bring, in some cases, approaches that are different from the major
and this can end up confusing students or distract them from their courses. For example, if a
student is taking an ELT major course, minoring in Portuguese Language Teaching, he or she
may find themselves in a situation that they have to unlearn some methodologies that they might
have learnt in their major, sometimes due to the fact that Portuguese and English are not treated
equally. In addition, each language has its own system and teaching techniques may vary from
language to language.
Another disadvantage is that by doing a minor course, a student will have more subjects to focus
on and this can make them have less free time to relax or do some extra activities. (Wignail:
2021).
2.1.1.7.Criteria that students should take into account when choosing a minor
The choice of minor should not be taken lightly, there is a need for students to think carefully
before taking this decision. Students should think about both their career and their educational
goals. This means that they should think of their after-school goals. A student doing a major in
Agriculture, may consider doing the teaching course as a minor because if they do not find a
job in Agriculture; to work in the field as an agriculture expert, for example, they may find a
job in education. That is, they may teach agriculture.
Debbie Mundell, a career coordinator at Queen’s university, suggests that students take a minor
that is not far unrelated from their major, unless they are passionate about the field that they
want to pursue in their minor. (Miller: nd).
2.1.1.8.Similarities between Minor courses and LEA course

LEA, stands for Línguas Estrangeiras Aplicadas, in Portuguese; Applied Foreign Languages,
in English. This course is closely related to the current situation of minor courses at UPM in
general and ELT, specifically, because in those days, the students had also to focus their
attention on more than just one language; not only did they have to study the course related
subjects, but also they had to focus their attention on 3 languages: Portuguese, French and
English. According to Santos (2021), LEA was introduced at UPM in 2007 and it was only
9
taught in the night shift. In those days, the school graduated Bachelor and Graduate students.
The aim of the course was not just to train teachers but also professionals who would work as
translators and would provide services to embassies, hotels and other companies, respectively.
Initially, the course had a great acceptance by the public and many candidates, however, given
its complex nature; the students had to learn 3 languages: Portuguese, French and English. In
addition to that, the course incorporated other various subjects that made it complex and, as a
consequence, it started to reduce the number of candidates gradually.
After the introduction of the ELT Course, in the night shift, LEA stopped being profitable and
in 2012, the Faculty of Languages decided therefore to discontinue it.
So, currently, the ELT course, like LEA, is becoming very complex to students because apart
from focusing on learning and improving just one language along with its teaching techniques,
the students have two focus on two. Moreover, since there are cases where students end up
studying two foreign languages and their respective teaching techniques, say an ELT student
minoring in French, the exposure to those languages becomes even more problematic because
the students have to depend to a great extent on the classroom to enhance their competences
and performances in two languages.
2.1.2. APPROACHES AND METHODS OF FOREIGN LANGUAGE LEARNING

2.1.2.1.Foreign language versus second language
On the one hand, the term foreign language is used to refer to languages learned outside of the
region where they are spoken. Those languages are normally learned in formal setting. This
category encompasses languages that are taught within CLIL (Content and Language Integrated
Learning) or school immersion paradigm. (Lambelet & Berthele: 2015: 6). In Mozambique,
English and French, for example, are considered foreign languages because none of the ethnic
groups has them as their mother-tongue and, also, those language are usually learnt in formal
institutions.
Second language, on the other hand, refers to languages acquired in natural environments of
immersion, that is to say, regions where a large majority of the population has it as their first
language. The abbreviation L2 is used whenever it is not necessary to distinguish between the
terms foreign language and second language. (Lambelet & Berthele: op cit).
In Mozambique, Portuguese is a second language for some people who have Xironga, Xichanga
or other national language as their first language.
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2.1.3. LANGUAGE LEARNING

2.1.3.1.The role of language teaching
For language learners, language teaching is of paramount importance if it is the main source
that students have to get comprehensible language input. That is to say, it plays an essential role
for beginners and foreign language learners who do not have the chance to get input from
external sources: outside the classroom. (Krashen: 2009: 33-34). As it has been said, the
classroom is the main source of comprehensive input for ELT students studying in
Mozambique, in general, at UPM in particular, and the foremost reason of this situation lies on
the fact that English is not a national language. Additionally, most learners are much more
exposed to Mozambican national languages; their mother-tongues, to be specific, hence the
outcome of this situation is that they use much more their mother-tongues on daily basis.
2.1.3.2.The Potential of the Second Language Classroom

It has been often said that in order for one to achieve proficiency in second language, they have
to live in the country where the target language is spoken. Furthermore, that the informal
language environment; the environment outside the classroom, surpasses the formal
environment. However, if second language classrooms are provided with input that is optimal
for second language acquisition to take place, it is possible that students having classes in formal
settings attain better results than the one acquiring language in informal settings, however, this
can only happen up to intermediate level. (Krashen: 2009: 58).
2.1.3.3.Limitations of the Classroom

