ERIC EJ1069623: Beliefs about Language Learning of Foreign Language-Major University Students

2006·0.23 MB·English

by  ERIC

Australian Journal of Teacher Education
Volume 31|Issue 2 Article 5
2006
Beliefs about Language Learning of Foreign
Language- Major University Students
Mustapha X. Altan
Erciyes University, Turkey
Recommended Citation
Altan, M. X. (2006). Beliefs about Language Learning of Foreign Language- Major University Students.Australian Journal of Teacher
Education, 31(2).
http://dx.doi.org/10.14221/ajte.2006v31n2.5
This Journal Article is posted at Research Online.
http://ro.ecu.edu.au/ajte/vol31/iss2/5
Australian Journal of Teacher Education
BELIEFS ABOUT LANGUAGE LEARNING OF FOREIGN LANGUAGE-MAJOR
UNIVERSITY STUDENTS

Mustapha .Z. Altan
Erciyes University
Turkey

ABSTRACT
Beliefs are a central construct in every discipline Studies on language learning beliefs began
which deals with human behavior and learning. with early research in individual differences
Teachers’ beliefs influence their consciousness, between successful and less successful learners
teaching attitude, teaching methods and teaching
(Fillmore, Kempler, & Wong-Fillmore, 1979;
policies. Teachers’ beliefs also strongly influence
Naiman, Frochlich, Stern, & Todesco, 1978;
teaching behavior and, finally, learners’
Nation & McLaughlin, 1986; Rubin, 1975,
development. The formation of teachers’
1981).
educational beliefs in language teaching/learning
On the one hand, people all over the
process will exert an indiscernible effect on forming
effective teaching methods and will bring about the world seem to have common and fixed beliefs
improvement of learners’ language learning about how languages are learned. Every month
abilities (Horwitz, 1985). The Beliefs About it is possible to see an article or just some news
Language Learning Inventory (BALLI) was on the best techniques for learning a foreign
administered to a total of 248 foreign language- language, the right age to begin learning a
major university students at five universities. The
foreign language, and the nature of the foreign
participants were in the departments of English,
language learning process, especially during
German, French, Japanese and Arabic and they
summer. In some news it is even admitted that
were all going to be the teachers of the language
language fluency can be obtained with very
they were learning. Although most of the item
little effort in as little as three months of free-
alternatives drew slightly different percentages of
responses, the overall pattern of responses time study!
remained strikingly consistent across language On the other hand, there is another
groups. The present findings indicate that students group of people who believe that acquiring
hold a range of beliefs with varying degrees of another language is a special “gift” that some
validity; in some cases, the term “myth” might be a people have and that most people do not have.
more accurate characterization. Some results
If beliefs about foreign language learning are
reported here may surprise language teaching
widespread in one culture, then foreign
educators and teacher trainers; others probably
language teachers must consider that learners
confirm their experiences and intuitions.
bring these beliefs with them into the

classroom and therefore, teachers should spend
INTRODUCTION
some time helping learners getting rid of these
During the last two decades, second
misconceptions in order to be more effective
language learning researchers have spent a lot
language learners. This consideration becomes
of effort on the cognitive aspects of language
more important especially for the foreign
learning. Research indicates that individual
language teacher educators. Teacher educators
students differ considerably in their use of
should train their student teachers aware of
learning strategies (Altan, 2003; O’Malley
these misconceptions and prepare them ready
Chamot, 1990; Oxford, 1992,1993; Oxford &
to solve the possible problems in their future
Cohen, 1992; Wenden & Rubin, 1987).
teaching. Some of these misconceptions should
An important question is what causes students
be taken very seriously for those educating
to approach a specific language task
foreign language teachers.
differently. What accounts for the individual
Many people think that children are
differences observed even among learners with
biologically programmed to learn second
similar language proficiency? A reasonable
languages quickly and easily. Current research
answer may be found in learner perception.
challenges this biological imperative, arguing
Since we are what we believe in, in recent
that different rates of L2 acquisition may
years, researchers have increasingly focused
reflect psychological and social factors that
on students’ beliefs about the nature of
language learning and the strategies they use.
