University Vocational School Students’ Beliefs about Foreign Language Learning

Abstract

Understanding language learner beliefs, in other words understanding what language learners accept as true or real, has recently been stressed in educational research. This is mainly because language learning beliefs are regarded as fundamental in the language learning process and in learners progress. Therefore, finding out language learner beliefs about language learning will not only be helpful in forming effective learning methods but also provide guidelines for language teachers, syllabus planners and policy makers to suit their teaching methods, syllabuses, and policies to meet learner beliefs and expectations. This paper reports on a descriptive study of language learning beliefs held by 296 university vocational school students studying in the two-year associate degree programs at Mehmet Akif Ersoy University (MAKÜ), Gölhisar Vocational School and Gölhisar Health Services Vocational School. A modified Turkish version of a questionnaire based on Horwitz BALLI (Beliefs About Language Learning Inventory) was used to assess learners’ beliefs. The data were analyzed descriptively and the results were provided in tables with their relevant percentages. The results of this study demonstrated that university vocational school learners have a range of beliefs both similar to and different from those revealed by previous research on learner beliefs about language learning. The study concludes with suggestions that the identification of learner beliefs about language learning may lead to increased awareness on the part of the learners themselves, syllabus planners and policy makers.