For the informal environment to be useful, the input that the learners encounter has to be
comprehensible. If someone is exposed to the target language, say by means of living in a
country where the language is spoken, he or she can benefit from an all-day second language
lesson. Nonetheless, in a classroom setting, however natural the teacher tries to make the
environment feels like, it will always have its limitations due to the fact that it will not be able
to match the variety of the outside world.
What is important to notice is that the goal of a classroom is not to replace the outside world. It
is, however, to take the students to a point where they can begin to explore the outside world in
order to further their acquisition so that they can, at least, understand the “real” world. (Krashen:
2009: 59).
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2.1.3.4.The role of input

Foreign language acquisition can only occur if there are some data in the target language and
these data must be an input to the learners. The input hypothesis, proposed by Krashen (2002),
assumes that human beings acquire language in one and unique way; by understanding
messages, the students should receive an input that is simplified so that they can easily
understand it and hence make the input an intake. (Svoboda and Hrehovčík, 2006: 204).
Furthermore, from the behaviourist viewpoint, the linguistics environment is of foremost
importance, this theory suggests that language input is made available in the form of stimuli
and feedback. (Nugroho, Zamzami & Ukhrowiyah: 2020).
Moreover, Myles (2002:5) “language learning is the result of the human brain building up
networks of associations on the basis of input.” So, the quality of information that a student
receives plays an important role in the process of FLA. For a successful learning to take place,
students must be provided with information that fulfil the following criteria: the input the
students receive must be comprehensible so that they can understand the sentences they hear.
Furthermore, VanPatten (1992: 26) the same input must encode some referential meaning to
which learners can respond. (Nugroho, Zamzami & Ukhrowiyah: 2020).
Additionally, foreign language learning at school can be hindered by input that is very weak in
terms of quantity and quality, or it can benefit from larger and high-quality input, such as in
bilingual education or CLIL (Content and Language Integrated Learning). (Nugroho, Zamzami
& Ukhrowiyah: 2020).
2.1.3.5.The role of Motivation

Motivation is one of the key factors in learning a foreign language for it provides the driving
force to endure the learning process. This means that without enough motivation, even learners
with the most outstanding potential cannot attain long-terms goals, nor can “appropriate”
curricula and good teaching be enough on their own to ensure students achievement (Dörnyei
& Csizér: 998, as cited in Huang 2007). On top of that, (Reece & Walker; ; 1997, cited in
Gomleksiz: 2001) if we have two students, the first who is more intelligent than the second, yet
less motivated than the second learner, the less intelligent student can outshine the more
intelligent student due to the fact that the second will use his/ her motivation to accomplish the
desired goal. (Nugroho, Zamzami & Ukhrowiyah: 2020).
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2.1.3.6.The role of language environment

According to Dulay et al (1982:42) Learners who are exposed to a natural environment perform
better than those in a formal environment, because in the latter, the focus is usually on the
acquisition of grammar or linguistics rules, and this happens consciously. (Nugroho, Zamzami
& Ukhrowiyah: 2020).
Myles (2002) If learners learn the target language in a country where this language is used as a
means of communication and they can have access to the language input, they can easily thrive
because they will have a natural input which will help them to see, hear and feel the events
happening around them. (Nugroho, Zamzami & Ukhrowiyah: 2020).
According to Kiatkheeree (2018), the learning environment is divided in three ways: the first
one is academic environment, the second is physical environment and the last one is
psychological environment. For this author, in the academic environment, the teacher plays a
role that is of crucial importance for he is responsible to promote an environment that will have
as its components: good knowledge of the subject-matter, understanding the curriculum and its
purpose, and reflecting on their teaching. (Nugroho, Zamzami & Ukhrowiyah: 2020).
Regarding the physical environment, Punthumasen (2007) argues that it is also of great
importance for successful learning to take place. The physical environment consists of not just
physical things like the quality of the neighbourhood, infrastructures, crowding, housing but
also noise and other things that can hinder or help the foreign language learning to take place.
(Nugroho, Zamzami & Ukhrowiyah: 2020).
The psychological environment, according to Koko (2007), influences learners’ and their
respective cognitive development, this includes learner’s motivation and awareness. (Nugroho,
Zamzami & Ukhrowiyah: 2020).
13
3. CHAPTER II
3.1.RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODOLOGY
3.1.1. Research
Research is a scientific and systematic search for pertinent information on a specific topic.
Moreover, according to Clifford Woody “research comprises defining and redefining problems,
formulating hypothesis or suggested solutions; collecting, organising and evaluating data;
making deductions and reaching conclusions; and at last carefully testing the conclusions to
determine whether they fit the formulating hypothesis.” (Kothari: 2004: 1).
This study sought to analyse the relevance of the current minor courses offered by UPM to ELT
students and suggest alternative minor courses.
3.1.1.1.Type of research
The researcher used a quantitative research approach to gather data for this study because the
problem of minor courses was not new to him and, as he had already pointed out, to conduct
this research, he drew off inspiration from the experience he had back when he was attending a
Portuguese minor course. Not to mention that the researcher had already pre-collected data,
using a qualitative approach, that turned out to be of a paramount importance in the elaboration
of the questionnaire for this study.
The researcher found the quantitative research more appropriate for this study because he aimed
to collect objective data; data that is measurable, so as to arrive at unambiguous, objective
conclusions that will hopefully help to improve the ELT course.
3.1.1.1.1. Quantitative research

