UNIVERSIDAD NACIONAL DE EDUCACIN ENRIQUE GUZMN Y VALLE A lma Mter del Magisterio Nacional

ESCUELA DE POSGRADO

Thesis
Attitudes towards English language learning and academic performance in students of the first cycle of the Program of English for Graduate Students at the Language Center of the National University of Education Enrique Guzmn y Valle at the Graduate School, La Molina, Lima, 2012.

Presented by:

Jeovana Justina BENITO CONDORI

Submitted in fulfillment of the requirements for the Master of Educational Sciences degree in Teaching English as a Foreign Language

Adviser: Dr. Elmer Javier Crdova Zapata

Lima, 2012

UNIVERSIDAD NACIONAL DE EDUCACIN ENRIQUE GUZMN Y VALLE A lma Mter del Magisterio Nacional

ESCUELA DE POSGRADO

Thesis
Attitudes towards English language learning and academic performance in students of the first cycle of the Program of English for Graduate Students at the Language Center of the National University of Education Enrique Guzmn y Valle at the Graduate School, La Molina, Lima, 2012.

Presented by:

Jeovana Justina BENITO CONDORI

Submitted in fulfillment of the requirements for the Master of Educational Sciences degree in Teaching English as a Foreign Language

Adviser: Dr. Elmer Javier Crdova Zapata

Lima, 2012

Dedication
For my parents and professors who supported me all the time throughout the development of this research.

Declaration of Academic Ethics

I HEREBY DECLARE THAT THE THESIS I AM SUBMITTING FOR ASSESSMENT IS MY OWN AND DOES NOT CONTAIN ANY UNACKNOWLEDGED WORK FROM ANY OTHER SOURCES. WERE ANY OF ITS CONTENTS PROVED THE RESULT OF CHEATING OR PLAGIARISM ON MY PART, I ASSUME THE CORRESPONDING PENALTIES ESTABLISHED BY THE POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL.

Abstract

This work entitled

Attitudes towards English language learning and academic

performance in students of the first cycle of the Program of English for Graduate Students at the Language Center of the National University of Education Enrique Guzmn y Valle at the Graduate School, La Molina, Lima, 2012, had as the main hypothesis that Attitudes towards English language learning are significantly related to Academic performance in the students of the First Cycle of the Program of English for Graduate Students at the Language Center of the National University of Education Enrique Guzman y Valle, Lima, 2012. It was a substantive research in its variety of descriptive research with a correlational design. Its population and sample was 36 students who were studying English as a requirement to obtain the degree of Master of Educational Sciences. After the hypothesis testing, the alternative hypothesis was found to be true, confirming that Attitudes towards English language learning are significantly related to Academic performance in students of the sample with a significance level of 0,05. Keywords: Attitudes, language learning, academic performance, affective, cognitive, and behavioral components of attitudes.

INDEX
Cover....................................................................................................................................i Blank sheet...........................................................................................................................ii Back cover............................................................................................................................ii Dedication.............................................................................................................................iv Abstract................................................................................................................................vi Index.....................................................................................................................................vii Introduction...........................................................................................................................x PART I: THEORETICAL ASPECTS....................................................................................12 CHAPTER I: THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK.....................................................................12 1.1. BACKGROUND TO THE PROBLEM........................................................................12 1.1.1.................................................................................................Int ernational background...................................................................................12 1.1.2.................................................................................................Na tional background..........................................................................................18 1.2. THEORETICAL BASES............................................................................................21 SUB CHAPTER I: ATTITUDES TOWARD ENGLISH LEARNING............................21 1.1....................................................................................................Co nceptualization of attitudes............................................................................21 1.2....................................................................................................Fa ctors involved in the development of attitudes...............................................23 1.2.1.......................................................................................Stu dents self-concept.............................................................................23 1.2.2.......................................................................................Stu dents attitudes towards the target language......................................24 1.2.3.......................................................................................Ind ividual and specific characteristics.....................................................25 1.2.4.......................................................................................Atti tudes towards the teacher and course materials................................28 1.2.5.......................................................................................Wh o teachers usually categorize as a good language learner?............28

1.2.6.......................................................................................Mo tivation................................................................................................29 1.3....................................................................................................Atti tudes and language learning.........................................................................32 1.4....................................................................................................As pects to be considered when teaching a foreign language............................35 1.4.1......................................................................................Stu dents attitudes towards text selection................................................35 1.4.2......................................................................................Stu dents attitudes towards teaching methods........................................36 1.4.3......................................................................................Te achers and learners roles.................................................................39 1.4.4......................................................................................Th e special needs of state education.....................................................39 1.4.5......................................................................................Wh at do students dislike when learning English?....................................41 1.5....................................................................................................Th e three Components of Attitudes...................................................................41 1.5.1.......................................................................................Co gnitive component of attitudes............................................................43 1.5.2.......................................................................................Aff ective Component of Attitudes...........................................................54 1.5.3.......................................................................................Be havioral Component of Attitude..........................................................58 1.6....................................................................................................Me asurement of Attitudes...................................................................................65 1.7....................................................................................................Ch anging Attitudes.............................................................................................66 SUB CHAPTER II: ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE 2.1....................................................................................................Co nceptualization of academic performance......................................................67 2.2....................................................................................................Ele ments that influence academic performance.................................................69

2.3....................................................................................................Ac ademic Performance Measurement...............................................................70 2.3.1......................................................................................Sta ndards of academic performance regarding school students according to the Peruvian secondaryMinistry of

Education...........................................................................................71 2.4....................................................................................................Atti tudes influence learners academic performance...........................................71 2.5....................................................................................................Fa ctors for failure in academic performance......................................................74 2.6....................................................................................................Fa ctors associated to academic performance....................................................75 2.7....................................................................................................Wh y is it academic performance so important?...................................................76 2.8....................................................................................................Ac ademic performance features in schools.......................................................76 2.9....................................................................................................Ac ademic performance features in Language Centers......................................78 1.3. DEFINITION OF KEY TERMS..................................................................................81

CHAPTER II: RESEARCH PROBLEM.................................................................................84 2.1. 2.2. DETERMINATION OF THE PROBLEM....................................................................84 FORMULATION OF THE PROBLEM........................................................................85 2.2.1.................................................................................................Ge neral problem.................................................................................................85 2.2.2.................................................................................................Sp ecific problems...............................................................................................85 2.3. 2.4. OBJECTIVES: GENERAL AND SPECIFIC...............................................................86 IMPORTANCE AND SCOPE OF THE RESEARCH..................................................86 2.4.1................................................................................................Th eoretical relevance........................................................................................86 2.4.2................................................................................................Pr actical relevance............................................................................................87

2.4.3................................................................................................Me thodological relevance...................................................................................87 2.5. LIMITATIONS OF THE RESEARCH.........................................................................87 2.5.1................................................................................................Am plitude limitations...........................................................................................87 2.5.2................................................................................................Re sources limitations.........................................................................................87 2.5.3................................................................................................Ti me limitations................................................................................................87 CHAPTER III: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY.....................................................................88 3.1. SYSTEM OF HYPOTHESES AND VARIABLES.......................................................88 3.1.1................................................................................................Hy pothesis system.............................................................................................88 3.1.2................................................................................................Va riable system.................................................................................................89 3.1.3................................................................................................Ma trix of operationalization of variables.............................................................90 3.2. 3.3. 3.4. 3.5. 3.6. TYPE AND RESEARCH METHOD...........................................................................91 RESEARCH DESIGN................................................................................................91 RESEARCH INSTRUMENTS....................................................................................92 DATA COLLECTION TECHNIQUES........................................................................92 POPULATION AND SAMPLE...................................................................................92

PART TWO: THE FIELD WORK..........................................................................................93 CHAPTER IV: RESEARCH INSTRUMENTS AND RESULTS..............................................94 4.1. 4.2. SELECTION AND VALIDATION OF INSTRUMENTS...............................................94 STATISTICAL TREATMENT AND INTERPRETATION OF DATA (TABLES, GRAPHS, DRAWINGS, FIGURES)..........................................................................96 4.3..............................................................................................................DIS CUSSION OF RESULTS..........................................................................................115 CONCLUSIONS...................................................................................................................118 RECOMMENDATIONS........................................................................................................119 REFERENCE.......................................................................................................................121

ANNEXES............................................................................................................................124 LIS OF TABLES LIST OF FIGURES

INTRODUCTION

This research had as the main objective to establish the relationship between attitudes towards English language learning and the academic performance in the students of the First Cycle of the Program of English for Graduate Students at the Language Center of the National University of Education Enrique Guzman y Valle, La Molina, Lima in the year 2012.

Attitudes are important to be studied due to the complexity of human nature and the way people react towards the different contexts in which each human being interacts. In this direction, we analyzed the components of attitudes in terms of affective, cognitive and behavioral aspects.

As part of the methodology, this is a substantive research on the variety of descriptive and correlational design. Its population was 36 students and the sample was the same number of students that gave us the opportunity to apply a census. The techniques used

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were the survey, documentary analysis, expert judgment, and pilot application. Also we used as instruments a Likert scale questionnaire, score register of students grades, and the expert opinion tab among others.

Finally, after the analysis and interpretation of the results and the corresponding hypothesis test we found out that attitudes towards English language learning are significantly related to academic performance in the students of the First Cycle of the Program of English for Graduate Students at the Language Center of the National University of Education Enrique Guzman y Valle, Lima, 2012 with a significance level of 0.05.

PART I:

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THEORETICAL ASPECTS

CHAPTER I: THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK

"What life means to us is determined not so much by what life brings to us as by the attitude we bring to life; not so much by what happens to us as by our reaction to what happens." Reverend Lewis L. Dunnington In order to succeed, we must first believe that we can. Kazantzakis

1.1.

