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Understanding University Students’ Foreign Language Learning Attitudes: An Analysis Based on Stereotypes

Authors :
Selime Güntaş Işık
Fatma Aslantürk Altıntuğ
Sibel Süzek Birkollu
Ahmet Güneyli
Source :
Societies, Vol 14, Iss 9, p 169 (2024)
Publication Year :
2024
Publisher :
MDPI AG, 2024.

Abstract

The study aims to understand university students’ perceptions of stereotypes in foreign language learning in Cyprus, a multilingual and multicultural island. The goal is to comprehend how stereotypes impact foreign language education, enabling educators to tailor teaching environments and methodologies accordingly. The research question probes the extent and the influencing variables of stereotypes held by students in Cyprus during their language learning journey. This quantitative descriptive study involved 832 students from various faculties of a private North Cyprus university during the 2021–2022 academic year. A sample of 550 students, comprising 269 males and 281 females, was randomly selected. The stereotyped thought scale for a foreign language, a tool developed by Ünal in 2015 with 42 items across 8 sub-dimensions, was employed to gauge students’ stereotypical thoughts. The study’s results revealed an average score of 2.99 out of 5 on the scale, indicating that students’ stereotyped thinking falls within the average range. Notably, several variables, including gender, age, education, family, and language proficiency, significantly influence the stereotypes students hold during their language learning process.

Details

Language :
English
ISSN :
20754698
Volume :
14
Issue :
9
Database :
Directory of Open Access Journals
Journal :
Societies
Publication Type :
Academic Journal
Accession number :
edsdoj.49e43bb3891d4aac82ff02cf410498a8
Document Type :
article
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.3390/soc14090169