This research uses natural science methods, which yield data that is expressed in numbers and
hard facts. Its objective is to establish cause and effect between two variables by means of
mathematical, computational and statistical methods. Furthermore, it helps the researcher to get
numbers that can be applicable in statistical analysis so as to validate the researcher’s
hypotheses. The researcher, then, gets to a conclusion to whether there was a real problem or
just someone’s perception because the data gathered will enable him to make decisions based
on objective observations. (Ahmad et al: 2019)
The instrument of data collection for this research was a questionnaire which is considered as
the heart of a survey operation. Questionnaires can take either an open form (inviting free
responses) or close form, say “yes or no” responses. (Kothari: 2004: 9). The questionnaire for
14
this study took a close form, it was structured and comprised pre-coded answers. Moreover, it
was designed using google forms.
Google forms is an online software data collection tool that is used to create surveys and
quizzes. This software is part of Google’s web-based applications suite. It is a versatile tool that
can be used for various applications. (Demarest: 2021). Additionally, Roberts (2016) the
common uses of google forms are: collecting feedback – questionnaire, signing up to an event,
data entry - providing a more user-friendly interface, collecting opinions on a topic and
collecting answers to a test, respectively.
The rationale for the choice of this software lies on the fact that the world is currently being
plagued by the pandemic (covid-19), as Mozambique is not any exception, the researcher aimed
to reduce physical contact with many people, as much as he could. Moreover, he believed that
by using hard-copy questionnaires, they could be a source of the spread of the communicable
aforementioned disease.
Another reason for the choice of the aforementioned online software is that it is possible to
restrict the number of responses to 1 respondent so as to avoid duplicated answers.
3.1.2. Place of study

The study took place at Faculdade de Ciências da Linguagem, Comunicação e Artes, English
Department. This faculty, which is the headquarters of Universidade Pedagógica de Maputo, is
located in Maputo, at Rua João Raposo Beirão, n° 135.
3.1.3. Target population

This study comprised students from UPM, FCLCA attending the ELT course; Year III and Year
IV students along with the teachers of the ELT course that have experience with teaching minor
students. The rationale for the choice of the forecited target group lied on the fact that they are
the ones that are directly affected by the impact of minor courses, hence representing the
primary and most reliable source of information. The researcher aimed at collecting data from
110 year 3 and year 4 which represent the population of the target students, however he only
managed to collect it from 86. In the same vein, he aimed to collect data from a population of
15 teachers, regrettably he managed the gather data from 11 teachers.
3.1.4. Research Ethics

“Research ethics involves the application of fundamental ethical principles to research activities
which include the design and implementation of research, respect towards society and others,
15
the use of resources and outputs, scientific misconduct and the regulation of research.”
(University of Stirling: n.d).
Prior to talking to the respondents, the researcher talked to the class leaders of year 3 and year
4 classes so as to ask for permission to be part of their WhatsApp groups so that he could reach
many students at the same and explain to them about his intention. When added to the groups,
he told the students that he aimed to collect data from them and that the data gathered would
solely be used for research purposes. In addition, not only did he grant confidentiality to the
respondents but also told them that they had the choice to opt out if they deemed the questions,
on the questionnaire, irrelevant or invasive.
The language used by the researcher when talking to the participants was simple, objective and
easily understandable so that the message conveyed was understood the same way by all the
respondents.
Since the world, including Mozambique, is being plagued by the Covid-19 outbreak, the survey
had to be carried out online by means of Google forms. So, being Google forms an online
software, the researcher restricted the responses to one participant in order to avoid situations
where certain respondents could duplicate their answers. Additionally, the platform was
programmed to close straight away after the participants had submitted their responses. This
was done as a way of thwarting them to screenshot their answers and send to other participants
because, in case this was not done, perhaps some of the participants would work in
collaboration, hence swaying one another’s responses and, thereby, the data collected would be
unreliable.
Some participants asked the researcher about his standpoint in relation to the current minor
courses. The researcher pledged to apprise them about it soon as the data collection process was
finished so as to not influence their responses.
Last but not least, some respondents asked if the findings would change the approaches in which
minor courses are dealt with at UPM. The researcher replied saying that the results would
dictate the University decision taking and that changing, maintaining and or adding alternative
minor courses were beyond his capacity, but he hopped that the University took the findings of
the study into consideration because they would illustrate the students’ and teachers’
perspective in relation to the current minor courses.
16
3.1.5. Research constraints