Vol 31, No 2, 2006 45
Australian Journal of Teacher Education
favor child learners (Newport, 1990). One and satisfaction with their language classes,
exception is pronunciation. they have remained relatively unexplored.
The younger the child, the more Especially with those who will be teachers of
skilled the child is in acquiring L2. Some the languages they have been learning.
researchers argue that the earlier children Holec (1981:27) argues that language
begin to learn a second language, the better learners must go through a sort of
(e.g., Krashen, Long, & Scarcella, 1979). psychological preparation or “deconditioning”
However, research does not support this to rid themselves of preconceived notions and
conclusion in school settings especially where prejudices which would be likely to interfere
emphasis has traditionally been placed on with their language learning process. Holec
formal grammatical analysis. Older children (1987:145) lists some typical learner
are more skilled in dealing with this approach comments as “1. Learning a language is hard
and therefore, might perform better. However, work; 2. For a Frenchman, learning Italian is
this argument does not explain findings from easier than learning Japanese; 3. Spelling is
students of French immersion programs in one of the major difficulties when learning
Canada, where little emphasis is placed on the French”.
formal aspects of grammar (Genesee, 1987).
As pointed out earlier, pronunciation is one LITERATURE REVIEW
area where the younger is better. Research on the beliefs about language
The more time students spend in a learning since Horwitz’s pioneering study in
second language context, the more quickly 1985 has shown that some of these beliefs held
they learn the language. Many educators by learners have damaging effects on their
believe children will learn English best learning. However, there is still a great
through structured immersion, where they have shortage of research that investigates the
ESL classes and content-based instruction in beliefs of learners and especially on those who
English. These programs provide more time on are foreign-language major students.
task in English than bilingual classes. Recent research on the beliefs of second and
Research, however, indicates that this foreign language learners’ beliefs has
increased exposure to English does not examined different learning settings in
necessarily speed the acquisition of English. different cultures; Wenden (1986); Horwitz
Over the length of the program, children (1988); Oh (1996), Wen and Johnson(1997);
acquire English language skills equivalent to Benson and Lor (1999). These research studies
those acquired by children who have been in have collected and analyzed data on learners’
English-only programs (Cummins, 1981). beliefs in different ways and they were mainly
Children have acquired L2 once they done with those learning foreign languages.
can speak it. Some teachers assume that However, very few empirical studies have
children who can converse comfortably in researched in-service teacher beliefs about
English are in full control of the language. Yet language learning.
for school-aged children, proficiency in face- Peacock (2001) reports on a
to-face communication does not imply longitudinal study that investigated changes in
proficiency in the more complex academic the beliefs about second language learning of
language needed to engage in many classroom 146 trainee ESL students over their 3-year
activities. Research on 1,210 immigrant program at the City University of Hong Kong.
children in Canada showed that children Although he reports differences in three key
required much longer mastering the areas, disturbingly, no significant changes
disembedded cognitive language required for have been found. These key areas are:
the regular English curriculum than to master learning a second language means learning a
oral communicative skills (Cummins, 1980). lot of vocabulary and grammar rules and the
All children learn L2 in the same way. People belief that those speaking more than one
and some teachers think that all children learn language well are very intelligent. Peacock
L2 in the same way or at the same rate. (2001) concludes that these participants when
Although student beliefs about language preparing their classroom tasks, materials, etc.
learning would seem to have obvious might over-emphasize the learning of
relevance to the understanding of student vocabulary and grammar rules compared to the
expectations of, commitment to, success in, other classroom tasks necessary for foreign
46 Vol 31, No 2, 2006
Australian Journal of Teacher Education
language learning. And believing that those and these 74 (29.8) were males and 174 (70.2)
speaking more than one language are very were females.
