A Study On Senior High School Students’ Beliefs About English Learning

The current study aims at exploring the general beliefs about English learning held by senior high school students and whether there are significant differences of learners’ beliefs about English learning in terms of proficiency level and gender. A questionnaire consisting of the slightly adapted Beliefs about Language Learning Inventory (BALLI) and one open-ended question, as well as interviews are used as research instruments. The subjects are118senior high school students in second grade from Xiushui No.1middle school. The students come from the same county, follow the same curriculum and have the same educational level. Both quantitative and qualitative data analyses were performed in this study. Frequencies, standard deviations and Mann-Whitney tests belong to quantitative study. In addition, content analysis was conducted on students’responses to the open-ended question and interviews to further investigate students’understanding of English learning.The current study suggests that senior high school students hold various beliefs about English learning but some similar beliefs about English learning are also found. Most of students hold similar beliefs about the importance of excellent pronunciation, repeating and practicing, and a special ability, but they differ in believing that they have a special ability for learning English. They are also highly motivated to learn English although nearly half of them consider English as a difficult language. And they believe good English can ensure them good jobs and over half of the students express a desire that they want to know and have foreign friends. They also believe reading and writing are easier than speaking and understanding English. Differences of learners’beliefs about English learning in terms of proficiency level and gender are also found. High proficiency group and low proficiency group show significant differences in fourteen BALLI items and male and female students show significant differences in thirteen BALLI items. For example, High proficiency group have stronger confidence than low proficiency group in their ability to learn English and attach greater importance to pronunciation and practicing with CDs or tapes. Female students have greater confidence than male students in their abilities for learning English and show stronger motivations and expectations for knowing and having foreign friends, as well as learning English well.Pedagogical enlightenments for language learners and language teachers are put forward on the basis of the findings of the current study. Firstly, identification of students’ beliefs about English learning and mediation on their potential influence on their learning performance are of huge importance for learners themselves and language teachers. Secondly, language teachers should take proficiency level difference and gender difference into consideration when designing their lectures and accordingly tailor their teaching methods to meet students’ needs and expectations. Finally, language teachers should help students foster and develop positive and realistic beliefs about language learning. In addition, the limitations of the study and suggestions for further study are presented. The current study hopes to fill a small but significant gap in the literature by exploring senior high school students’ language learning beliefs set in the context of a county in China and make contributions to the studies of beliefs about second or foreign language learning of senior high school students in China’s context.