This research was affected by 3 major constraints: first, since the data collection tool for this
study was an online software, Google forms, some of the participants encountered difficulties
to respond to the questionnaire because they claimed to be in areas where the network was not
working properly, consequently it was barely possible for them to participate in the study.
In addition, other participants claimed not to have data, megabytes, to participate in the study,
consequently, however eager to participate in the study they were, it was virtually impossible
for them to do so.
Last of all, some participants had problems to access the link because they had not logged in in
their email accounts, on their devices, and they did not know how to proceed.
On the whole, as a way of minimising the problems, when tackling the first problem, the
researcher kindly asked the respondents to find an area where the network could allow them to
participate in the study. Some did so, however, unfortunately not all of them could do it.
The second problem, which could be barely solved by the researcher, tended to be the most
dominant because only few participants who claimed not to have data managed to overcome it.
This means that those who did not have internet data could not participate, regrettably.
Furthermore, to solve the last problem, the researcher sent some voice notes on WhatsApp along
with some screenshots explaining the respondents how to login in their email accounts so that
they could participate in the study. It is important to emphasise that the researcher told the
participants that although the platform demanded them to have logged in in their email
accounts, the researcher could not identify the respondents of the study. Moreover, he explained
to them that the platform demanded them to have logged in so that it could recognise the emails
along with the devices that had already been used to respond to the questionnaire in order to
avoid duplicated answers.
17
4. CHAPTER III
4.1.Findings and Analysis
4.1.1. Findings
This chapter presents the findings and the data analysis of the study. The questionnaire used in
this study was carefully analysed to ensure that the data gathered was presented clearly with the
aid of graphs, percentages and tables, where possible. A post chart analysis was conducted to
capture the data essential to accomplish the research objectives.
The study consisted of two questionnaires: one designed for students and the other for teachers.
The students’ questionnaire had 86 respondents and the teachers’ had 11.
The findings are divided into two sections. The first section presents data gathered from
students and the second from teachers. The students’ questionnaire comprised 9 questions and
teachers’ questionnaire had 5.
This study aimed to answer the following research question: to what extent are the current
minor courses offered by UPM to ELT students relevant?
Since the questionnaires comprised pre-coded answers, the respondents took not more than 5
minutes answering to the questions.
The process of data collection took 10 days.

18
4.1.1.1.Students’ findings
The findings from students are as follows:
As it has been said, the target group for study was restricted to year 3 and year 4 students along
with ELT teachers.
1. In which year are you?
Year III Year IV
GRAPH 1. STUDENTS' ANSWER OF QUESTION 1
The pie chart shows that there was a significant difference in number of the participants. Out
of 86 (100%) participants, the majority was comprised of year IV students; 49 (57%), being the
remaining 37 (43%) year 3 students.
19
2. Are you doing the minor of your choice?
Yes No
GRAPH 2. STUDENTS ANSWER OF QUESTION 2
The results, as shown in this pie chart, indicate that in the second question, 68 respondents
representing 79,1% affirmed to be doing the minor of their choice, however, 18 participants
corresponding to 20,9% stated the opposite.
20
3. Are you happy with the minor courses offered by UPM to ELT students?
The evidence of the findings illustrates that 21(24,4%) participants are happy with the current
minor courses offered by UPM to ELT students. Nonetheless, 42 participants which
corresponds to 48,8% of the participants affirmed to not be happy with the current minors
offered to ELT students. Finally, 23 (26,7%) respondents stated to be partly happy with the
current minor, that is, “to some extent.”
21
4. Which minor are you doing?
As the graph illustrates, 47 (54,7%) respondents have Portuguese Language Teaching course
as their minor course. On top of that, 26 (30,2%) participants are attending the Bantu (Xironga)
Language teaching minor course. The French Language Teaching minor course had 11 (12,8%)
respondents and, finally, the Deutsch Language Teaching course was represented by 2
participants corresponding to 2,3% of the overall percentage.
22
5. Are you able to keep the balance between your major and your minor courses?
The findings demonstrate that 30 students corresponding to 34,9% are able to keep the balance
between their minor and major courses. Nevertheless, 22 (25,6%) participants affirmed to be
unable to equipoise their minor and major courses. Lastly, 34 participants corresponding to
39,5% of the participants argued to be partially able to maintain an equilibrium between the
minor and major courses, respectively.
23
6. If ELT students had their minors taught in English the exposure to the target language
would increase, so would the chances of having more qualified English teachers.
From the chart, it can be seen that 51 participants corresponding to 59,3% students agree that
extending the exposure that the ELT have to the target language by means of offering them
minor courses taught in English would increase the chances of having more qualified ELT
teachers. However, 10 students corresponding to 11,6% do not agree with the statement. The
remaining 25 participants, representing 29,1% of the overall number of participants, neither
agree nor disagree, that is, they remained uncertain, hence choosing the “perhaps alternative.”
24
7. To some extent, the current minors offered by UPM to ELT students contribute
negatively to students’ academic performance in their major.
Agree Disagree Perhaps
Out of 86 participants, 36 corresponding to 41,9% agree that, at some point, the current minor
courses affect negatively the students’ performance in their major course. However, 28
students, a number which is equivalent to 32,6% of the overall number of students’ participants
disagree that the current minors have a negative impact on students’ academic performance in
their major courses. Last but not least, 22 respondents constituting 25,6% neither agree nor
disagree, instead they chose the “perhaps option.”
25
8. Do you think that by the end of the course you will be able to teach in your minor
field?
With
Yes No difficulties
The pie chart points out that 38 respondents, a number which is equivalent to 44,2% of the
overall number of respondents, argue that they will be able to teach in their minor field.
Nonetheless, 13 participants which is equal to 15,1% state that will not be able to teach. The
remaining 35 participants corresponding to 40,7% argue that will be able to teach but with
difficulties.
26
9. If you could choose alternative or additional minors to those offered by UPM