BACKGROUND TO THE PROBLEM 12

1.1.1. International background Saracalolu (2000) has made a study entitled The relation between students attitudes toward foreign language and foreign language achievement, arriving at the following conclusions: Students achievement was analyzed in relation to school type, medium of instruction, parents education, second foreign language and being abroad, the result indicates that there is no any relation between all these variables and achievement, but statistically significant relation with gender. This means female students have more positive attitude than male students toward foreign language. Students who have negative attitude are not successful in their school grades. As a result, the findings revealed that in the eastern part of Turkiye (K.Mara-Afin-Elbistan towns), among last year high school students, there is a high relationship between attitude and achievement. Various studies have found that motivation and therefore attitude are very strongly related to achievement in language learning. Furthermore, Haitema (2002) & Saracalolu (2000) in their studies reveal that there is a positive relationship between affective characteristics and foreign language achievement. In her study, Saracalolu refers to the students attitudes that they differ according to the type of high school that is Anatolian High School and private high school showed high positive attitudes towards foreign language. This result contrasts with al (1995:7) whose study was carried out on university freshmen. She asserts that both SHS, AHS, PS graduates showed negative attitude towards foreign language at the university level. (qtd. in Haitema 2002 & Saracaloglu 2000:41) Siregar, F. (2010) in his paper entitled The Language Attitudes of Students of English Literature and D3 English at Maranatha Christian University toward American English, British English and Englishes in Southeast Asia, and their various contexts of use in Indonesia, arrived at the following conclusions:

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The first hypothesis of this study is validated. Maranatha Christian University students show more positive attitudes both toward American English and British English than toward other Englishes. The findings of the study seems to support Friedrichs (2000) statement that, in an Expanding Circle country, where the political and social consequences of speaking a certain variety are less an issue than in the Outer or Inner Circles. In other words, knowing English might be the primary purpose of the participants and knowing a particular variety of new Englishes is not yet their concern. Therefore, although some studies have shown that most non-native speakers English must be aware and know nonnative Englishes since they might have more contact with the speakers more than with English native speakers, the current participants have not felt the need to. This might be caused by the lack of teachers participation in building the students awareness that English as an international language belongs to all of its users and not exclusively to speakers of the inner circle (Mckay, 2002, p.127).The low positive attitude of the present participants toward the new varieties of English in Southeast Asia suggests that English language teaching (ELT) in Indonesia, especially in Maranatha Christian University, should emphasize awareness of Englishes in order to help learners to develop their communicative competence, in particular sociolinguistic competence (Bachman, 1990, p.94) and intercultural competence which both are sensitive to different varieties of English and contexts in which they will use English (Berns 2006, p.726). Regarding the correlation between the Englishes, the findings are not similar to what has been hypothesized. It can be seen that the correlation are found only in some of the Englishes. ME is found to correlate with BE, SE, and PE in a moderate to strong fashion indicating the higher participants attitude toward ME is, the higher his or her attitude toward BE is. However, BE and AE not correlating to each other indicates the students who highly favor AE do not always highly favor BE and vice versa. AE is also found not to correlate with other Englishes, which suggests the participants attitude toward AE cannot determine their attitude toward other Englishes included in this study. The findings support Kachrus (1992) statement that new varieties of English might have to go through a number of phases to be accepted and, in some cases, this may take many years. Furthermore, since language attitude studies significantly

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contribute to an understanding of sociolinguistic phenomenon and language learners feelings, stereotypes, expectations and prejudices of the target language, researchers in the Expanding Circle especially, in Indonesia need to examine learners' and users' attitudes toward new varieties of Englishes (all the authors mentioned above are qtd. in Siregar 2010, pp. 86-87). Verma, M. (2005) in her study entitled Learners Attitude and its Impact on Language Learning, arrived at the following conclusions: The social scenario in Uttar Pradesh has changed from Banish English to Welcome English. A few years back the U.P. state government was trying to implement only Hindi in all offices and public places in place of English. It did not succeed. Now with the invent of multinational companies and the young professional getting a number of jobs with them need to know not only workable English but good presentational and communication skills too. Therefore, English has become a welcome phenomenon all around. Blooming tourism industry, MNCs, BPOs, NGOs, missionaries and native speakers of English in India are demanding its youth to be proficient in English and the young people of India are aware of the usefulness of the target language. Parental encouragement and communication with teachers in schools providing English speaking environment and communication with the English speaking peer group are some of the external factors at the school level which motivate students learn English at faster pace. At college two factors come up as most important i) to pass an examination ii) to get a job. A very less percentage of students are indifferent to learning English at the college level. In spite of their desire to learn, they are not seen putting effort to learn. They are fearful of making mistakes. The grammar-translation method at school level and the teachers pressure on making correct structures are responsible for their inhibition. Their anxiety level is high whenever they are asked to read, write or speak English. This results in slow learning or in no learning. Students are seen leaving courses due to lack of proficiency in English, although their number is less than 1%. Future of English in India is bright as we have got students who are aware of the usefulness of the target language. U.P. State board schools require a reorientation of its curriculum to make it practically

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useful for students and provide a strong base in English Language proficiency by the time they join any professional course. Grammar-translation method makes the students in the class passive learners as the class remains teachercentered. Most of the time the teacher speaks in the class. Whether he/she speaks with the students remains doubtful. In spite of the grammar-translation method the U.P. state board schools must adopt task-based and communicative curriculum and humanistic approach to teach English. Communicative competence should be given priority over grammatical competence. Ghazali, S. (2008) in her paper entitled Learners Background and their Attitudes towards Studying Literature, arrived at the following conclusions: Not much can be done to change students background such as their families socio-economic status or the languages spoken at home. However, certain measures can be taken to complement students background and improve their attitudes towards English and literature. A way to motivate students to read literature is through better text selection. The most important criterion in text selection is probably students interest. This does not mean that the texts have to be about teenagers issues only. Students response suggests that they would like to read about adventure, mysteries and life experience. As the students come from different background, interest and abilities, the best option is to choose texts which vary in terms of genres, topics and language level. Matching readers and text and giving students choice and access to interesting texts are crucial in improving students attitudes towards literature (Clark & Graves, 2008). Using a variety of attractive teaching strategies is another method to improve students attitudes. For students with a higher proficiency level, teachers can use activities where students get to practice their creative and critical thinking skills such as writing their own scripts, staging a drama or even creative writing. Teachers can encourage students to be more autonomous by using computers as well as the Internet and guiding them in activities like researching information on the authors background or the historical elements of the texts. Baltrain (2007) suggests

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using multitasking tasks in groups for large classes where students rotate tasks so that they can try a variety of activities and work at their own pace. Students with negative attitudes share similarities especially concerning their limited exposure to English. Most of these students do not have parents or siblings who speak English and are exposed to English mainly through television and academic reading. For them, school is probably the only place they get to practice using English. Therefore, teachers might want to avoid using too much translation and instead use short, simple sentences or visuals such as charts and diagrams to assist students comprehension of texts. As most of these students are boys, teachers can spend less time on reading comprehension exercises and conduct task-based or out-door activities as suggested by a few of the students. Teachers can ask students to do group work, drama, participate in debates, draw posters, mime or even use songs as part of their literature lessons. Malaysian students, especially those in remote or rural areas do not see the need to use English in their life, hence their lack of motivation and proficiency in the language (Jamali Ismail & HaslizaArif, 2002). As negative attitudes correlate with students low proficiency in English, teachers and school administrators need to address this issue and find ways to make students aware that English is beneficial to them. Schools can employ various approaches to increase students proficiency such as through extra classes/tuition, organizing motivational talks by speakers from similar backgrounds and getting support from the corporate sector. They can also boost students exposure to English by using the Internet and stocking their libraries with attractive reading materials to inculcate the reading habit among students (all the authors mentioned above are qtd. in Ghazali 2008, pp. 14-15). Lafaye & Tsuda (2002) in their paper entitled Attitudes towards English Language Learning in Higher Education in Japan, and the Place of English in Japanese Society in Tokai Gakuen University, arrived at the following conclusions:

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Language teaching in Japan is changing and is going to change further, both at high school and university level. The Government, curriculum developers, and of course teachers must come to see English education in a fundamentally different way. Students are showing us how. Following Takeshitas study of students attitudes in 1999, the results of the present paper offer a further small step forward toward a better understanding of Japanese student attitudes to English and English learning. Without any knowledge of these attitudes, institutions of learning will be unable to help their students to develop their language potential, and the government will not easily achieve its linguistic ambitions for its citizens. The results of the questionnaires show that the majority of the students think that English should be a required subject in secondary schools. Many students also think that it should be introduced to elementary schools. Although one third of the students agree with the idea that English should be an official language of Japan, a half of them are not quite sure. Many of them think that they are most likely to use it to communicate with native speakers. There are several such contradictions in the questionnaire results, the most pertinent one being that they say their interest in English is strong but are unhappy with their proficiency and do not like studying it. In addition to considering these questionnaire results, we followed up with current discussions about English as a required subject, its introduction to elementary school, and English as an official language. The discussions stress the importance of the role that English plays in the world, and voice concern that the Japanese people are generally not satisfied with the English teaching in Japan. English is a very useful tool which every individual can use in his or her own way, and much can be done by taking the attitudes and awareness of the learners of English into consideration. 1.1.2. National background Ninamango, P. (2009) in his thesis entitled Attitudes towards learning English in secondary state school students in Peru, 2008, arrived at the following conclusions:

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Attitudes towards learning English in secondary school students in our country are not homogeneous, nor in all cases reach similar levels of acceptance or rejection. The results show that students from the department of Arequipa are the ones who have better attitudes toward learning the English language and those who are last are the students from Loreto. In this sense we can conclude that a considerable number of the students from Arequipea are aware of the importance of learning English, whereas in the department of Loreto there is indifference towards learning the afore mentioned language. Regarding natural regions, Coast students have shown more favorable attitudes to learning English than the Highlands and Jungle ones. In the same sense, we notice that the students surveyed in urban areas have shown more favorable attitudes that those from the rural area. Referring to educational attainment variables and chronological age show no significant differences in attitudes toward learning English. Although the Ministry of Education, through the National Curriculum Design in secondary education, includes the curricular area of foreign language (English) from first to fifth grade. For men and women, the study revealed that women have more favorable attitudes than boys. In this case we infer that the lack of information on the importance of learning English and an adequate impulse that motivates appropriate teaching and learning in Basic Education in our country are the factors influencing this problem. The attitudes shown by students towards learning English language nationally we show that in this population there is no awareness of the importance of learning this so-called "universal language". We can also infer that within education policy developed by the Peruvian government there is not a real intention to improve learning this curriculum area in regular basic education. Therefore, the study is considered as the first national diagnosis in relation to attitudes towards learning English in secondary students in state schools in eight departments from Peru. The results presented here are

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considered of national scope, given that the study was developed according to the variables: natural region, place of residence, level of education, age and sex. Indeed, we present valid information for the advancement of knowledge regarding the differences in attitudes held by high school students in Peru, concerning the English language. This thesis is considered an important contribution to the implementation of educational policies and programs regarding the teaching and learning of English in Basic Education in our country (p. 98-99, own translation). Julca, Soriano & Chang (2011) in their thesis entitled Attitudes and their relationship with English language learning in students of Secondary Level at bilingual Quechua- Spanish School Nio Jess de Praga Atipayn, Huaraz, 2011 , arrived at the following conclusions: The research results show that there is a strong and significant relationship between attitudes and the learning of English in bilingual students of Secondary level at Quechua-Spanish State School Nio Jess de Praga" in Atipayn, Huaraz, as it is evidenced in the statistical conclusion. In making the correlation between the cognitive component of attitudes to learning English, it is shown that there is an average positive correlation, as seen on Table No. 03, which shows that this relationship is expressed by 33.50%. In making the correlation between the emotional component of attitudes to learning English, it is shown that there is a strong positive correlation, as seen on Table No. 04, which shows that this relationship is expressed by 47.50%. In making the correlation between the behavioral component of attitudes to learning English, it is shown that there is a moderate positive correlation, as seen on Table No. 05, which shows that this relationship is expressed by 42.00% (p. 128, own translation). Banda, Chumpitaz & Pumacayo (2008) in their thesis entitled Teachers attitudes and English language learning at the Second Specialization Program in English at the Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities at the National University of Education Enrique Guzmn y Valle, 2008, arrived at the following conclusions:

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Teachers show similar attitudes towards cognitive component of attitudes, and this latter keeps a relationship to the oral expression and comprehension of students at the Program of Second Specialty in Foreign Language- English, Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, National University of Education Enrique Guzmn y Valle. Generally speaking, teachers have positive attitudes towards the affective component, which relates to reading comprehension of students at the Program of Second Specialty in foreign languages, Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, National University of Education Enrique Guzmn y Valle. The component of action shows that there is a close relationship with text production of students at the Program of Second Specialty in foreign languages, Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, National University of Education Enrique Guzmn y Valle (p. 81, own translation).

