First Year University Students and What They Believe About Learning a Second Language

The belief or beliefs about language learning play an important role in determining how students feel about language learning and the way they approach the language learning process. Because of this, it is important for language instructors to know the beliefs that their learners hold about language learning so that they would be better informed on how to guide the students to learn the language successfully. Studies on students’ language learning beliefs have produced some inconsistent findings. As such, the purpose of this study is to address this issue and to add more knowledge to the field of students’ language learning beliefs. 100 first year degree students who were taking a compulsory English course in a university campus located in northern Malaysia were involved in the study. A 34-item questionnaire was used to identify the students’ beliefs about English language learning. Descriptive statistics were used to analyse the data. Findings indicated that the students considered language learning motivation and expectations as the most important belief dimension in language learning. They also hold various beliefs (beneficial or otherwise) regarding the language learning process. Appropriate actions must be taken by the language instructors to capitalize on the positive beliefs held by the students and eliminate the negative ones.

Language learner beliefs, English language learning, university students

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