Abstract

GOMEZ PANIAGUA, Juan Fernando. Beliefs about foreign language learning at the university level. Íkala [online]. 2017, vol.22, n.2, pp.203-219. ISSN 0123-3432.  https://doi.org/10.17533/udea.ikala.v22n02a03.

Beliefs about learning English as a foreign language were analyzed among students from Tecnológico de Antioquia College. The aim of the current research was to identify those beliefs in order to improve Tecnológico de Antioquia's language department's proposed curriculum. The representative sample of this study was comprised of 237 English students, ranging between levels 1-6 (160 women and 77 men). This number was determined by a matrix of sample sizes. A descriptive cross-sectional design was selected to conduct this research; data were collected through BALLI (Beliefs About Language Learning Inventory) instrument, as proposed by Horwitz (1987). The data were then analyzed using descriptive statistics. The results allowed to establish that most of the participants in this study showed a strong instrumental and integrative motivation towards learning English. Similarly, it was found that some beliefs related to the nature of language learning and learning strategies represent major hindrances. In conclusion, the participants hold misconceptions on English learning that create barriers for them to achieve a successful communicative performance.

Keywords : beliefs on language learning; teacher-learning English as a foreign language; teaching English in higher education; Beliefs About Language Learning Inventory (BALLI).

        · abstract in Spanish | French     · text in Spanish     · Spanish ( pdf )