intelligent might negatively affect their Of the 248 students 52 (21%) were in the first
capacity to assess their future students’ year, 90 (36 %) were in the second year, 77
progress. (31%) were in the third year and 29 (12%)
Data on language-learners’ beliefs were in the fourth year. Subjects ranged from
have been collected through closed (forced- eighteen to forty years of age with a medium
choice) questionnaires. Questionnaires on age of 22. All subjects were enrolled in teacher
learners’ beliefs have been developed and education programs and they were all trained
analyzed in two ways. The first involves to become the teachers of the language they
grouping items a priori into Logically-derived learn. The programs follow the same syllabus
categories, with the analysis of data focusing designed by the Higher Education Council
on similarities and differences in response (YOK). All percentages reported are rounded
patterns to items within a category. This is the to the nearest whole number.
approach used by Horwitzt’s “Beliefs About
Language Learning Inventory” (BALLI). STUDENT RESPONSES: BALLI
The difficulty of language learning:
LANGUAGE LEARNING INVENTORY BALLI items 3,4,6,14,24 and 28 concern the
The survey used in this study, The general difficulty of learning a foreign
Beliefs About Language Learning Inventory language and the specific difficulty of the
(BALLI) was developed by Horwitz 1983 to learner’s particular target language. Items 24
assess student opinions on a variety of issues and 28 assess the relative difficulty of different
and controversies related to language learning. language skills, and item 6 surveys learner
The BALLI contains thirty-four items and expectations for success.
assesses student beliefs in five major areas: 1. Students from the five language
difficulty of language learning; 2. foreign groups overwhelmingly support the concept of
language aptitude; 3. the nature of language a language learning difficulty hierarchy.
learning; 4. learning and communication Eighty-four percent of the English language ,
strategies; and 5. motivations and expectations. Eighty-six percent of the Arabic language,
Subjects are asked to read each item and then ninety-four percent of the German language,
to indicate a response ranging from strongly eighty-five percent of the Japanese and eighty-
agree to strongly disagree. A single composite seven percent of the French language students
score is not derived from the BALLI; rather, agreed with the statement, “some languages
individual items yield descriptions of discrete are easier to learn than others”. Thus, the large
student conceptions of language learning. majority of participants surveyed believed that
BALLI had been developed very carefully the difficulty of the language learning is
while the questionnaire was being designed dependent, at least to an extent, on the
and items were being written, however no particular target language studied.
evidence of any attempt, either in the first or in The data also indicate some big
subsequent uses of a questionnaire had been differences between language groups on the
found to establish empirically the degree of relative difficulty of each specific target
stability, or consistency, of responses to language. Ninety-five percent of Japanese
questionnaires on beliefs about language language students and Eighty-four percent
learning (Sakui and Gaies 1999). Arabic language students rated their respective
languages as being very difficult to learn. They
SUBJECTS are followed by French (79%) and German
The BALLI was administered to 50 language (66%). Only twenty-six percent of
teacher education students at five universities English language students agreed that English
respectively; English (Inonu University, is very difficult to learn. Seventy percent of
Turkey), German (Uludag University, Turkey), English language students claimed that English
French (Marmara University, Turkey), is an easy language to learn. For example, no
Japanese (Canakkale 18 Mart University, one judged either Japanese or German to be a
Turkey) and Arabic (Gazi University, Turkey). very easy language. The high percentages of
A total of 248 students responded the survey Japanese and Arabic language students could
Vol 31 No 2, 2006 47
Australian Journal of Teacher Education
be explained with their writing systems and Because pre-service teachers’
using alphabets other than Latin. judgments about the difficulty of language
Time requirement for language learning are critical to the development of their
learning were requested next. Regardless of expectations for and commitment to it, the
differences in assessments of difficulty by the responses to the items in this section are
five language groups, their estimates of the particularly important.
amount of time required to learn a second Foreign Language Aptitude: BALLI
language were quite similar. In response to the items 1, 2,10,15,22,29,32,33, and 34 concern
question, “if someone spent one hour a day the general existence of specialized abilities
learning a language, how long would it take for language learning and beliefs about the
him/her to become fluent?” estimates ranged characteristics of successful and unsuccessful
from under a year to the assertion that a language learners. Thus, these items address
language cannot be learned in one hour a day. the issue of individual potential for
In each group, from four to twelve percent of achievement in language learning.