currently, which one (s) would you choose?
Number of
Minor courses respondents Percentage
a. Education management 24 29,30%
b. Applied Linguistics 9 11%
c. English for specific purposes (such as Business
English) 38 46,30%
d. African Literature 6 7,30%
e. Public relations 18 22%
Other
a. Translation and interpretation 10 12%
b. Developmental Psychology 1 1,20%
TABLE 1. STUDENTS' ANSWER OF QUESTION 9.
This question consisted of checkbox options, that is, the respondents could choose more than
one alternative, if they deemed it necessary. On top of that, the respondents had the possibility
of choosing other minor courses apart from the ones that were proposed by the researcher,
they could do it by simplify choosing the “other option”, then specify the minor course they
found relevant.
As the table illustrates, the first minor course was chosen by 24 participants which correspond
to 29,30% of the overall number of 86 (100%) respondents. Furthermore, the “applied
linguistics” minor course, which is the second, was chosen by 9 (11%) participants, then there
is a minor in “ESP” that had 38 (46,30%) respondents, followed by the “African Literature”
minor course that had 6 respondents which corresponds to 7,30% of the overall number of
participants. After that, there is a minor course in “public relations” that had 18 (22%)
respondents. In addition to the minor courses proposed by the researcher, there are two that
were proposed by the respondents; they are “translation and interpretation” and
“developmental psychology.” The former was chosen by 10 (12%) respondents and the latter
by 1 (1,2%) respondent.
27
4.1.1.2.Teachers’ findings
The findings from teachers are as follows:
1. Are you happy with the current minor courses offered by UPM to ELT students?
To some
Yes No extent
GRAPH 9. TEACHERS' ANSWER OF QUESTION 1.
As it can be seen, the first question comprises of three options, the pie chart shows that out of
11 respondents, 7 corresponding to 63,6% hence constituting the overwhelming majority
pointed out to not be happy with the current minor courses offered by UPM to ELT students.
In addition, the remaining 4 teachers constituting 36,4% stated to be to some extent happy with
the current minor course, having no teacher said to be happy with the current minor courses.
28
Agree Disagree Perhaps
The pie chart shows that 6 respondents constituting 54,5% agree that extending the ELT
students’ exposure to English would increase the chances of having more qualified teachers by
the end of the course. 5 of them representing 45,5% remained uncertain, having therefore
chosen the “perhaps option.” None of the respondents disagreed with the hypothetical
statement.
29
Agree Disagree
In this question, like in the former, 6 teachers comprising 54,5% agree that, at some point, the
current minor have a negative impact on students’ academic performance in their major course.
Nevertheless, the remaining 4, which constitute 45,5% disagree.
30
4. Do you think that with the current minors offered by UPM to ELT students, the
students are able to successfully face the labour market demand?
This pie chart shows that this question was answered by 11 teachers, having 1 one them,
representing 9,1% thus the lowest percentage, endorsed that students will be able to
successfully face the labour market with the current minor courses. In addition, 2 teachers
constituting 18,2% do not think that ELT students can face the labour market demand with
success. Furthermore, the remaining 8 teachers which constitute 72,7% believe that, with the
current minor courses, the ELT students, to some extent, will be able to face the labour market
demand.
31
5. If you could choose alternative or additional minors to those offered by UPM

