Different Attitudes Among Non-English Major EFL Students

Different Attitudes among Non-English Major EFL Students
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Abstract
This is a study on different attitudes among non-English major EFL Students based on the survey results of 171 students in Saudi Arabia. The study will identify how the attitudes affect the English leaning process. The study is relevant, since some learners may not understand the proper usage of words and phrases since English is not their first language. The factors influencing the English learning and attitudes are inferred from the students’ responses. The survey contains questions, with the participants required to answer all of them. There is no negative effect of participating in the study, and anonymity will be respected. There are both positive and negative perspectives on the English learning process the EFL students. Hence, the teaching strategies ought to integrate the students’ needs and meet their expectations.
Background
As the population of people learning English as a second language increases, there is a need to understand how their attitudes affect the way they learn the language. At other times, there are constraints that are beyond the learners control like the teaching ability of English teachers. Additionally, there are cultural factors and administrative constraints that make it difficult to implementing communicative language teaching (Leng, 1996). There are different attitudes among Non-English Major EFL Students in Saudi Arabia, and the research helps to identify these differences. Instructors may not understand how students feel about their effectiveness in teaching and the necessity of English courses. Hence, understanding changes that would improve teaching and learning for both English and non-English majors is necessary.
Students have their beliefs, attitudes and assumptions that shape their views about learning a second language. For instance, if students believe that a language is difficult there will be little effort or interest in learning the language. However, if a language is seen to be useful professionally and enhances personal communication, then learners are more likely to be dedicated to learning. When better learning strategies are used then it is the easier for learners to comprehend and use the second language in the correct manner. In acquiring a new language, the students’ expectations are different, and this is also a factor that affects the student’s attitudes. The paper looks into causes that may have influenced the effect of English learning for students in Saudi Arabia as well as attitudes about English learning among non-English majors.
Significance of Research
There is a need to understand how people use English in different sites, as they are those who prefer shortening words without concern on grammatical usage, but there are those who seek to communicate effectively using proper English. Since Arabic is the main language in Saudi Arabia, there are few native speakers of English in the country. Hence, those using English need to practice overtime, be exposed to English and have the motivation to learn. Researches focusing on willingness of Non English major using English in the Saudi context have been few. Additionally, the willingness of the students to learn even when the motivation is low would represent their attitudes. There is a cultural perspective related to willingness of Non English major students to communicate in English. The results of the study will provide valuable information on students’ attitudes and perceptions towards communicating in English. This can help teachers to plan their curriculum and improve their instructional strategies.
Among the English and Non-English major students there is likely to be differences in perceptions on the effectiveness of language learning strategies (LLSs). Strategies instruction and previous exposure to English may explain the phenomenon of English major students being more concerned on how instructional competence affects learning. Language competence may improve with the use of the internet, as students are able to explore grammar in different contexts. Hence, the study is necessary to provide crucial information on how ths attitudes of the Non- English major students affect their grammar achievement. English major students listen to the language more and improve their listening skills, but there are numerous attitudes on among Non-English Major EFL Students, some who love motivation to improve their proficiency English.
An English learning environment is necessary to enhance learning since there is better reinforcement of knowledge gained. Any previous negative experiences with English learning affects the learning process, and the teaching method is one of the most important that has been ignored. In the Saudi Arabian context, the instructors guide students, but there is less input on the part of students. Studies on attitudes towards learning English make it easier understand how EFL students might deal with the challenges that they face in different learning environments. With the ever evolving changes in teaching theories, instructors need to be up to date on the teaching strategies that improve learning.
Research Question
The study aims at answering the following research questions:
What are some causes that may have influenced the effect of English learning for students in Saudi Arabia? and
What are the attitudes about English learning among non-English majors in Saudi Arabia?
Methodology:
This research used a survey provided to the study participants currently students of non-English majors at King Khalid University college of education and Arts in Abha, Saudi Arabia. One hundred and seventy one students participated in the study giving their answers to the survey questions. The first questioned looked into whether the students experience in high school had a negative impact on the process of learning English at the higher education level, they had to answer, yes, no or somehow and providing further explanations if they choose the third option.
The follow-up questions then sought to understand how different factors influenced their English learning experience and their attitudes towards the learning process. The survey data was collected to reflect the reponses for the options provided for the fourteen questions. However, in categorizing the results of the second question regarding their negative experiences with the English learning experiences, 150 participants identified teaching methods, fear of making mistakes and fear of exams as the main reasons. The fourth option was ‘others’ and there were diverse reasons provided by the 21 participants that were listed to reflect all the differences in perceptions.
Participants in the study were required to answer all the questions in the survey questionnaire, and this made it easier to quantify the results. The study design was also chosen to be descriptive and inferential in order to identify different aspects of attitudes. The survey was used to identify attitudes among the Non-English major EFL students, with the items adapted to understand differences in attitudes. The measuring instrument used five options in a scale from the third to the fourteenth question, with respondents answering strongly agree (2) agree (3) neutral (4) disagree or (5) strongly disagree. Since attitudes affect student behavior, there are mental activities, and it is no entirely possible to evaluate the effectiveness of the learning strategies.
Ethical Considerations
Before the students participate in the study, there will be informed about the aim of the research. The students will not be in any kind of danger, as the research will simply rely on the survey results, with the study conducted within the university campus for the group female students of non-English majors. The students will provide responses anonymously, and the study takes into account the cultural context of study settings, and hence the study will be safe for all the parties involved.
Expected results and discussion
There are various factors that influence the students’ perceptions on English learning including previous experience while learning the language and the use of the language at the university. The results showed that indeed the non – English major students had diverse attitudes. There were both positive and negative perceptions depending on the background, experience or needs of the students. The survey results showed that there were emerging trends that need to be further analyzed to understand the best teaching strategies.
The survey results showed that 101 of the participants believed that their earlier English learning experiences had negatively impacted on the English learning process. On the contrary, 21 said no while 49 answered somehow. the follow up questions after that showed that a majority of the students believed that the teaching methods was the single most factor that caused their negative experience on English learning. Additionally, there were other answers including having outdated learning materials to having teachers who were not fully competent to teach English. At the same time, 43 students were afraid of making mistakes, while 17 were afraid of the examinations, demonstrating that the fear of failure is a hurdle to improving English proficiency and competency for Non- English major EFL learners.
The respondents learned English for the purpose of communication, and this extends to the use of the language in professional environments as well as personal development. Social status could be another factor related to the motivation to learn English. The respondents were also asked about their preference for language skills in a sequence, whereby listening, speaking, reading, writing and the speaking, listening, reading, writing skills as the most preferred language skills for 61 and 77 choosing the two options respectively. This demonstrated that they were less inclined to focus on the reading and writing aspects of the English language usage. too much emphasis on writing skills can be counterproductive as learners have low motivation when there are few new learning experiences (Bahous, Bacha, Nabhani, 2011).
The results showed that 49 of the respondents agreed that that it was better to learn grammar and vocabulary through translation while 33 of them agreed, but 23 strongly disagreed. This showed that roughly half the respondents were in agreement that translation was necessary but the others were either neutral or disagreed...