the students felt that a second language could Participants generally endorsed the
be learned in under a year. A substantial concept of foreign language aptitude or special
number of participants felt that a maximum abilities for language learning. From fifty-two
two and a half years is sufficient for learning to seventy-three percent of all groups agreed
another language and from forty-eight to with the statement: “some people are born with
seventy-five percent of the students chose a special ability to learn a foreign language”.
between 1-2 and 3-5 years. Nevertheless, each Participants with a great majority perceived
group also contained a group of participants themselves as having special ability to learn a
(ranging from fourteen to twenty-two percent foreign language. Seventy percent of English,
who felt it would take from five to ten years to seventy-four percent of Arabic, seventy-seven
learn a language under the conditions percent of Japanese, eighty percent of German,
described. and eighty-one percent of French language
These participants were also generally students agreed with the statement, “I have
very optimistic (ranging from fifty-seven to foreign language aptitude.” These high
eighty-four percent) about their own prognosis percentages indicate that these participants
as language learners. Only a very small have fairly positive assessments of their own
number of Arabic, German, Japanese and language learning abilities.
French language students disagreed with the On the other hand, the majority
statement: “I believe that I will ultimately (seventy to eighty-six percent) agreed that
learn to speak this language very well.” everyone can learn to speak a foreign
Interestingly, participants’ estimates of the language. Taken together, the responses of
time required to learn a foreign language were these two items would appear to indicate that
closely related to their feelings about their own many people can learn a foreign language and
ultimate success. A cross tabulation of the they are in this lucky group who can learn a
scores showed that the great majority of foreign language.
participants who expect to “learn to speak this The questions dealing with beliefs
language very well” anticipate that it will take concerning the characteristics of good
a moderate amount of time (ranging from 1-2 language learners yielded interesting results.
to 3-5 years). Although it is heartening to Consistent with common wisdom, the
language teachers to see their students participants felt overwhelmingly that it is
expecting to succeed, the responses to these easier for children than adults to learn a
items indicate that a large number of students foreign language. In contrast, two commonly
expect to speak their target language very well encountered beliefs about differential language
in an unrealistic amount of time. Participants learning ability were not supported with the
in the survey were studying the language they same majority by any of the respondent
were learning at least for 6-10 years. groups. Around fifty-eight percent of each
Considering the actual proficiency level of the group agreed with the statement that people
students learning a foreign language in the who are good at mathematics or science are
country, it seems a bit confusing how they can not good at learning foreign languages. The
expect to learn a foreign language “very well” results were a bit mixed with the statement that
within 1-5 years. women were better than men at learning
48 Vol 31, No 2, 2006
Australian Journal of Teacher Education
languages. Where fifty-three percent of French statement that “learning a foreign language is
and sixty-two percent of English language mostly a matter of translating from the target
students agreed with the statement; forty-two language.”
percent of German, forty-four percent of A belief that learning vocabulary words and
Japanese and fifty-two percent of Arabic grammar rules is the most important part of
language students disagreed with the language learning will almost certainly lead
statement. On the other hand, quite a number pre-service teachers to invest the majority of
of participants neither disagreed nor agreed their time memorizing vocabulary lists and
with the statement that “Turks are good at grammar rules at the expense of other
learning foreign languages.” language learning tasks in their possible future
The concept of foreign language teaching. It is good to see that at least fifty
aptitude can be the source of a negative percent of each group disagree with the
outlook on language learning. A participant’s statement that “learning a foreign language is
belief that everybody can learn a foreign mostly a matter of translating from the target
language but Turks are neither good nor bad at language.
learning a foreign language can lead to Learning and Communicating Strategies:
negative expectations about their teaching in BALLI items 7, 9, 12, 13, 17, 18, 19, and 21
future. address learning and communication strategies
The Nature of Language Learning: and are probably the most directly related to a
BALLI items 5, 8, 11, 16, 20, 25, 26, and 28 learner’s actual language learning practices.