currently, which one (s) would you choose?
Number of
Minor courses respondents Percentage
a. Education management 6 54,50%
b. Applied Linguistics 3 27%
c. English for specific purposes (such as Business
English) 10 90,90%
d. African Literature 4 36,40%
e. Public relations 5 46%
Other
a. Translation and interpretation 3 27,30%
TABLE 2. TEACHERS' ANSWER OF QUESTION 5.
This question, like the last students’ question, consisted of checkbox options, that is, the
respondents could choose the number of responses they deemed important. There was also
an “other option” where the respondents could choose another minor course apart from the
ones that were proposed by the researcher.
The table demonstrates that the first minor course had 6 respondents corresponding to 54,50%
of the overall numbers of 11 (100%) respondents. In addition, the second minor was chosen
by 3 (27%) respondents. Furthermore, the ESP minor course, as the table illustrates, was the
most chosen minor course, had 10 respondents representing 90,90% of the overall. The fourth
minor had 4 respondents, hence corresponding to 36,40%. There is also the minor course in
public relations which, unlike others that have been mentioned, had 5 (46%) respondents.
Finally, there was a minor course that was proposed by 3 respondents. This minor course, as
it can be seen from the table, is “translation and interpretation” and it had 3 (27,30%)
respondents.
32
4.1.2. Discussion
To the researcher’s knowledge, this is the first study that explores the relevance of minor
courses, thus no previous studies are mentioned, referred to or compared to this one throughout
this work.
This research analyses the relevance of the current minor courses offered by UPM to ELT
students and does not exhaustively address the effectiveness and the environment in which the
minor courses take place. That is, it only resorts to those aspects where it proves to be extremely
necessary.
The results of the study demonstrate that the majority is comprised of students who are
minoring in Portuguese 47 (54,7%), followed by those minoring in Bantu (Xironga) language
teaching course 26 (30,2%). Not only do those findings illustrate that the minor courses that
ELT students can take at UPM are solely teaching-oriented, but that they are taught in other
languages other than English. It is important to note that the findings contrast with the
information presented by the website geteducated.com where most minor courses offered to
ELT students are English-based and not teaching-oriented. In addition, as the most attended
minor courses are those that the languages of instruction are national, it is reasonable to assert
that those minor courses have more candidates not because the students like them but because
they feel that, at least, they can communicate in those languages. This argument is supported
by the findings that point out that no teacher is happy with the current minor courses offered
by UPM to ELT students. For more information see section 4.1.1.2, question 1. Additionally,
out of 86 students (year 3 and year 4) which were also the participants of the study, only 21
(24.4%) avowed to be happy with the current minor courses. Section 4.1.1.1, question 3.
As expected, the findings revealed that the majority of students and teachers agree that, at some
point, the current minors have a negative contribution for students’ academic performance in
major courses. This happens because students are not just studying two languages which is
already a big challenge. They are, in addition to that, learning contents that are delivered in two
languages. Thus, they end up having an imbalance in their major courses or sometimes in both.
An analogy can be made to LEA’s situation (see Chapter 1, section 2.1.1.8) where students
had to study 3 languages and other various disciplines, so, due to the course complexity, it
gradually started to reduce candidates and later after the introduction of the ELT course in the
night shift, in 2012, it was discontinued because it was no longer profitable. Again, the current
minor courses, as the researcher hypothesised, give the ELT students an imbalance. However,
33
it is also true that, although few, there are some students who manage to successfully balance
both major and minor courses. The evidence from the findings show that out of 86 (100%),
only 30 students are able to keep the balance between the minor and major courses,
consequently the majority is comprised of those who can partially, that is, to some extent keep
the balance and those who cannot at all.
Moreover, the findings demonstrate that in a universe of 86 (100%) students’ respondents, only
21 corresponding to 24,4% are happy with the current minor courses. The remaining are
divided into being partially happy and not happy at all. (see section 4.1.1.1, question 3). On top
of that, there are few students that are not doing the minor courses of their choices, section
4.1.1.1, question 2. This leads to the problem of motivation discussed by (Dörnyei & Csizér,
1998), these authors argue that without enough motivation, however great potential the learner
has, they cannot achieve long-term goals, nor can “appropriate” curricula and good teaching
be enough on their own to ensure students’ great achievement. In addition, as discussed in
Koko (2007), cited by Nugroho, Zamzami & Ukhrowiyah (2020) in the learning process, there
is a psychological environment which influences learners and their respective cognitive
development and this environment encompasses learner’s motivation and awareness. Again,
since most students do not relate with the current minor courses, it is reasonable to say that
their psychological environment is negatively affected.
Additionally, the evidence, from teachers’ responses, indicates that out of 11 teachers (100%)
only 1 teacher (9,1%) believes that students will be able to successfully face the labour market
demand. The remaining are divided between “no” and “to some extent”, section 4.1.1.2,
question 4. Closely related findings are found in students’ evidence where 38 (44,2%)
respondents stated to be able to teach in their minor-related area. The remaining, on the other
hand, are divided; some stated that will teach with difficulties and others that will not succeed
at all. This data strongly contrasts the null hypothesis that states that minor courses are not a
hindrance because ELT students will be able to teach two different languages by the end of the
course. These results are worrying, therefore needing an urgent intervention not just for the
sake of the ELT trainees, but also for the sake of those who will be trained by those future
teachers and the country as whole.
The majority of students, along with teachers agree that if minor courses were taught in English,
not only would ELT students be more exposed to English, but also, there would be much more
chances of having more qualified ELT teachers. As mentioned in Krashen (2009), language
34
teaching is of primary importance if it is the principal source of information where students