1.2.

THEORETICAL BASES

Effective teachers create learning atmospheres which are cognitively and effectively; learning atmospheres which enable the learner to become a more adequate and knowledgeable person. (Pine and Boy 1977)

SUBCHAPTER I: ATTITUDES TOWARDS ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNING Learning a language is closely related to the attitudes towards the languages (Starks & Paltridge, 1996). Karahan (2007, p.84) avers that positive language attitudes let learners have positive orientation towards learning English. As such, attitudes may play a very crucial role in language learning as they would appear to influence students success or failure in their learning (qtd. in Tamini & Shuib 2009:33). 1.1. Conceptualization of attitudes

Allport (1935) defines an attitude as:

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A mental or neural state of readiness, organized through experience, exerting a directive or dynamic influence on the individuals response to all objects and situations to which it is related. A simpler definition of attitude is a mindset or a tendency to act in a particular way due to both an individuals experience and temperament.

Eveyik (1999: 21) defines an attitude as the state of readiness to respond to a situation and an inclination to behave in a consistent manner toward an object. Zimbardo (1999) says that an attitude can be defined as a positive or negative evaluation of people, objects, event, activities, ideas, or just about anything in your environment (Retrieved from http://es.scribd.com/doc/87605843/Attitude). Likert (1932, p.9), defines the term attitude as "an inference which is made on the basis of a complex of beliefs about the attitude object". Gardner (1980, p. 267) elaborates on Likert's definition by defining attitude as "the sum total of a man's instincts and feelings, prejudice or bias, preconceived notions, fears, threats, and convictions about any specified topic". Ajzan (1988, p.4) considers attitudes as a disposition to respond favorably or unfavorably to an object, person, institution, or event (qtd. in Tamini & Shuib 2009:33). Pealoza (2003) asserts that:
Attitudes reside in the deepest of the personality of each person. It is formed through formal and informal education to which every human being is exposed to throughout his/her life. Being thus the first years of childhood and adolescence crucial for attitudes to become rooted. We can then assert that attitudes are internal dynamism that leads people to act in one way or another with the various challenges that life presents. Attitudes are potentialities that regardless of skills and knowledge are as forces that promotes in human beings the acquisition of knowledge, or skills, or any other goal proposed; these deep personality traits that ensure success in life and at work, are the energy that drives the learning of knowledge, skills and other purposes (objectives) of education (p. 159, own translation).

The OTP (2010) says that:

Attitudes are considered as predispositions that the students have. They should be incorporated in the educational formation of the students; in

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some cases it will be necessary to strength them while in others they may need a restructuration. In the DCN these are incorporated throughout the five years that the Basic Regular Education lasts, due to the fact that the internalization of these takes timehowever it is possible to incorporate others apart from the ones that are already established if the situation requires it. It means if teachers encounter any specific problem they want to solve or at least minimize (p.16, own translation).

Lambert (1967) states that:

there are two types of attitudes; integrative and instrumental attitudes to language learning, an integrative attitude is a desire to know and become friendly with speakers of a language, an instrumental one is a desire to better oneself materially by means of the language; he adds that, An integrative attitude is more likely to lead to success than an instrumental one. Brown (1994:168) gives an example of Canadians positive attitude toward French to understand them, and to empathize with them will lead to high integrative motivation to learn French.

Then, we can say tentatively that there are many stimulants lead to positive or negative attitudes of an individual; therefore language learning is very much interplay of personalities one should not tend to forget that pupils are human beings with likes, dislikes, and moods. In all, attitudes have an evaluative aspect, a disposition and tendency to react positively or negatively to something. It is, the way someone thinks or behaves. However, attitudes are not static and can be changed by identifying the sources of negative attitudes and correcting them (Siti 2008:2). In the opinion of the author of this thesis, an attitude is any characteristic of the way a person shows a reaction to any type of stimulus, i.e., when we like or we are in agreement with something or someone (objects, people, events, ideas, etc.), our attitude is positive and when we dislike or we are in disagreement about those things mentioned before our attitude is negative. That is why one of the main characteristics of attitudes is dichotomous or bipolar. Besides that, it is closely related to previous experiences and beliefs, because people are going to judge things and react according to their past experiences and beliefs that they have acquired from their immediate surroundings.

1.2.

Characteristics of Attitudes

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a) Favorability: This is how much we like or dislike an attitude object. b) Attitude accessibility: This is an attitude that can be easily and readily retrieved from memory (e.g. recalling a movie you watched last night or an event such as your first date, first trip to overseas, your first car etc. etc.). c) Attitude Confidence or Strength: These are attitudes that are very strong and we have a great deal of confidence in it or we dont have confidence in it. d) Persistence or Endurance: Some attitudes, particularly the strong ones might last for a long time, and vice versa. e) Resistance: This is the case of how easy to change our attitudes (when we are not brand loyal or do not know much about the offering) (retrieved 2/8/12 from http://www. cob. unt.edu/mktg/faculty/blankson/Attitude%20formation%20and%20change%20%20TRA % 20and%20other%20frameworks.pdf).

1.3.

Components of Attitudes
Wenden, (1991) states that:
The term attitude includes three components namely, cognitive, affective and behavioral. A cognitive component is made up of the beliefs and ideas or opinions about the object of the attitude. The affective one refers to the feeling and emotions that one has towards an object, 'likes' or 'dislikes', 'with' or 'against'. Finally, the behavioral component refers to one's consisting actions or behavioral intentions towards the object (qtd. in Tamimi &Shuib 2009:33). Attitudes are also considered as judgments. They develop on the ABC model (affect, behavior, and cognition).The affective response is an emotional response that expresses an individual's degree of preference for an entity. The behavioral intention is a verbal indication or typical behavioral tendency of an individual. The cognitive response is a cognitive evaluation of the entity that constitutes an individual's

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beliefs about the object. Most attitudes are the result of either direct experience or observational learning from the environment. Besides, Attitudes help us define how we see situations, as well as define how we behave toward the situation or object. As illustrated in the tricomponent model, attitudes include feelings, thoughts, and actions. Attitudes may simply be an enduring evaluation of a person or object (e.g., I like John best of my coworkers), or other emotional reactions to objects and to people (e.g., I dislike bossy people or Jane makes me angry). Attitudes also provide us with internal cognitions or beliefs and thoughts about people and objects (e.g., Jane should work harder or Sam does not like working in this department). Attitudes cause us to behave in a particular way toward an object or person (e.g., I write clearly in patients charts because it upsets me when I cant read someone elses handwriting). Although the feeling and belief components of attitudes are internal to a person, we can view a persons attitude from his or her resulting behavior (Borkowsky, 2005:44).

Typically, when we refer to a persons attitudes, we are trying to explain his or her behavior. Attitudes are a complex combination of things we tend to call personality, beliefs, values, behaviors, and motivations. As an example, we understand when someone says, She has a positive attitude toward work versus She has a poor work attitude. When we speak of someones attitude, we are referring to the persons emotions and behaviors. A persons attitude toward preventive medicine encompasses his or her point of view about the topic (e.g., thought); how he or she feels about this topic (e.g., emotion), as well as the actions (e.g., behaviors) he or she engages in as a result of attitude to preventing health problems. This is the tri-component model of attitudes. So, an attitude includes three components: an affect (a feeling), cognition (a thought or belief), and behavior (an action). From a different angle, McGuire (1969:157), cited in Oscamp, (1977:10) suggests that it is possible that the three components are so closely interrelated, that theorists who insist on distinguishing them should bear the burden of providing that the distinction is worthwhile. This made Van Els (1984:116) to suggest that it does not really matter whether all or only one of the three components are measured; the relationship between the components is so close that sufficient information on an attitude can be obtained by measuring only one component, no matter which (retrieved 11/31/12 from http://essaybank.degree-essays.com/english-language/learning-the-englishlanguage.php).

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Due to the purpose of this work, we are going to study three components of attitudes. The first component will be the cognitive one, then the affective component and finally the behavioral one. 1.3.1. Cognitive component of attitudes The cognitive component of attitude is the final component; the belief that has led to the underlying reason for the emotion towards the object or event. The person who fears Christmas, for example, may believe that this time of year causes too much stress for anyone to handle (retrieved 2/9/12 from http://www.blurtit.com/q3965996.html). The cognitive component of attitudes refers to the beliefs, judgments, or thoughts associated with an attitude object. When a person's opinion about something is based primarily on the beliefs or facts they have. These kinds of attitudes allow people to classify an attitudinal object by its pluses and minuses. By doing this, it is easier to decide whether or not a person likes and wants to have anything to do with an object, idea, or person. Such attitudes rely on logic since a person effectively weighs the good and bad before drawing conclusions. Some examples of the cognitive component of attitudes towards English language are listed below: Thinking that learning English is a priority because it is a widely

spoken language that is invading more day to day at underdeveloped countries, and maybe it would become a mandatory second language in state schools in order to be to the beat of globalization as the majority of people tend to categorize this foreign dominant language nowadays. Some adolescents attitudes of categorizing almost everything

which is foreign as the best option, including singers, especially the

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ones who sing in English because the way they sing seems to be the best, the way they dress, how they look like, how they behave, etc, that made teenagers sometimes imitate them.

Some ELT teachers consider that it is not appropriate to sell the

students the idea that English is the best option in their lives, in contrast they suggest that ELT teachers should promote cultural identity in order to avoid cultural alienation.

