Beliefs About Language Learning: Gender Related Or Not?

Yıl 2014, Cilt: 23 Sayı: 1, 229 - 238, 12.10.2014

İlkay Çelik Yazıcı

Öz

This study aimed at determining if there was a statistically significant difference between the male and female university prep class students‟ beliefs about language learning. The subjects participated in the study were 180 (90 male and 90 female) university prep class students from Foreign Language Education Center (YADYO) at Cukurova University. Data were collected using a 34-item Likert-Type scale (Horwitz‟s BALLI- Beliefs about Language learning Inventory), modified for the Turkish EFL learners. Data were analyzed descriptively. Beliefs of learners were classified under five subheadings as suggested by Horwitz (1988). The findings of the study indicated no significant differences among males and females except Item 30. The only statistically significant difference detected in this study concerned the relationship between speaking more than one language and being very intelligent. The female students gave a much greater support to the statement „people who speak more than one language are very intelligent‟.

Anahtar Kelimeler

Foreign Language learning, beliefs about language learning, gender

Kaynakça

• Bernat, E. & Lloyd, R. (2007). Exploring the gender effect onEFL learners‟ beliefs about language learning. Australian Journalof Educational and Developmental Psychology, 7,79-91. Clark, A. & Trafford, J. (1995). Boys into modern languages: an investigation of attitudes and performance between boys and girls in modern languages. Gender and Education 7(3), pp. 315-325. Dewaele, J-M. (2005). Sociodemographic, Psychological and Politicocultural Correlates in Flemish Students‟Attitudes Towards French and English. Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development 26(2), pp. 118-137. Diab, R. L. (2006). University students‟ beliefs about learning English and French in Lebanon. System, 34 (1), 80–96. Horwitz, E. (1988). The beliefs about language learning of beginning university foreign language students. Modern Language Journal 72, pp. 283-294. Mori, S. & Gobel, P. (2006). Motivation and gender in the Japanese EFL classroom. System 34, pp. 194-210. Nikitina, L. (2007). Are Beliefs about Language Learning Gender-Related? A Case Study of Russian Language Learners at Universiti Malaysia Sabah, MANU, Journal Pusat Penataran Limu & Bahasa, 13, pp. 146-160. Rust, F. (1994). The first year of teaching. It's not what they expected. Teaching and Teacher Education, 10, 205-217. Shaaban, K. & Ghaith, G. (2003). Effect of religion, first foreign language and gender on the perception of the utility of language, Journal of Language, Identity, and Education 2(1), pp. 53-77. Siebert, L. (2003). Student and teacher beliefs about language learning. The ORTESOL Journal 21, pp. 7-39. Tercanlıoğlu, L. (2004). Exploring gender effect on adult foreign language learning Strategies. Issues In Educational Research, Vol (14). http://education.curtin.edu.au/iier/iier14/tercanlioglu.html. Victori, M. & Lockhart, W. (1995). Enhancing metacognition in self-directed language learning, System 23, 2, 223-234.