Factors Influencing EFL Learners’ Attitudes toward English Varieties

This study explores how intercultural communication and the knowledge of ‘English as an International Language’ (EIL) affect EFL learners’ perception and attitudes toward “non-native” English varieties. Since EIL encourages non-native English speakers to use their own English with expressions reflecting their cultures and identities, introducing EIL in EFL classes is expected to lead EFL learners to positively change their mindset for English varieties and enhance their confidence in their own English. In this research, Japanese and Chinese/Vietnamese college students were divided into two groups and assigned different readings (EIL vs. non-EIL readings) before the discussion on English varieties. After the intercultural communication, participants were asked to write about their ideas on EIL, and their reflective writings were qualitatively analyzed to examine how the knowledge of EIL would influence the students’ attitudes toward English varieties. As a result, the Japanese students who did the EIL readings showed a positive attitude toward “non-native” English varieties, including ‘Japanese English’. In contrast, the Chinese and Vietnamese students showed a negative attitude toward them across the board even after learning about EIL. We aim to investigate the reasons and backgrounds of the results including what makes the difference between the Japanese and the Chinese/Vietnamese students.

Attitudes toward English phonetics learning: a survey on Indonesian EFL learners

Indonesian EFL learners face challenges in comprehending English phonemes as it becomes one of the significant predictors of English literacy. Hence, the English Phonetics subject is considered one of the most difficult ones, making the teaching and learning process less effective. Addressing Indonesian EFL learners’ attitudes toward English phonetics teaching is significant to improve phonetics teaching, yet, research on this has not received much attention. This present study was conducted to explore EFL learners’ attitudes toward English phonetic learning. A quantitative approach with survey design was employed involving 112 Indonesian EFL students. The researchers identified students’ attitudes using an adapted questionnaire from Lintunen and Mäkilähde (2015). Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 25 was utilized to analyze the data. The results indicate that Indonesian EFL students perform positive attitudes toward English phonetic learning, although they confess that phonetics is challenging. It implies that phonetics learning is potential and promising to support their English fluency; hence, lecturers need to make phonetics Learning more enjoyable, easier and participating in drawing the students' full engagement by considering their preferences and attitude toward phonetics learning.

Non - English Mayor Students’ Attitudes Toward English Lesson at Batanghari University

This research is aimed at analyzing the attitude of students of non-English major study towards English lessons at the faculty of Economics and Law of Batanghari University in Jambi. The research problem is the attitude of students of non-English major study towards English lessons. The research is used quantitative method by using questionnaire and discussion method. Based on the calculation of the item values using SPSS, it was concluded that 40 questions were valid, 5 were invalid, the total score correlation value (r count) was consulted with rtable (0.349) at α = 0.05, 40 questions were declared valid and as many as 5 questions were declared invalid namely question no. 7,18,19 25 28 and the non-valite questionnaire was discarded. So the number of items used as research is as many as 40 questions. Based on table 4.3 above, can be seen an overview of each variable. Variable Attitute Height with an average value of 3.74. This means that Behavioral is in the High category which is in the High category with an average value of 3.88. Cognitive variable 3.97 and emotional included in the high category that is equal to 3.85. Variable of ATTITUDES of 10 statement items there is one item in the very high category (8) the rest, all items are in the high category with an average value in the range, 3.40 - 4.19 overall, Variable of ATTITUDES is in the category high with an average value of 3.86. Variable of BEHAVIORAL Of the 10 statement items there is one item in the very high category (8) the rest, all items are in the high category with the average value in the range, 3.40 - 4, 19 overall, the Variable of Behavioral is in the high category with an average value of 3.88.COGNITIVE out of the 10 statement items there is one item in the very high category (8) and the rest, all items are in the high category with an average value on range, 3.40 - 4.19 overall, QUESTIONAIRES OF COGNITIVES are in the high category with an average value of 3.97. EMOTIONAL OF 10 statement items there is one items are in the very high category (8) the rest, all items are in the high category with an average value in the range, 3.40 - 4.19 overall, QUESTIONAIRES OF EMOTIONAL are in the high category with an average value of 3.85.

Exploring Japanese EFL Learners’ Attitudes Toward English Pronunciation and its Relationship to Perceived Accentedness

This study investigates what individual differences may play a role in second language (L2) learners’ pronunciation, exploring whether English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners’ attitudes toward English is linked to their perceived accentedness. Japanese EFL secondary school students ( N = 62) carried out a 69-word read-aloud task and their speech samples were evaluated by 16 raters for accentedness. A ten-item questionnaire examined the attitudes toward L2 pronunciation of Japanese EFL learners. From the questionnaire, an exploratory factor analysis revealed three dimensions: pronunciation significance, interest in English sounds, and confidence in pronunciation. However, only confidence in pronunciation was significantly correlated with accentedness scores. Results are discussed in terms of the relationship between affective factors and L2 pronunciation attainment.