A. What is knowledge? According to Websters New World College Dictionary (1996,p.748), knowledge is acquaintance with facts; range of information, awareness, or understandingAll that has been perceived or grasped by the mind; learning; enlightenmentThe body of facts, principles, accumulated by mankind. Also, we can see the definition of the word knowledge as a (1) : the fact or condition of knowing something with familiarity gained through experience or association (2) : acquaintance with or understanding of a science, art, or technique. b (1) : the fact or condition of being aware of something (2) : the range of one's information or understanding (retrieved 8/12/12 from http:// www. merriam-webster.com/dictionary/knowledge?show=0&t=1357091772). a) Knowledge of the wide spread of English Regarding English as a global language, Crystal (2003) states, the more a community is linguistically mixed, the less it can rely on individuals to ensure communication between different groups. (p. 11) Taking into account the usefulness of English as a global language

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above mentioned, Crystal also makes an observation about the assumption of the utility of English in the educational field. English is the medium of a great deal of the worlds knowledge, especially in such areas as science and technology. And access to knowledge of the business of education. When we investigate why so many nations have in recent years made English an official language in schools, one of the most important reasons is always educational in the broadest sense. Even though not everyone has viewed the arrival of the language in such a positive light, the dominant view is certainly that a person is more likely to be in touch with the latest thinking and research in a subject by learning English than by learning any other language. (p. 110-11) But also he mentions some reasons why certain languages become global; most often, a language is accepted from outside the community, such as English or French, because of the political, economic, or religious influence of a foreign power. (p. 11)without a strong power base, of whatever kind, no language can make progress as an international medium of communication. (p. 7) Following Crystal, Phillipson posits,
The spread of English has not been left to chance, and language pedagogy has played a part in this processELT is however an international activity with political economic, military, and cultural implications and ramifications. So that, the political role of English (of a national or international type) must be defined, especially for ESL/EFL countries of the Third World, many of which are too small, or too poor, or both, to develop a national language of their own. Arguments in favor of expanding the use of English that are based on economic and technological advantage or alleged necessity must be weighed against concern about educational and social inequality deriving from a continued use of English in official functions. (1997, p. 8-11)

In contrast, the Peruvian Ministry of Education, in the National Curriculum (2009), posits the following regarding the English area,

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English is one of the most widespread languages internationally and, as it is the case, it becomes a useful tool in the overall education of students. In this sense, the English area is aimed at achieving communicative competence in a foreign language (English), which will allow the students to acquire the latest information and recent scientific and technological advances, whether digital or printed in English as well as access to new technologies of information and communication to expand their cultural horizons (2009, p. 359, own translation).

b)

Knowledge of the importance of English as an international language Many students of English assert that this is the dominant International Language and is one of the most popular and most spoken in the technology and science world.
We need to know English language in order to study any science subject or any computer language. We need to know English to communicate effectively too many developed countries. English is very much important in our life...it is necessary in each and every field. If we know English we never feel tongue tide in front of others. It's a widely spoken language. People take pride in speaking English .if we don't know English, we will be behind the other. English is a need of hour. Today we cannot deny the importance of English in our life. To anyone who lives in an English speaking country, it is of vital importance. Language is always very important, because it is the means of communication. If you cannot speak the language of a place, it will be very difficult to communicate with the people. And so it is an absolute necessity. Communication is a tool for everyday lifeEveryone uses it every day. English is the most widely spoken language in the world, and if you know how to speak it, it will be an invaluable tool of communication. You can develop your knowledge for betterment of your knowledge. As long as you educate yourself, you will come across many new things. There is no end for learning (retrieved 12/1/12 from http://wiki. answers. com/Q/ Importance_of_English_in_today's_life).

B. What are beliefs? The whole educational process is deeply influenced by beliefs and attitudes. All those members of the teachers and learners role sets have beliefs and attitudes which influence the teaching/learning process (Wright, 1997, p. 10). Moreover, beliefs tend to be culturally bound, to be formed early in life and to be resistant to change. Beliefs about teaching, for example, appear to be well established by the time a student gets to 29

college (Weinstein 1989). They are closely related to what we think we know but provide an affective filter which screens, redefines, distorts, or reshapes subsequent thinking and information processing (Nespor, 1987). And because they are difficult to measure we usually have to infer peoples beliefs from the way in which they behave rather than from what they say they believe (Agyris and Schon, 1974) (Williams and Burden's, 1997, p. 56) Beliefs directly influence the goals we set and our motivation for achieving them. Analyzing your beliefs about academics and school can be useful in generating the motivation you need to be a successful student. Therefore the term belief is a product of the social experience that is usually shape up by the share knowledge and idea through the use of common sense to interpret the basic social facts in certain ethnic group. Beliefs are the ideas, viewpoints and attitudes of the particular group of society. They are consists of fables, proverbs, myths, folklore ,traditions, superstition, education and etc. that influence the ideas, values, emotions, perceptions and attitude of the members of the society (Retrieved 2/7/12 from http://savior.hubpages. com/ hub/beliefsinsocilog). c) There are three categories of beliefs Self-efficacy beliefs This is our perception about how good we are at a specific task. It is not the same as self-esteem, which is a more global concept. In general, its easier to maintain motivation for something we think were good at than for something we think were not good at. Enabling vs. self-sabotaging beliefs

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Enabling beliefs motivate us, while self-sabotaging beliefs do not. Students who practice enabling beliefs believe that their actions influence outcomes; students with self-sabotaging beliefs may feel their efforts will be fruitless Attributional beliefs Who or what do you attribute your successes and failures to? Yourself I made a good grade because I studied hard. The professor I didnt do well because the professor Other circumstances I only did well because I got lucky.

doesnt like me.

Its important to accurately analyze the reasons for your successes and failures, and to take ownership of those reasons. (Retrieved 02/ 07/12 from http://www.lifelearning.utexas.edu/handouts/motivation %20and%20your%20beliefs.pdf). d) Teachers beliefs The teachers style is inevitably going to be influenced by his beliefs and attitudes. These include: 1. 2. 3. Cultural and social beliefs and attitudes about how to Beliefs about the role of knowledge in teaching and Beliefs about the nature of learning One comprehensive review of the literature on teachers beliefs concluded that these has a greater influence than teachers knowledge on the way the planned their lessons, on the kinds of decisions they made and on their general classroom practice (Pajares, 1992). Beliefs were also found to be far more influential than knowledge in determining how individuals organize and define behave in social groups learning

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tasks and problems, and were better predictors of how teachers behaved in the classroom. Teachers beliefs about what learning is will affect everything that they do in the classroom, whether these beliefs are implicit or explicit. Even if a teacher acts spontaneously, or from habit without thinking about the action, such actions are nevertheless prompted by a deep-rooted belief that may never have been articulated and made explicit. Thus teachers deep-rooted beliefs about how languages are learned will pervade their classroom actions more than a particular methodology they are told to adopt or coursebook they follow, if the teacher-as-educator is one who is constantly reevaluating in the light of new knowledge his or her beliefs about language, or about how language is learned, or about education as a whole, then it is crucial that teachers first understand and articulate their own theoretical perspectives. e) Beliefs about learners Meighan, R. (1990) has suggested that there are at least seven different ways in which teachers can and do construe learners and that such construction reflect individual teachers views on the world and also have a profound influence on their classroom practice. Taking into account the purpose of this study we will mention just some of them: The notion of students as receptacles to be filled with knowledge. This is sometimes referred to as the jugs and mugs theory, the teachers is seen as a having a large jug of knowledge which is poured into the learners mugs. In the same line of though Freire (1970) describe this as the banking conception of education, where learners are like bank accounts into which deposits are regularly made and drawn upon later for specific purposes such as examinations. Thus, if language teachers view their learners

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as receptacles, with a specific amount of language aptitude which determines their capacity to absorb language, they will be likely to adopt methods which involve transmission of language items to their learners. The notion of learners as client places greater emphasis upon the identification of educational need and begins to alter the nature of the relationship between teachers and learners. Teaching English for specific purpose, the learners are likely to know what they want to learn and how much time and money they are prepared to invest. Interestingly, while this is a common way of working with fee-paying adults in language schools, it is nevertheless still rare to involve school children in deciding what they need to learn, or in evaluating how helpful they find their lessons to be. An alternative conception is that learners as partner. In Freires terms teachers should take on the role of students amongst students. The assumption here is not one of quality but one of a sharing relationship within which teachers recognize that they are also learners. The starting point for this kind of teacher is not one of Im in charge, but one of lets decide together how we can all benefit from our time together. The underlying notions are mutual trust and respect leading to growth and development for teachers and all their learners. Build up individuals beliefs in themselves; an important element in motivating learners is enhancing their self-image as language learners, and their beliefs in their own effectiveness at learning. Develop internal beliefs; these are feelings that one is the cause of ones own actions as well as in control of the

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outcome of ones actions. (Williams and Burden's, 1997, p. 142)

f)

Cultural beliefs about learning a second language

It is believed that it will influence the positive or negative motivation individuals have learning a language. If the culture values the activity then it is likely that there will be a positive motivation. This has been termed integrative motivation. If the society holds positive attitudes towards the L2 group, it is believed that integrative motivation will drive learners towards the acquisition of the language, regardless of the possible loss of cultural identity this might cause. The studies have concluded that instrumental factors such as fear of failure, desire to do well at school or future job requirements do not have the power to maintain the long-term effort of learning a foreign language of the integrative factors such as a low degree of ethnocentrism, a desire to be like others, and a love of other cultures and ways of life. g) The belief that English is useful, natural and neutral Regarding the assumed useful characteristic of English, Or observes: It is obvious that more frequently than not, the beneficiality of English does not necessarily apply to the needs of a larger number of potential and hypothetical users or learners of English, nor does it always indeed benefit most of these potential users of learners, despite which fact it is ubiquitously and many times unrealistic promotedit is evident that the ELT profession, one of the most visible efforts for the spread of English on the world, is big business in Britain and America,therefore it is my contention as well as we, as ELT professionals, cannot and should not carry on neglecting to discuss this issue of beneficiality, nor the usual

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undirectionality of this beneficialitybut it regards as well the context of the many more for whom, because of their actual needs and dire materials constraint, the spread of English has never spelled or will hardly ever spell benefit...the gateway to a a higher standard of living but, more blatantly, frustration, waste of time and distraction of funds. It is in the line of this latter argument that, along with Rogers (1992), I also question the beneficial effect of the spread of English for the millions of school students in the world who, more often than not, must study it as a compulsory subject, for non obvious reasons. (The spread of English and ELT, 2012, p. 4) English language students not only have to assume the idea of the usefulness of English that the dominant countries like USA pretends to sell them; also they have to do the same with the supposedly natural and neutral characteristics of this. Regarding these two latter characteristics Or adds, While most of the arguments may sound commonsensical to the extent they seem to reflect the contemporary role of English and the worlds present state of affairs, Phillipson (1992:6) has remarked that their implicit rationale does not take account of the forces 'economic, political, intellectual and social which have propelled English forward'Whatever the present state of affairs of the world, it is surely the consequence of both former historical experiences including conquests, colonization and worlds struggles for power and contemporary efforts made by a number of agencies at different levels towards the promotion and widespread of English (The spread of English and ELT, p.2-3). Central to the argument used to explain the neutrality of English has also been the concept of English as a tool for international communication whose use carries no political, economic or culture-specific connotation. This sense of neutrality, which presents the languages disconnected from its original political