include a broad range of issues related to the Item 17 and 21 refer to learning strategies, and
nature of the language learning process. Item 8 items 7, 9,12,13,18, and 19 concern
and 11 concern the role of cultural contact and communication strategies.
language immersion in language achievement. First, with reference to traditional
Item 25 determines if the learner views learning strategies, participants ranging from
language learning as different from other types fifty-eight percent to eighty-eight percent
of learning, while items 16, 20, and 26 endorsed repetition and practice in the
assesses the learner’s conception of the focus language laboratory. The groups agreed almost
of the language learning task. Finally, item 5 unanimously (eighty-two to ninety-eight
addresses the students’ perceptions of percent) that is important to “repeat and
structural differences between English and the practice a lot”. Interestingly, English language
target language. students were somewhat less intense in their
Many people believe that learning support with both of the statements related to
another language is merely a matter of practice and repetition. This could be
translating from the target language or learning explained with the specific and purposeful
grammar rules or new vocabulary words. emphasis given on more “meaningful practice”
Respondents generally shared these views starting from the first year at English
except from the view that learning another Language Teaching Department.
language is a matter of translating from the Responses concerning communication
target language. From seventy-one percent to strategies are of special interest for those who
ninety percent of the respondents in each use communicative approach or
group agreed that learning a language differs communication-centered teaching practices in
from learning other school subjects. In their classes. Participants from all groups were
addition, a great majority of the respondents in harmony in their support of assumptions
endorsed statements indicative of a restricted commonly associated with a communication-
view of language learning. For example, sixty- centered approach to language teaching. Most
eight to eighty-five percent of the participants of the participants agreed that guessing a word
in each language group endorsed the BALLI in the foreign language is important and
item that the most important part of learning a necessary and the great majority (at least
language is learning vocabulary words, and at eighty-one percent in each group) disagreed
least fifty percent of each group believed that with the statement: “you shouldn’t say
learning a foreign language is mostly a matter anything in the foreign language until you can
of learning a lot of grammar rules. On the say it correctly.” On the other hand, at least
contrary, from forty-eight to ninety-two thirty percent of each group felt that beginning
percent of each group disagreed with the students would probably find it difficult later
Vol 31 No 2, 2006 49
Australian Journal of Teacher Education
in language learning to correct the errors if agree”. Since many of the German language
they are allowed to make in the beginning participants were either born in Germany or
stages, and at least eighty- seven percent in lived there for a while and have returned to
each group stressed the importance of speaking continue their education in Turkey, the high
with “an excellent accent” with respect to disagreement level of German participants can
pronunciation, the Japanese and Arabic pre- be explained by their prior experiences..
service teachers are more concerned about It seems, then, that this group of
accents than are the other groups. This can be participants has strong level of instrumental
explained by the chance of other language motivation but a very moderate level of
groups meeting different people speaking the integrative motivation. Although many of them
language they are learning. For example, it is expect to be successful language learners, for
very common to meet a French person the most part they do not have strong desires to
speaking English. Such opportunities can get to know representatives of the foreign
lower anxiety related to the accent. However, culture.
it is rather difficult to meet a non-native
speaker speaking either Japanese or Arabic. DISCUSSION & PEDAGOGICAL
At least forty percent in each group IMPLICATIONS
responded that they feel self-confident The similarity of beliefs among the
speaking in the target language in front of different target language groups is an
other people. Interestingly, the highest important finding of the survey reported here.
percentage comes from the English pre-service Although most of the item alternatives drew
teachers who started practicing presentation slightly different percentages of responses, the
skills from the preparation program. overall pattern of responses remained
Motivations and Expectations: BALLI items strikingly consistent across language groups.
