The undergraduate students’ beliefs about English language learning; a survey study in Madurese context

Fithriyah Rahmawati

doi:10.30595/lks.v14i2.7637

Abstract

The discussion in line with students’ beliefs about language learning is still popular nowadays since it is believed that the student’s beliefs may influence the language learning process, such as motivation, learning style, and strategies, etc. which later ultimately affected the success of language learning. This study was conducted to investigate how students of the English program at IAIN Madura (State Islamic Institute of Madura), Indonesia, express their beliefs about English language learning. This study was implemented in terms of survey study in which the data was primarily gathered by administering the questionnaire entitled Beliefs About Language learning Inventory (BALLI) of Horwitz’s (1987). The questionnaires were administered to students of English teaching and learning program through Google form. About 144 undergraduate students in the first year have participated in this study. The finding revealed the students’ beliefs in terms of percentage of agreements in all area of BALLI, namely language aptitude, the strategy of learning and communication, the nature of learning language, motivation and expectation in learning, and the difficulty faced by students

Highlights

It is generally believed that there are many factors significantly influencing the success of language learning and acquisition
The Beliefs About Language learning Inventory (BALLI) (Beliefs about Language Learning Inventory) questionnaires consist of five logical areas investigated, i.e language aptitude, communication strategies, the nature in language learning, and the difficulties faced by students in language learning, as well as motivation
Overall, the present study show the similar pattern of students’ belief in English language learning compared with previous study which explored the five general factors of belief; such as student’s language aptitude, students’ communication strategies, the perception of the nature of language learning, and language difficulty, their motivation and expectation in learning English as well

Summary

Introduction

It is generally believed that there are many factors significantly influencing the success of language learning and acquisition. It can be viewed from the intrinsic and extrinsic factors of a learner. One factor that is still popular in the discussion of language learning is about students’ beliefs which may vary from one to another. This condition becomes possible concern among language practitioners. Another definition was proposed by Richardson (1996) said that belief is psychologically understanding, premises, or proposition about the world that seems to be true. Horwitz proposed four aspects of BALLI which added with one aspect, namely motivation and expectation as well as modifying the aspect of communication strategies (Kunt, 1996)

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Results

Conclusion