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and socioeconomic context; [is view from other perspective by] Phillipson (1997) and Pennycook (1994) [whose] contributions on the political and economic relevance of the issuewith the latter exploring tentatively on critical pedagogy stimulating woks in the area. There seems to be by now as well a more consistent concern for the relevance of culture in ELT rightly calling for new intercultural and intracultural approaches in ELT. (ibid. p.3-4) h) The belief of monolingual teaching of English Abdullah (2010) has developed a study about students language attitudes towards Arabic and English using code switching as a medium of instruction in Kuwait University. As a result of this study he states that, Findings of the present study clearly indicate students' strong preference toward a specific medium of instruction that is Arabic/English code switching. The results show that students' positive language attitudes towards code switching have been consistently supported through all the data. When comparing the students' language attitude towards using one language (either Arabic or English) in teaching to Arabic/English code switching teaching, the findings indicate a strong preference in using code switching than using one language as a medium of instruction. Although the majority of the students strongly agree that using one language is beneficial to them, they find it more desirable and believe that it makes the course easy to understand if code switching is utilized. In addition, the vast majority of the students dismissed any confusion that might result out of using code switching in teaching. It is of importance to note here that although students appreciate monolingual teaching to strengthen their linguistic competence in English, they perceive code switching as a means of strengthening their comprehension in the science subject, as indicated by one of the comments When [the] teacher teaches in English and explains in Arabic, [then] I can 36

understand very easily and this improves my language." Similar comments came from most of the participants regardless of the language of their background schooling (p. 14). As a large difference exists between language policy and students preference of medium of instruction, decision makers should revise their language policy in order to reach the desirable goal of learning, in which code switching could be included in the planning of syllabi. Also educators and teachers of science subjects at colleges where English is used as a foreign language might want to consider the students' language preferences and attitudes toward medium of instruction. Teachers should be encouraged to make adequate use of code switching in classrooms when explaining concepts to students so that the students will be able to actively participate in classroom lessons. For doing well at the previous mentioned ideas, researchers can help identify the correct level of utilizing code switching as a language of instruction to promote the discussion of newly raised issues related to the effective teaching language, which will eventually contribute to facilitating the advancement of classroom teaching and learning (ibid.:17). C. What is an opinion? A belief or conclusion held with confidence but not substantiated by positive knowledge or proof: "The world is not run by thought, nor by imagination, but by opinion" (Elizabeth, D.) Retrieved from http://www.thefreedictionary.com/opinion04/07/12. We defined opinions as 'evaluative beliefs', that is, as beliefs that feature an evaluative concept. In many cases, this poses no problem. Any belief that presupposes a value, and that involves a judgment about somebody or something, is evaluative, such as 'X is good (bad, beautiful, ugly, honest, Intelligent)', on the values of a group or culture. Some judgments are evaluative only indirectly or in specific situations, for example when someone or something is

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believed to be small or large, light or heavy, and when such a factual belief itself presupposes, a value judgment (e.g. 'being a small X is bad').

a) The difference between fact and opinion A fact is something that has actually happened or that is empirically true and can be supported by evidence. An opinion is a belief; it is normally subjective, meaning that it can vary based on a person's perspective, emotions, or individual understanding of something. For example, biological differences between males and females are a fact, while a preference for one gender over the other is opinion. b) Subjective and Objective According to most definitions, something is a fact if it matches objective reality. For something to be objective, it must be outside of the mind and not be based on feelings or biases. This is the opposite of an opinion, which is what an individual thinks or feels about a subject (retrieved 30/11/12 from http://www.wisegeek. com/what-is-the-difference-between-fact-and-opinion.htm). 1.3.2. Affective Component of Attitudes It refers to the feelings, emotions, or drives associated with an attitude object. When people form an opinion of something based on emotions and values, rather than objective beliefs, they have created an affectively based attitude. For example, a boy might like a girl just because of the way she makes him feel. A girl might love her car because it runs smoothly, does not eat up a lot of gas, and has given her many good memories, people might form an affectively based attitude about snickers candy bars because the taste brings them pleasure. Attitudes about sex, politics, and religion (abortion) are likely to be affectively based since these topics often tug at a person's heart strings rather than stimulate the logical mind. But at the same time it 38

could be a result from conditioning (retrieved 6/17/12 from http:// forum. cyberhorse.com.au/forums/showthread.php?102798-STOP-LiveExports/page15). According to Saracalolu (2000) the attitude of an individual depends heavily upon different stimuli. Stern (1983) claims that the affective component contributes at least as much and often more to language learning than the cognitive skills, and this is supported by recent researches. All studies adduce that affective variables have significant influences on language success, (Skehan, 1989; Gardner, 1985; Spolsky, 1989). Discovering students attitude about language will help both teacher and student in the teaching learning process. Therefore we have to consider the crucial role of affective domain. The characteristics of affective domain are: interest, values and tendency and most of these shape our attitudes. Valuing, belief, interest and expectations are refers to affective characteristics. In the same work, Saracalolu (qtd. from Bloom 1973) points out that these affective characteristics have a great impact on learning as well. Alexander & Strain (1978) show that expectations and behaviors influence both students self-image, and academic performance. With reference to the work of Saracalolu (2000) the studies, related to students attitudes are generally restricted. All in all, the affective component of attitudes has to with emotions, interests, and others. Considering the purpose of this study we are going to develop the concepts of emotions and interests. A. Emotions Catherine & Ayiei-Dinn (2009) observe that bilingual speakers frequently report experiencing greater emotional resonance in their rst language compared to their second. While it is intuitive that being emotionally invested in a subject facilitates learning, both lay people and educators continue to equate learning with memorization and

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believe that if one is listening, material will enter the brain. In order to retire this view, lay people and scientists alike may need to see repeated demonstrations, in diverse domains, of how an emotional connection to material facilitates acquisition (retrieved 28/11/12 from http://www.bu.edu/psych/charris/ papers/ Emotion LyingNonNative.pdf). Emotions are things that merely happen to people rather than that people do voluntarily. a) Emotions in second language acquisition If emotion can be demonstrated to be an integral part of second language acquisition (SLA), this raises the question of whether limitations in SLA are due in part to the reduced emotional signicance of the typical SLA learning context. These ndings provide a rationale for bilingual educators to emphasize affective connections and social relevance in their curricula (Schank and Cleary, 1995; Vail, 1994). This bears upon the current educational climate, since educators are being pressured to emphasize preparation for test taking and quantiable achievement, rather than socially and emotionally relevant activities (ibid). b) Nonverbal Expressions and its relation to emotions Many times, people can see how we feel much more accurately than we can describe our emotions. Nonverbal expressions of feelings account for about 65 percent of all social meanings given to our communication messages. Nonverbal expressions include the way you dress, your posture, body tension, facial expressions, degree of eye contact, hand and body movements, tone of voice, the amount of physical space between you and the other person, variations of speech, and any kind of touch. All of these are matters to be considered in the

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communication process (retrieved 2/7/12 from http://www.ces. ncsu. edu/depts/fcs/pdfs/fcs2764.pdf). c) Classification of emotions Primary emotions Primary emotions are those that we feel first, as a first response to a situation. Thus, if we are threatened, we may feel fear. When we hear of a death, we may feel sadness. They are unthinking, instinctive responses that we have. We will typically see these in animals also, which confirms our suspicion that they have an evolutionary basis. Typical primary emotions include fear, anger, sadness and happiness (although it is worth noting that these can also be felt as secondary emotions). The problem sometimes with primary emotions is that they disappear as fast as they appear. Their replacement by secondary emotions complicates the situation, making it difficult to understand what is really going on. Secondary emotions Secondary emotions appear after primary emotions. They may be caused directly by them, for example where the fear of a threat turns to anger that fuels the body for a fight reaction. They may also come from more complex chains of thinking. Secondary emotions may be simple feelings or may be a mix as more emotions join the fray. Thus news of a wartime victory may start with feelings of joy, but then get tinged with sadness for the loss of life (retrieved 6/7/12 from http://changingminds.org/ explanations/ emotions/primary_secondary.htm). B. Interest Al-Tamimi & Shuib (2009) posit that:
The motivational construct namely, personal or developmental motivation, which refers to motivation relating to personal development or personal satisfaction, comes next in the subjects' views. This includes the students' interests in doing some activities such as watching movies and reading books in English

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(Cooper & Fishman, 1977). Such reasons for learning a language were clearly articulated by some of the informants. As a fifth year student said: I am very interested in reading English books, even those are not related to my field of study.and I feel happy when my friends praised me as talking like native speakers. This is why I should learn English (retrieved 26/09/12 from http://www. ukm.my/ppb l/Gema/p p%2 029_55.pdf).

Research studies suggest a connection between student interest and actual learning. Attention, concentration and feelings of surprise, excitement and enjoyment are all important indicators of student interest in learning (Raja, 2011, p.1-2). When childrens curiosity increases, they want to know more information to answer their uncertainties. Technology has been proven to spark an Many interest for many children, especially in the classroom.

schools have started thinking of ways to bring the benefits of technology into their classrooms (Sani, 2007, retrieved 18/08/12 from http://tnt.asu.edu/files/Smartboards_Newsletter_Aug.pdf). It is often challenging to get children engaged in learning due to short attention spans, lack of interest, or different learning styles. Some children are visual learners, while others learn auditorily or kinesthetically (ibid). a) Learners interests in learning on their own ways One of the basic premises is that each learner is different, and will bring to the learning process a unique set of personal attributes, preferred ways of learning and learning strategies. Learners will make sense of the learning situation and learning tasks in ways that are personal and unique to them. A teacher, therefore, cannot assume that all the learners will go about any particular task in the same way. Teachers, therefore, need to provide a variety of language learning activities which allow for different learning styles and individual preferences and personalities: some visual, some auditory, some involving movement, some interactive and some analytic. It is also important that teachers realize the need to help

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learners to shape their learning strategies in ways that are meaningful to them, to encourage them to find their own style, to identify their own strengths, and to develop their own selfknowledge (Williams & Burden, 1997, p. 205). 1.3.3. Behavioral Component of Attitudes

The behavioral aspect of attitude deals with the way one behaves and reacts in particular situations. In fact, the successful language learning enhances the learners to identify themselves with the native speakers of that language and acquire or adopt various aspects of behaviors which characterize the members of the target language community. Kara (2009) stated that,
Positive attitudes lead to the exhibition of positive behaviors toward courses of study, with participants absorbing themselves in courses and striving to learn more. Such students are also observed to be more eager to solve problems, to acquire the information and skills useful for daily life and to engage themselves emotionally.

Summing up, the behavioral component of attitudes refers to the primary motivational or behavioral consequences of attitudes. These attitudes come from observations of behavior toward something. Sometimes people do not know how to feel until they see how they behave. For example: Being reluctant to the invasion of foreign culture in many areas

of life, including business, finance and banking, science and technology that makes some people think that if you do not speak English you do not belong to this modern world. Learning English is not a priority for every country, region, city, or district because it seems to be that people who live in poverty do not have the necessity to learn English because first of all they are worried for covering some basic necessities like food, clothing, housing, incomes, etc.

