Attitudes towards learning English as a foreign language

Abstract

In the environment of ongoing changes in the theory and methodology of teaching, students have a central role, and their attitudes are essential in improving teaching and learning outcomes. It is believed that a learner’s attitude towards learning languages directly determines their success or failure in learning a language. This research aims to examine high school students' attitudes towards learning English as a foreign language and how these attitudes influence their achievement. The research sample consisted of 206 Bosnian high school students attending all four high-school grades. The questionnaire was used to collect the necessary data on attitudes toward learning English as a foreign language. The MANOVA results showed that gender, age, GPA and GPA in English have a statistically significant effect on the combined dependent variables of students' attitudes towards learning English as a foreign language. Additionally, the results indicated that language attitudes are a significant predictor of the students' overall achievement in learning English as a foreign language. Therefore, understanding learners' attitudes will help both teachers and curriculum developers design programs that meet the objectives and improve students' academic achievement.