23, 27, 30, and 31 concern desires and As the nature of the data collection procedures
opportunities the students associate with the employed precludes unambiguous
learning of their target language. explanations, any small differences found in
A great majority of participants the beliefs of a particular group of students
associated language skills with better job could be due to measurement error, differences
opportunities and “many opportunities” to use in student populations (the different
their new language. In the first case, Arabic proportions of males and females in each
language students and in the second case group, for example), the special nature of
French language students were the most learning that language, or the instructional
optimistic. In both cases, Japanese language content of specific classes.
students were the most pessimistic about. In Although this study has emphasized
addition, at least sixty-six percent of each the beliefs held by the majority of respondents,
group agreed that Turks think it is important to almost without exception each item drew the
speak a foreign language. In this case, the full range of response alternatives. In other
English pre-service teachers were the less words, for any given belief, participants’
positive (sixty-six percent). responses ran the gamut from strongly agree to
By sampling the participants’ desire to strongly disagree. Therefore, the BALLI can
get to know speakers of their target language, be helpful to language teacher educators both
the next item represents a measure of the by determining popular beliefs of their
integrative motivation of these groups. While students who are going to be teachers in future
fifty-eight percent of the Arabic, sixty-five as well as in identifying minority groups with
percent of the French, sixty-seven percent of different opinions.
the Japanese and seventy percent of the The results of this study present only a
English language students agreed with the static, cross-sectional view of student beliefs.
statement : “ I would like to learn this The extent to which learner beliefs are variable
language so that I can get to know its speakers over time, from person to person, and setting
better.”, thirty-eight percent of the German to setting needs to be explored.
language students disagreed with the As the language teacher is likely to be viewed
statement. It is also interesting to note that the as an “expert” about language related matters,
majority of the positive responses in each his or her views whether expressed explicitly
group were “agree” rather than “strongly in class or implicitly by teaching practice
50 Vol 31, No 2, 2006
Australian Journal of Teacher Education
could have a strong influence on the students’ beliefs about language learning are important,
own beliefs. Therefore, it is believed that the the beliefs of their teachers are also important.
ideas about language learning will have an As Peacock (2001) suggests these types of
important impact on their future students. correction activities should be an integral part
Although this research sought simply of TESL core courses and the programs should
to categorize and report the beliefs about be designed to create the change in their
language learning of language-major beliefs, values and attitudes so that real and
university students, we should not ignore some effective change to happen.
of the specific beliefs these students hold since
they will serve as future language teachers. CONCLUSIONS
Many researchers (Horwitz, 1988; Victor and The BALLI seems to have proven its
Lockhart, 1995; Matsumoto, 1996) have usefulness in the elicitation and comparison of
repeatedly pointed out the value of insights many student beliefs about language learning.
gained from investigating learners’ beliefs. For The present findings indicate that students hold
teachers, the insights gained, both in a pre- a range of beliefs e.g., “some people are born
course needs analysis and during an with a special ability to learn a foreign
instructional program itself, by investigating language” or “it is easier for children than
learners’ beliefs about language learning can adults to learn a foreign language” with
lead to more effective instructional planning varying degrees of validity. In some cases, the
and implementation. For learners, the process term “myth” might be a more accurate
of exploring beliefs can lead to the characterization of such beliefs.
development of more effective language This article has identified many
learning behaviors as well as to self- discrete beliefs held by foreign language-major
knowledge and autonomy. And perhaps more university students. This is a preliminary
importantly, programs educating foreign inquiry into the belief systems of foreign
language teachers can include components to language-major university learners and the
increase awareness of their learners’ beliefs impact of beliefs on learning strategies and
about language learning in line with the goals language achievement.
of their programs and actual practices in the Thus, the findings confirm that pre-
field. service teachers arrive at the task of language
As Tatto (1998) argues, we really do learning with definite preconceived notions of
not have much empirical evidence showing the how to go about it. Therefore, foreign
influence of teacher education on teachers’ language teacher educators and teacher trainers
values and beliefs. Therefore, there is possibly cannot afford to ignore these beliefs if they
a consensus that teacher education can have expect their students to be open to particular
little influence on altering teachers’ beliefs. teaching methods and to receive the maximum
Therefore, if trainees hold beliefs about benefit from them. Knowledge of learner
language learning which might negatively beliefs about language learning should also
affect their future students’ learning, it is very increase teacher educators’ understanding of
important for the teacher educators to work on how the future teaching of these people would
these beliefs and change them. While the be.
evidence is accumulating that the learners’
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