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For the purpose of this study we are going to consider three main characteristics of the behavioral component of attitudes. They are behavior, participation, and responsibility. A. What is behavior? Behavior is a response of an individual or group to an action, environment, person, or stimulus (retrieved 08/19/12 from http:/ /www.businessdictionary.com / define ion/ behavior.html). Human behavior (and that of other organisms and mechanisms) can be common, unusual, acceptable, or unacceptable. Humans evaluate the acceptability of behavior using social norms and regulate behavior by means of social control (retrieved 08/19/12 from http://www.alterna pedia.net/wiki.pl?Behavior). Behavior is a person's action or reaction to some situation or stimulus. Behaviors are ingrained and operate out of the subconscious based on past experiences and belief systems (retrieved 09/12/12 fromhttp://suite101.com/article/what-is-behavior--a5576). We can define behavior as the reaction that a person has as a consequence of any type of stimulus that he or she is exposed to. For example, my behavior is different when I feel threatened than when I feel secure. There are two theories about behavior the first one is wellknown as the theory of reasoned action by Ajzen and Fishbein (1980) and the second one is the theory of planned behavior, put forward by Ajzen (1988). According to the first, the chief determinant of action is a person's intention to perform the particular behavior, which is a function of two basic factors, the 'attitude towards the behavior' and the 'subjective norm', the latter referring to the person's perception of the social pressures put on him/her to perform the behavior in question. According to the theory of planned behavior, people act in accordance with their intentions and perceptions of control over the behavior, while intentions in turn are 44

influenced by attitudes toward the behavior, subjective norms, and perceptions of behavioral control. The cognitive foundations of these factors are consistent with an expectancy-value formulation (retrieved 08/06/12 from http://cluteonline.com/journals/index.php/ IBER/article/viewFile/930/914). Adler, (18701937), emphasized that a persons attitude toward the environment had a significant influence on his or her behavior. He suggested that a persons thoughts, feelings, and behaviors were transactions with ones physical and social surroundings and that the direction of influence flowed both ways our attitudes are influenced by the social world and our social world is influenced by our attitudes. These interactions, however, may cause a conflict between a persons attitude and behavior. According to Drnyei (2008) the learning of a foreign language involves far more than simply learning skills, or a system of rules, or a grammar; it involves an alteration in self-image, the adoption of new social and cultural behaviors and ways of being, and therefore has a significant impact on the social nature of the learner (p. 68). Also, we can affirm that it is assumed that frequent performance of a behavior leads to the formation of a habit, and these habits can influence behavior independent of attitudes and intentions. a. Students participation Participating means being involved to some extent. Many people

participate in family life, in that they are parents, brothers, sister, sons, daughter, grandparents, etc. and in their role take an active part in activities that keep the family functioning. Outside the home there are many levels of participation, some people may do on their own, others may involve in working as a member of a group or

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organization. The same happens when you enroll in a classroom and you take place in the different activities done in it. Learning groups and learning activities It is not uncommon to find a teaching situation where for example: The learners remain constantly aware of their own state of ignorance before a teacher who possesses all relevant knowledge They are expected to speak or act only in response to Whatever they say or do is scrutinized in detail, with immediate stimuli or instructions from the teacher (or tape etc.) every shortcoming being made a focus for comment (Littlewood 1981:93, qtd. in Wright, 1997). In order to minimize situations like the ones described above there may have to be a radical change in the relationship between teacher and student. The activities cannot work unless there is a relaxed atmosphere. Rearranging the layout of the room will help, but you will also need to alter their idea, and possibly yours, of what the teacher is there for (Maley and Duff 1978:17, qtd. in Wright, 1997). The climate of the classroom The social climate of the classroom is, to a large extent, a result of a combination of the level and quality of the learners involvement. This shows itself both in single activities, but also in lesson and over longer periods of time as well. Learning groups develop and change over time; the longer the group is together, the more opportunity there is for change to take place (Wright, 1997, p. 107). Interpersonal relationships between the participants develop and change as the group develops. The types of task and activity the group is engage in will also affect these changes. An analysis of this process might profitable begin by asking:

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to what extend do the activities we employ in the classroom lead to the sharing of personal experiences and values among the learners and between teachers and learners? By increasing the amount and quality of learner involvement in our classrooms, we are challenging commonly held beliefs about the teaching and learning process, in particular, those regarding the roles of teachers and learners, the following have to occur if the teacher reduces the level of his own involvement: 1. Learners will have to take some leadership decisions. 2. Learners will have to take management decision relating both to the conduct of activities and the organization of their own learning. 3. Teachers and learners will have to cope with a new set of social relationships in the class. 4. Teacher will have to instruct less (ibid). b. What is responsibility? According to the Macmillan dictionary, responsibility is something you have to do as a duty or a job (2007:529). Responsibility when learning If we interpret dependence on teachers as a refusal to take responsibility, it is because, in our culture, responsibility is identified with autonomy. We see this again and again in the literature on autonomous learning, where the aim of inducing students to take responsibility for their learning is routinely stated. The goal, as Boud (1988a: 7) articulates it, is to enable students to become more autonomous in their learning; that is, assist students to learn more effectively without the constant presence or intervention of a teacherthe role of teachers is not just to transmit knowledge but also to help students take increasing responsibility for their own

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learning (retrieved 07/08/12 from http://independentlearning.org/IL A/ila03/ila03_chanock.pdf). Rogers (1983) writes:

The evaluation of ones own learning is one of the major means by which self-initiated learning becomes also responsible learning. It is when the individual has to take responsibility for deciding what criteria are important to him, what goals must be achieved, and the extent to which he has achieved those goals, that he truly learns to take responsibility for himself and his directions (p.158).

Responsible dependence on teachers However committed we may be to autonomous learning, we must recognize that there are countless things that students cannot readily discover for themselves, and that they are being responsible if they do not hesitate to ask someone who knows. In any new situation, it is responsible to depend upon others who know more than you do, so that you can learn how to operate in the new context (ibid). The following are some possible responsibilities attributed to learners when the teaching/learning process takes place:

engage actively in learning. be assessed as part of daily learning through a range of practical investigations, performances, oral

activities including dialogue and interactions with peers and teachers,

presentations and discussions. be assessed on written work and on products such as demonstrate their knowledge and understanding, skills, artwork, reports or projects. attributes and capabilities through a wide range of evidence including specific assessment tasks, activities, test and examinations.

shape and review their learning by reflection, setting

learning goals and next steps including through personal learning planning.

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review their own learning through self-assessment. collaborate in peer assessment. Taking into consideration that the educational field not only

involves learners, here are also listed some possible responsibilities which are attributed to teachers and other practitioners:

work

collaboratively

to

develop

approaches

to

monitoring, self-evaluation and improvement planning. engage regularly in collegiate working including by work with colleagues to develop a shared understanding participating in local and national networking activities. of standards and expectations through moderation activities which involve coherent planning, checking, sampling, reviewing and providing feedback for improvement.

ensure that assessment always supports learning and is

based on a wide range of evidence which is reliably judged against national standards and expectations and promotes progression, breadth and depth in learning.

plan, design and carry out assessment as an ongoing

part of learning and teaching and periodically use specific assessments, tests or examinations as appropriate.

involve learners fully in assessment and help them to develop learners' roles in moderation activities. evaluate evidence of learning to contribute to profiles and from http://www.educ ationscotland.gov.uk/learnin

understand what is expected

report on learners achievements and progress (retrieved 08/15/12 gteaching andassessment/assessment/about/partnership/rolesandrespons ibilities/learners.asp). 1.4. Factors influencing the development of attitudes

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As the term attitude can be defined from different perspectives; among them Brown (1994: 168) states that attitudes, like all aspects of the development of cognition and affect in human beings, develop early in childhood and are the result of parents and peers attitudes, contact with people who are different in any number of ways, and interacting affective factors in the human experience. Such as self-concept and attitudes towards language. 1.4.1. Students self-concept Williams and Burden (1997:06) state that:
An individuals self-concept will have considerable influence on the way in which he or she learns. If a person has a negative self-concept as a language learner, then it is likely that he or she will feel a sense of embarrassment at using the language and will avoid risk-taking situations or initiating conversations of the second language. If individuals feel positive about themselves, they are likely to set themselves more optimistic goals, to engage in situations which involve risks and to seek out opportunities to use the language. We have, however, pointed out the danger of an over-inflated or unrealistic self-concept.

In other words, positive self-concept is important for a good language learning process. It has to be something internally processed that eventually may have visible outcomes.

1.4.2.

Students Individual differences

Individual differences also play a significant role in learning a language. In second language learning contexts, factors like age, gender, language background, type of school attended, and peer influences are some of the variables that influence language acquisition and attitudes (Merisou-Strom, 2007). Gardners socio-educational model of language learning incorporates the learners cultural beliefs, their attitudes towards the learning situation, their integrativeness and their motivation (1985). Another aspect that needs to be considered is the socio-economic status; students who come from a higher socio-economic background generally have more reading materials at home compared to students who are

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from lower income families. From this, perhaps we can hypothesize that learners of a higher socio-economic status will also have positive attitudes towards studying literature compared to other students (Siti 2008:5). The location of schools might also have an impact on students attitudes towards literature. Students in urban areas tend to have a higher proficiency level of English compared to students studying in rural areas. For example, the majority of students in urban areas obtained distinctions while the majority in rural schools obtained credits and pass grades due to insufficient exposure to the language and the lack of practice. Lower proficiency levels, in turn, lead to frustration and lack of motivation among students, especially those from remote rural areas who cannot see the relevance of English in their daily lives (ibid). Other personal variables that may affect students attitudes are gender, ethnicity and class specializations such as science, arts or commerce. Science stream students, both at undergraduate and secondary levels have better attitudes towards reading in English and they also read a wider variety of reading materials compared to students from the Arts and Commerce streams. Referring to gender, Ellis (1994) finds that female students have better attitudes towards second language acquisition compared to male students. Female students are found to allocate more time and money in purchasing and getting access to reading materials in English and they will probably have better attitudes towards studying literature compared to male students (Siti 2008:5). Considering the last paragraph about gender influencing attitudes towards English Karahan (2007) adds,
Female students are found to have more positive attitudes than male students do. Statistically significant differences are found between female and male groups in terms of the foreign languages being beautiful, musical and as a language of culture but there is not any statistically significant difference between their attitudes in terms of its being important, rich and interesting (p. 80).

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And regarding the fact that age also plays an important role in having positives or negatives attitudes towards a language Karahan, F. (2007) posits that:
The students who started to learn English between the ages 0 and 6 find English more beautiful than the others who started to learn English when they were 7 and above. Regarding their overall attitudes, the former who started to learn English earlier have more positive attitudes than the latter who started to learn English later. The students who started to learn English at school consider English more interesting and rich than the students starting to learn English at pre-school. On the other hand, the students started to learn English at pre-school think English more beautiful, musical, important and as a language of culture. Moreover, overall evaluation of attitudes shows us that the students who started to learn English at preschool have slightly more positive attitudes towards English than the ones starting to learn English at school (Language attitudes of Turkish students towards the English language and its use in Turkish context, p. 80).

This study uses students attitudes towards second and foreign language learning as its conceptual framework. Attitudes related to the motives of studying a language can be divided into two main categories; integrative and instrumental motives. Gardner (as cited in Baker, 1993) suggests that integrative motives refer to situations where a person learns a second language in order to participate in the target language groups cultural activities. Instrumental motives refer to practical purposes of learning a language such as in order to get a better job or to pass examinations. In Perus case there are signs of a lack of consideration of the diverse needs and expectations that a multicultural and multilingual country as is Peru has, because if we consider the state school students of the rural areas, they may not need to learn English to the same extent as the ones in the urban areas, due to their situation which is considerably different (economically, academically, time, privileges, etc). Furthermore, even the urban learners of English may not achieve such communicative competence in English as the MED expects (students speaking English fluently), because not only time is the problem (two pedagogical hours per week) also is the huge amount of students per classroom (35-45 approximately). It means too little time for focusing appropriately on each student.