can have comprehensible language input, it is especially essential for beginners and foreign
learners. In Mozambique, English is taught as a foreign language, therefore the more
comprehensible input the students have, the more likely they are to develop and enhance their
language skills
Finally, the evidence indicates that the most suggested minor course was English for specific
purposes followed by Education management. On top of that, there is a minor course in
translation and interpretation that was proposed by teachers and students.
Looking at the proposed minor courses, the researcher strongly believes that with a minor in
English for specific purposes, say business English, an English as a Foreign Language Teacher
can not only teach general English but also ESP or, in some cases, work in a business
organisation. Furthermore, with the second most chosen minor course, not only will the ELT
teacher teach English, but they will understand how education policy works and, if need be,
find ways toward improving the working environment of the place where they will be working.
The translation minor course would also be an alternative minor because students would learn
to scientifically compare and contrast the similarities and differences between English and
another language (s) and this would help the English as Foreign Language Teachers to
understand why certain students make generalisation of Portuguese rules to English, for
example, and find “appropriate” ways to make students overcome this problem. This is
different from the approaches used in minor courses where students study each language in
isolation.
Looking into all the data presented in the discussion section, to what extent are the current
minor courses relevant to ELT students?
35
5. CHAPTER IV
5.1.CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS
This study has attempted to answer the following research question: to what extent are the
current minor courses offered by UPM to ELT students relevant?
The findings showed that they are a hindrance to most students and so they justify the need of
urgently introducing alternative minor courses to the existing ones under the risk of training
not only students who cannot connect with what they are studying, but also future teachers that
will spoil the Mozambican Education System.
It is important to note that devaluing the existing minor courses has not been the objective of
this research, the reason why the expression “suggest alternative minor course” was chosen to
the detriment of “replace the current minor courses” or a closely related expression. In addition,
it is also important to emphasise that there are some, however few, students that are happy with
the current minor courses.
While it is broadly consensual that extending the exposure of English to ELT students would
increase the chances of yielding satisfactory results, it is reasonable not to forget that this is a
hypothetical statement and that exposure by itself is not enough to ensure great students’
academic achievement. Factors such as learning conditions and resources also play an
important role.
The issue of minor courses at UPM raises many questions, however, since the researcher aimed
to address the relevance of minor courses, this has meant that he had to be selective, omitting
or not emphasising issues related to the effectiveness, quality and the environment in which
those minor courses take place, so as to give space to the questions that would help to answer
the research question.
The researcher strongly suggests that UPM adopts the approaches used in Universities such as
Stanford University and University of Washington where minor courses are optional and
students decide when to start one and when to drop it, if it proves to be necessary.
Regarding the relevance of minor courses, the researcher is aware that in the coming years, the
findings of this study may, at least in principle, be refined or even refuted because as the time
goes by, not only does the labour market demand change, but also the teaching and learning
trend. What is relevant today, may prove itself to be irrelevant tomorrow and vice versa.
Nonetheless, he expects that this study serves as a guide for future research addressing minor
36
courses. In the same vein, he expects future research to address in an in-depth way aspects
related to the environment in which the minor courses take place and challenges that students
and teachers encounter in the teaching and learning process so as to provide solutions that will
not only enhance the learning environment, but boost students’ motivation towards learning.
37
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Roberts, B (2016) Beginner’s guide to google form. [Online] Available from:

https://www.amazon.com/Beginners-Guide-Google-Barrie-Roberts/dp/152010510X
[Accessed 24th June 2021].
Santos, E., eldasssantos@gamail.com, 2021. Request for information related to LEA. [email]
Message to Nilzo Muianga (nilzomuianga@gmail.com). Sent Tuesday 2 June 2021: Available
from:https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/#inbox/FFNDWLHsJQpzVhBCJZjgTMRHHxdmGZ
ML
Stanford University (2021) Undergraduate Minors | Registrar's Office [Online] Available

from: https://registrar.stanford.edu/students/undergraduate-degree-progress/undergraduate-
minors [Accessed 22nd August 2021].
Universidade Pedagógica (2014) Plano curricular da língua inglesa. [Online] Available from:
https://www.fclca.up.ac.mz/pt/ensino/graduacao/licenciatura-em-ensino-de-ingles/ [Accessed
25th May 2021].
University of Stirling (n.d) Understanding ethics. [Online] Available from:

https://www.collegeraptor.com/find-colleges/articles/college-majors-minors/pros-cons
college-minor/ [Accessed 19th October 2021].
University of Washington (2021) Minors [Online] Available from:

http://www.washington.edu/uaa/advising/degree-overview/minors/ [Accessed 22nd August
2021].
Wignail, A (2021) Pros and Cons of Having a College Minor. [Online] Available from:
https://www.collegeraptor.com/find-colleges/articles/college-majors-minors/pros-cons
college-minor/ [Accessed 26th May 2021]
39
APPENDIX
40
APPENDIX I (Students questionnaire)

This questionnaire aims at collecting data for a monograph about The Relevance of Minor
Courses at Universidade Pedagógica de Maputo. The case of English Language Teaching
Course. The information provided will solely be used for research purposes. No identity will
be required or known by the researcher or anyone else.
1. In which year are you?
 3rd
 4th
2. Are you doing the minor of your choice?
 Yes
 No
 Yes
 No
 To some extent
4. What is your minor?
 Portuguese Language Teaching

