An 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.

Keywords

• attitude and motivation
• attitude towards learning english
• english language learning
• academic major
• class level
• gender