Prospective EFL Teachers` Beliefs about Language Learning and Gender Differences in a Higher Education Context

Abstract

The purposes of this study were to find out the beliefs about English as a foreign language and statistical gender differences between male and female students at STAIN Kerinci. 100 male and female EFL students were involved in the survey employing Beliefs about Language Learning Inventory (BALLI) found by Horwitz (1987). Based on the analysis, there was no significant gender difference between the male and female students in terms of the beliefs about English as a foreign language, except for some items which showed statistically different in gender. The difference is on the item that states whether or not students who are good at maths could not understand English well. More female students believed in this statement, but only fewer male students did. Another difference between the gender is about whether or not they can ultimately understand English very well. 

Keywords

• BALLs,Gender Differences; Higher Education

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