 French Language Teaching
 Bantu (Xironga) Language Teaching
 Deutsch Language Teaching
5. Are you able to keep the balance between your major and your minor courses?
 Yes
 No
 To some extent
 Agree
 Disagree
 Perhaps
41
 Agree
 Disagree
 Neutral
8. Do you think that by the end of the course you will be able to teach in your minor field?
 Yes
 No
 With difficulties
9. If you could choose alternative or additional minors to those offered by UPM currently,
which one (s) would you choose?
 Education management
 Applied Linguistics
 English for specific purposes (such as Business English)
 d. African Literature
 e. Public relations
 f. Other (specify)___________________________________________________
42
APPENDIX II (Teacher's questionnaire)

This questionnaire aims at collecting data for a monograph about The Relevance of Minor
Courses at Universidade Pedagógica de Maputo. The case of English Language Teaching
Course. The information provided will solely be used for research purposes. No identity will
be required or known by the researcher or anyone else.
 Yes
 No
 To some extent
 Agree
 Disagree
 Perhaps
 Agree
 Disagree
4. Do you think that with the current minors offered by UPM to ELT students, the
students are able to successfully face the labour market demand?
 Yes
 No
 To some extent
5. If you could choose alternative or additional minors to those offered by UPM currently,
which one (s) would you choose?
 Education management
 Applied Linguistics
 English for specific purposes (such as Business English)
 African Literature
 Public relations
43
 Other (specify)_______________________________________________________

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Nilzo Constâncio Muianga

The Relevance of Minor Courses at Universidade Pedagógica de Maputo. The Case of

Universidade Pedagógica de Maputo

Faculdade de Ciências da Linguagem Comunicação e Artes

The Relevance of Minor Courses at Universidade Pedagógica de Maputo. The Case of

This monograph was written under the

Universidade Pedagógica de Maputo

Faculdade de Ciências da Linguagem Comunicação e Artes

II. DEDICATION ______________________________________________________ii

III. Declaration ______________________________________________________ iii

IV. ABSTRACT _____________________________________________________ iv

VI. LIST OF TABLES _________________________________________________ v

VII. LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS ________________________________________ v

1.1. Organisation of the monograph _______________________________________ 1

1.2. Rationale and significance of the study _________________________________ 1

1.3. Statement of the problem ____________________________________________ 2

1.4. Research question __________________________________________________ 3

1.5. Hypotheses _______________________________________________________ 3

1.6. Objectives ________________________________________________________ 3

1.6.1. General Objective ________________________________________________ 3

1.6.2. Specific Objectives _______________________________________________ 3

2.1. LITERATURE REVIEW ____________________________________________ 4

2.1.1. MINOR ________________________________________________________ 4

2.1.1.1. The introduction of minor at Universidade Pedagógica de Maputo ________ 5

2.1.1.2. Minors that an ELT student can attend at UPM _______________________ 5

2.1.1.3. Minor courses in other Universities ________________________________ 5

2.1.1.5. Benefits of a minor course _______________________________________ 7

2.1.1.6. Disadvantages of a minor course __________________________________ 8

2.1.1.8. Similarities between Minor courses and LEA course ___________________ 8

2.1.2. APPROACHES AND METHODS OF FOREIGN LANGUAGE LEARNING 9

2.1.2.1. Foreign language versus second language ___________________________ 9

2.1.3. LANGUAGE LEARNING ________________________________________ 10

2.1.3.1. The role of language teaching ____________________________________ 10

2.1.3.2. The Potential of the Second Language Classroom ____________________ 10

2.1.3.3. Limitations of the Classroom ____________________________________ 10

2.1.3.4. The role of input ______________________________________________ 11

2.1.3.5. The role of Motivation _________________________________________ 11

2.1.3.6. The role of language environment ________________________________ 12

3.1. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODOLOGY ________________________ 13

3.1.1. Research ______________________________________________________ 13

3.1.1.1. Type of research ______________________________________________ 13

3.1.1.1.1. Quantitative research ___________________________________________ 13

3.1.2. Place of study __________________________________________________ 14

3.1.3. Target population _______________________________________________ 14

3.1.4. Research Ethics _________________________________________________ 14

3.1.5. Research constraints _____________________________________________ 16

4.1. Findings and Analysis _____________________________________________ 17

4.1.1.1. Students’ findings _____________________________________________ 18

4.1.1.2. Teachers’ findings _____________________________________________ 27

4.1.2. Discussion _____________________________________________________ 32

APPENDIX I (Students questionnaire) ______________________________________ 40

APPENDIX II (Teacher's questionnaire) ____________________________________ 42

Keywords: Minor Course, English Language Teaching, exposure.

EL: English Language

ELT: English Language Teaching

ESP: English for specific purpose

FCLCA: Faculdade de Ciências da Linguagem, Comunicação e Artes

FL: Foreign Language

FLA: Foreign Language Acquisition

LEA: Línguas Estrangeiras Aplicadas

M.A: Master of arts

SL: Second Language

SLA: Second Language Acquisition