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So that, the MED should consider the whole of the Peruvian students' reality in more detail, in order to make learning any subject or language really useful for them, and not provoking their wasting of time, such is the case of the ones who do not consider English as necessary. Because if the educational system continues focusing only on urban areas where learning English may be seen as useful and necessary it could be considered as the attention or preference of only privileged groups who due to their greater possibilities (more money, more time availability, resources) will be the ones with even greater opportunities than rural area students, ending up in educative, economic and social inequality in the country.

1.4.3.

Characteristics of a good language learner Rubin (1975) & Naiman (1978) quoted by Ellis (1985) state that:
There have been a number of attempts to specify the qualities of the good language learner based on studies of personal and general learner factors. Below are the descriptions that a good language learner will:

Be able to respond to the group dynamics of the learning situation so as not to develop negative anxiety and inhibitions; Make maximum use of the opportunities afforded to practice listening to and responding to speech in the L2 addresses to him and to others--- this will involve attending to meaning rather that to form; Supplement the learning that derives from direct contact with speakers of the L2 with learning derived from the use of study techniques (such as making vocabulary lists)--- this likely to involve attention to form; Posses sufficient analytic skills to perceive, categorize, and store the linguistic features of the L2, and also to monitor errors; Possess a strong reason for learning the L2 (which may reflect an integrative or an instrumental motivation) and also develop a strong task motivation; Be prepared to experiment by taking risks, even if this makes the learner appear foolish; Be capable of adapting to different learning conditions. These characteristics are a mixed bunch. Some apply more to classroom learners than to naturalistic learners. Some characteristics are beyond the learners own control. The learner can, for instance, make a conscious decision to seek out opportunities to use the target language or to supplement natural learning by conscious study. Taken together, the list of good learning characteristics reflects the social, cognitive, and affective factors that have been seen to be important in SLA (Ellis, 1985).

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1.4.4. Attitudes and motivation Motivation refers to the driving force in any situation. In the socioeducational model, motivation to learn the second language is viewed as requiring three elements. First, the motivated individual expends effort to learn the language. That is, there is a persistent and consistent attempt to learn the material, by doing homework, by seeking out opportunities to learn more, by doing extra work, etc. Second, the motivated individual wants to achieve the goal. Such an individual will express the desire to succeed, and will strive to achieve success. Third, the motivated individual will enjoy the task of learning the language. Such an individual will say that it is fun, a challenge, and enjoyable, even though at times enthusiasm may be less than at other times. In the socio-educational model, all three elements, effort, desire, and positive affect, are seen as necessary to distinguish between individuals who are more motivated and those who are less motivated. Each element, by itself, is seen as insufficient to reflect motivation (Gardner, p.13). Furthermore, Deci and Ryan (1985) identify motivation as intrinsic or extrinsic. Students are intrinsically motivated when they are interested in learning tasks and outcomes for their own sake, and that results in internal feelings of self-determination and competence. On the other hand, students are extrinsically motivated if they carry out some actions to achieve some instrumental end, such as earning a reward or avoiding a punishment. Whatever motivates students, it seems clear that a positive attitude towards the target language and group is important (qtd. in Elyildirim & Ashton, 2006: 2-3). In the same line of thought Elyildirim & Ashton in their study with English language students who would become English teachers found that:
The students reasons for studying English revealed a wide array of attitudes and motivations, including the belief that teaching English was an easy, comfortable, and well-paid job, and that a teacher has more respect and advantages than persons with other jobs. Some students revealed that their parents had insisted on this choice of profession for them; another expressed not liking English or the teaching profession, even to the degree of disliking reading and

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writing, considering them an unnecessary waste of time. One student claimed to have no reason at all for choosing to become an English teacher, while several others admitted that they had chosen English teaching by default because they were not successful in mathematics or physics. Surprisingly, almost a third of the students exhibited negative attitudes towards learning English and entering the teaching profession. Other students demonstrated more positive attitudes by stating that they enjoyed learning about new people, cultures, and languages such as English. They believed that teaching was a sacred profession and that English was an important international language. Some students felt that their English language skills would give them the means to travel and communicate with others. Some female students stated that becoming a teacher was a suitable job, as teaching incorporated their love and nurturing of children. All of these attitudes exhibited a range of extrinsic and intrinsic motivations for learning English and becoming an English teacher, as well as some negative attitudes that could impede students progress and interfere with classroom harmony. (Creating Positive Attitudes towards English as a Foreign Language, 2006, p. 4)

An intervention strategy was devised to create more positive attitudes, reverse the substandard performances, and create a more learner-centered and motivated classroom. Some new teaching methods and activities were proposed to increase students motivation and were integrated into the syllabus. The following section discusses these strategies and activities and explains the rationale for choosing them. a) Interventions to increase student motivation and achievement The classes under discussion revealed several problems with English, particularly with the speaking skill, and also some poor attitudes and motivation, in spite of the fact that there were indications of instrumental and integrative motivation. The next step was to plan interventions based on some theoretical foundations to deal with the problems associated with the issues of course difficulty, poor attitudes, and a lack of motivation. b) Rigorous learning Strong, Silver, and Perini (2001) advocate rigorous learning, where the curriculum is developed through complexity, provocativeness, and emotional involvement. Rather than simplifying or dumbing down curriculum standards, teachers are encouraged to use complex texts, 55

themes, and ideas. Recent research indicates that students respond to the challenge of a rigorous curriculum, especially when it contains effective teaching techniques and a supportive classroom environment. Emphasis should be placed on content-based learning, reading strategies, comprehension questions, pronunciation, stress and intonation, and English grammar. Regular homework exercises set the expectations that students would come to class with their materials and would be prepared to discuss these exercises. c) Connectedness Anstey (2003) discusses connectedness as a necessary factor in literacy pedagogy, which is created by a supportive classroom atmosphere where students are motivated to participate and take some responsibility for their learning. To achieve this, efforts were made to introduce communicative activities around relevant topics. Students received praise for their contributions to class discussions, and a sense of humor added pleasure to learning and reduced tension. Limitations such as shyness or inability were desuggested by positive encouragement. As a result, students began to respond with more positive attitudes and a sense of anticipation toward their speaking lessons (qtd. in Elyildirim & Ashton, 2006 p. 6-8). Then, attitudes and motivation are complex social, cultural, and psychological factors that influence how a student approaches many situations in life, including second or foreign language learning. As experienced teachers know, students with positive attitudes usually progress more rapidly in second language learning. When students have a positive attitude, it acts as a motivational impetus to enable a greater effort to achieve the goal of learning the language (Elyildirim, S. & Ashton, S. 2006.10).

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Considering attitudes and motivations important role at educational field, Pealoza (2003) states that:
People might have knowledge, and be capable enough at work, but besides those aspects, he or she has also to consider some indispensables attitudes that are crucial such as self-esteem, selfconfidence, motivation towards goals achievement, determination and persistency, initiative, desire of information, look for interpersonal relations, respect toward others, and tolerance. These attitudes already mentioned should be also consider at educative institutions that train future citizens and workers. It is required then, a huge effort, and a huge change in the education so that students can finish their studies with real knowledge (no information learned by heart), with real competences (no people without the minimum competences for working, communicating, and coexist) and with the attitudes that ensure the success in life and at work (p. 164, own translation).

1.5.

Attitudes towards language learning The variable, attitudes towards the learning situation, involves attitudes

toward any aspect of the situation in which the language is learned. In the school context, these attitudes could be directed toward the teacher, the course in general, ones classmates, the course materials, extra-curricular activities associated with the course, etc... This is not meant to imply that the individual necessarily thinks everything about the class is ideal. If the language teacher is ineffective or non-responsive, etc., if the course is particularly dull or confused, etc., these factors will undoubtedly be reflected in the individuals attitudes toward the learning situation. In the model it is recognized that, in any situation, some individuals will express more positive attitudes than others, and it is these differences in attitudes toward the learning situation that are the focus of the model. Learning a language is closely related to the attitudes towards the languages. Richards and Schmidt (2002) define language attitudes as follows:
The attitude which speakers of different languages or language varieties have towards each others languages or to their own language. Expressions of positive or negative feelings towards a language may reflect impressions of linguistic difficulty or simplicity, ease or difficulty of learning, degree of importance, elegance, social status, etc. Attitudes towards a language may also show what people feel about the speakers of that language (p.286).

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Brown (2000) points out, attitudes are cognitive and affective; that is, they are related to thoughts as well as to feelings and emotions. Attitudes govern how one approaches learning, which in the case of language requires exposure to a different culture and also to the difficult task of mastering a second language. Attitudes begin developing early and are influenced by many things, including parents, peers, and interactions with people who have social and cultural differences. Therefore, attitudes form a part of ones perception of self, of others, and of the culture in which one is living (p.180). It is well known that negative attitudes towards the foreign language and group, which often comes from stereotypes and superficial contact with the target culture, can impede the learning of that language. Conversely, positive attitudes towards the foreign language and group increase language learning success. Brown (2000) describes several studies about the effects of attitude on language learning and concludes that positive attitudes towards the self, the native language group, and the target language group enhanced proficiency (181). When students with positive attitudes experience success, the attitudes are reinforced, whereas students with negative attitudes may fail to progress and become even more negative in their language learning attitudes. Because attitudes can be modified by experience, effective language teaching strategies can encourage students to be more positive towards the language they are learning (Elyildirim, S. & Ashton, S. 2006: 2-3). Chamber (1999) asserts that learning [process] occurs more easily, when the learner has a positive attitude towards the language and learning. Gardner and Lambert (1972) in their extensive studies give evidence that positive attitudes toward language enhance proficiency as well. Language attitude studies explore how people react to language interactions and how they evaluate others based on the language behavior they observe (ibid). Gardner (1985) states that:
attitudes are a component of motivation, which refers to the combination of effort plus desire to achieve the goal of learning plus favorable attitudes towards learning the language. He believes that motivation to learn a foreign language is determined by basic predispositions and personal characteristics such as the learners

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attitudes towards foreign people in general, and the target group and language in particular, motives for learning, and generalized attitudes (p. 10).

Most members of the language teaching profession realize that their students learning potential increases when attitudes are positive and motivation runs high. The research into the connection between positive attitudes and successfully learning a second language supports this simple observation, although it is important to understand that many variables are involved because we are dealing with complex social and psychological aspects of human behavior. For example, students ability to learn a second language can be influenced by their attitudes towards the target language, the target language speakers and their culture, the social value of learning the second language, and also the students attitudes towards themselves as members of their own culture (Ellis 1994). In addition, English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teachers should recognize that all students possess positive and negative attitudes in varying degrees, and that the negative ones can be changed by thoughtful instructional methods, such as using materials and activities that help students achieve an understanding and appreciation of the foreign culture (Brown 2000, p. 181). Ellis (2000) mentions that positive attitudes towards the L2 and its speakers can be expected to enhance learning while negative attitudes impede it. So, learner attitudes have an impact on the level of L2 proficiency achieved by individual learners who are themselves influenced by this success. Thus, learners with positive attitudes, who experience success, will have these attitudes reinforced. Similarly, learners negative attitudes may be strengthened by lack of success. 1.5.1. Students attitudes towards the target language Snmez (1994: 64) posits, Attitude is a product of all life experiences. Therefore attitude may not come out during school life. But it is the duty of school to help students develop positive attitude towards foreign language.

