Assessment of Undergraduate Students’ Attitudes Towards Learning English Based on Academic Major, Class Level, and Gender Variables

Abstract

The goal of this study is to investigate undergraduate students' attitudes toward learning English based on their academic major, class level, and gender. A total of 150 undergraduate students (65 males and 85 females) distributed in different class levels and different colleges and departments were surveyed using a Likert-type scale. Statistical differences indicated that students had a mixed bag of attitudes about the English language, with some being positive and others being negative. The findings revealed that students in science-related majors and Kindergarten Education had a higher interest in learning English than other students; all students in science-related majors believed that learning English is beneficial; felt more confident and had more positive attitudes toward their English instructors than those in Education-related ones. In addition, juniors were more enthusiastic about learning English as a second language and had more positive attitudes toward it than freshmen. Likewise, female students obtained more positive attitudes in terms of interest and instructor subscales. However, ANOVA analysis of indicated no significant differences in self-confidence and usability subscales between male and female students. In light of the research's conclusions, some practical implications are explored to assist students in adopting a positive attitude toward English language learning.

Communication apprehension and self-perceived communication competence: a study of undergraduate students in their final year

“…Almost 57.50% of the students either strongly disagreed or disagreed with item number II.11. This result is in line with previous studies which indicated that the number of interlocutors affected the students' communication competence (Andika et al ., 2022; Azwar et al ., 2021) and that public speaking activities are among the most challenging tasks in and outside the classroom settings (Subekti, 2018a, b). The students felt insecure speaking in front of others as they risk losing face and having their peers judge them negatively (Horwitz et al ., 1986).…”

“…Communication is also crucial as it allows graduates to communicate with people in the target language. Motivated students could be more eager and excited to devote time to studying a language and participate in academic activities (Muftah, 2022b; Muftah and Rafik-Galea, 2013). However, being able to speak with someone in a target language is insufficient if that person is unwilling to establish a target language communication (Azizi and Farid Khafaga, 2023).…”

A Survey Of Elementary School Students’ Attitudes Towards English Language Learning In Manipur

“…Studies revealed that females generally outperform males in English language skills and have higher motivation and attitudes towards learning English (AlJuhani, 2023; nurlindawati, Yasin, & Hadi, 2022; Sabiq, Arwi, Khusna, Adifia, & Nada, 2021). However, when it comes to the frequency of English use outside of school, there is no significant difference between male and female students (Muftah, 2022). While males may exhibit higher levels of anxiety related to English learning (Du, 2023), both genders generally show moderately high attitudes and motivation towards English, with females often scoring higher on surveys.…”