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Students attitudes towards the target language, its speakers and the learning context may all play some part in explaining their success in learning a language (Candlin & Mercer, 2001). Numerous research studies have been conducted on the role of attitude in second language acquisition, probably spurred by the knowledge that negative attitudes can change. Factors like better teaching strategies, classroom and social environment can drastically reduce negative attitudes (Choy, 2002). What is more, attitudes are often shaped by the social context, develop early in childhood and are the result of parents and peers attitudes (Brown, 2000 p.180) as well as contact with others from different cultures. Attitudes towards a language, such as whether a language is considered worth learning, often begin at home. Social context also determines provision and practice for second language learning at home. Families that have positive attitudes towards English for example, might provide reading materials and practice in an informal learning context. So that, students with positive attitudes will spend more effort to learn the language by using strategies such as asking questions, volunteering information and answering questions (Baker, 1993). Attitudes therefore affect the rate of development and the final proficiency achieved in the target language. Fortunately, attitudes do not remain static; they can be changed through the learning process such as by using appropriate materials and teaching techniques. Attitudes also improve as a result of language learning as learners who learn well will acquire positive attitudes (ibid). This means that attitudes are acquired and not inborn because human beings learn almost everything from their immediate surroundings like the family, the media, school, friends, culture, society and then they form their own attitudes and in some cases copy from someone else in order to know how to response towards new experiences that as creative human beings we experience every single day. These attitudes can be positive or negative depending on the factors influencing them. 1.6. Attitudes to be considered when teaching a foreign language

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1.6.1. Students attitudes towards text selection Picketts, (1978) quoted by Ellis (1985: 103) says that:
Learnersvary in their attitudes to teaching materials. In general, adult learners dislike having a course book imposed upon them in a rigid way. They prefer a variety of materials and the opportunity to use them in ways they choose for themselves. However, these entire studies dealt with the responses of teachers placed in a learning situation. Other learners may prove less critical than teacher- learners.

Siti, G., (2008) who made a research at Malaysian schools, states that:
Short stories are the most popular genre in the Literature in English Component. A total of 80% participants express positive attitudes towards reading short stories. They find short stories easiest to read as they are not lengthy and are less time consuming which enables them to do their homework and participate in co-curricular activities. Based on the interviews, students agree that the language is manageable while the plots are interesting and fast-paced, like watching a movie. Too (2006) also found that students were critical of slow-paced and boring texts and instead preferred texts with familiar settings and language that they could relate to. Students express negative attitudes towards reading poems and novels. Almost 70% of the students find poems demanding, followed by novels, with a total of 62%. Poems are considered challenging as every word has its underlying meaning, the language is deemed difficult, especially in archaic poems like Sonnet 18. The themes for both genres are seen as dull, while the novels are described as lengthy with confusing plots and characters. Sidhu (2003) also found that students were dissatisfied with the texts due to the mismatch in language levels and interests. 84.6% of the respondents feel that they could not understand the texts due to their lack of proficiency in English. 70.9% students strongly agree that although they can understand the literal meaning of a text, they do not seem to have the critical thinking skills to analyze and interpret the texts or identify their messages and themes. The number of students who favour texts written by Malaysian and foreign authors is equal. Students who prefer non-Malaysian texts say their plots are better, more interesting, less predictable and refreshingly weird while Malaysian texts are also attractive as they are easier to comprehend, more familiar and help students to learn more about their own culture and roots. Data from the interviews suggests that regardless of gender, students favourite text types are mysteries (27%) as they are full of suspense, followed by adventure stories (16.3%), love stories, science fiction, comedy and horror. However, only female students suggest the theme love as they think it suits their age and can prevent them from getting involved in the negative aspects of love (p. 9).

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Being aware that learners have preferred types of readings or topics depending on their age, culture, interest, expectations, and more, it is important to consider teachers role for grading any kind of resource that is going be used in class, i.e. ELT teachers have to consider the students culture on one the hand, as well as the development of the cognitive factor on the other, so that it would be a great idea to choose the appropriate textbooks or types of reading, or topics going from the easier ones to the more challenging ones, because if teachers only use readings which are easy to understand; then at some point the students will get bored due to the fact that they do not find challenging enough the activities to do in class. 1.6.2. Students attitudes towards teaching methods Siti (2008) in her paper titled Learner Background and their Attitudes towards Studying Literature found the following results regarding the students attitudes towards teaching methods. The preferred teaching strategies among students are providing background information (96.2%), using a variety of activities (95.4%) and working in groups (91.8%). Unexpectedly, students show a preference towards voicing their opinions and personal reactions during literature class with a total of 90.9% respondents agreeing to this idea. Teachers explanation is ranked as the fifth most important teaching strategy. A total of 85.5% respondents would like to have audio-visual support in learning literature. Interestingly, quite a large number of students (70%) think it is acceptable for the teacher to use Malay [language] while teaching literature. On the other hand, half of the students express negative attitudes towards current teaching practices employed by their teachers which are described as dull and considered inadequate in preparing them for their examination. Based on the interviews, the classes seem to have a similar sequence of activities. For weaker classes, the teacher will read aloud and sometimes ask students to take turns to read, followed by teacher explanation and note taking. This could be due to teachers lack of training on how to teach literature. A study conducted by Ganakumaran Subramaniam (2003) found

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that 48% of teachers surveyed agreed that they require more knowledge about literature teaching methodology. Interestingly, the interviews reveal that students from the rural school have better attitudes towards teaching strategies utilized by their teachers compared to their urban counterparts. Their teachers exploit various techniques ranging from using the overhead projector, showing diagrams and charts about plot and characters to working in groups. They also write dialogues and perform them in front of the class, which helps them understand and remember the texts better. These students also admit that their notes are mostly in visual forms, probably due to their lower level of proficiency. In the town school, teacher explanation and doing exercises seem to be the norm while for lower proficiency students the teacher sometimes would translate the poems word-by-word. Students suggest using drama, watching videos, providing detailed explanations, using computers and the Internet to make lessons more interesting (p. 9-10). Admittedly, not much can be done to change students background such as their families socio-economic status or the languages spoken at home. However, certain measures can be taken to complement students background and improve their attitudes towards English and literature (ibid.:14). A way to motivate students to read literature is through better text selection. The most important criterion in text selection is probably students interest. This does not mean that the texts have to be about teenagers issues only. Students response suggests that they would like to read about adventure, mysteries and life experience. As the students come from different background, interest and abilities, the best option is to choose texts which vary in terms of genres, topics and language level. Matching readers and text and giving students choice and access to interesting texts are crucial in improving students attitudes towards literature (Clark & Graves, 2008).

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Using a variety of attractive teaching strategies is another method to improve students attitudes. For students with a higher proficiency level, teachers can use activities where students get to practice their creative and critical thinking skills such as writing their own scripts, staging a drama or even creative writing. Teachers can encourage students to be more autonomous by using computers as well as the Internet and guiding them in activities like researching information on the authors background or the historical elements of the texts. Baltrain (2007) suggests using multitasking tasks in groups for large classes where students rotate tasks so that they can try a variety of activities and work at their own pace. Students with negative attitudes share similarities especially concerning their limited exposure to English. Most of these students do not have parents or siblings who speak English and are exposed to English mainly through television and academic reading. For them, school is probably the only place they get to practice using English. Therefore, teachers might want to avoid using too much translation and instead use short, simple sentences or visuals such as charts and diagrams to assist students comprehension of texts. As most of these students are boys, teachers can spend less time on reading comprehension exercises and conduct task-based or out-door activities as suggested by a few of the students. Teachers can ask students to do group work, drama, participate in debates, draw posters, mime or even use songs as part of their literature lessons. Malaysian students, especially those in remote or rural areas do not see the need to use English in their life, hence their lack of motivation and proficiency in the language (Jamali & Hasliza, 2002). As negative attitudes correlate with students low proficiency in English, teachers and school administrators need to address this issue and find ways to make students aware that English is beneficial to them. Schools can employ various approaches to increase students proficiency such as through extra classes/tuition, organizing motivational talks by speakers from similar backgrounds and getting support from the corporate sector. They can also boost students exposure to English by using the Internet and stocking their

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libraries with attractive reading materials to inculcate the reading habit among students (ibid.: 15). 1.6.3. Attitudes towards Teachers roles

Ellis, (1985) mentions that:

Students will inevitable have very different views about the kind of teacher they think are best for them. Some prefer a teacher who creates space for them to pursue their own learning paths. Others prefer a teacher who structures the learning tasks much more tightly. In general the diarists seem to prefer the former.

Picketts, (1978) quoted by Ellis (1985: 103) says that:

Successful language learning reveals greater diversity in attitudes toward the role of the teacher. Some learners wanted the teacher to act as informant, but others praised teachers who were logical, clear and systematic. The main generalization to emerge from Picketts study is that learners need to feel sympathy for their teacher, and also want him or her to be predictable.

Pealoza (2003) mentions that:

The determination of promoting positive attitudes in students is extremely difficult. In our view there are two possible ways of doing this: first, the action and the example of teachers, and secondly, students being aware of taking their decisions correctly, when students are trying to do their best, what teachers do is really important. From the self-esteem that the teachers have encouraged in the students, these latter will consider the teachers as a paradigm to follow. And the teacher should behave considering students expectations (p. 165, own translation).

Dykstras characterization of the teacher role is,

near automatons who stand up, call roll, talk a lot, give cues, ask simple content questions, check for comprehension, check for recall, keep records, discipline students, bestow grades and generally carry on with clerical tasks far below that their own level of ability might be (1978, p.49).

Regarding the close relationship between the teacher and the learner roles Cortis (1977) illustrates this interdependence by the quotation which follows.
in general it might be said that teachers would be expected as a minimum part of their role to have adequate knowledge of their subject matter, to know something of how children learn and develop and to

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be able to devise appropriate learning/teaching experiences in the light of these two considerations. Pupils would be expected as a minimum part of their role to be interested in being learners, to develop the skills of listening to a teachers exposition of a topic and to acquire the skills of reading about and understanding subject matter as well as developing some skill with numbers (p.20).

On the other hand Littlewood (1981) notes that the concept of the teacher as instructor is inadequate to describe his overall function. In a broad sense, he is a facilitator of learning, and may need to perform in a variety of roles, separately or simultaneously (p. 92). Essentially, teachers have two major roles in the classroom: 1. to create the conditions under which learning can take place: the social side of teaching; 2. to impart, by a variety of means, knowledge to their learners: the taskoriented side of teaching. The first term, the management function, and the second the instructional function, both complement each other; the latter would be more or less impossible without the former. In practice, it is very difficult to separate the two and often one act in the classroom can perform both functions simultaneously (Wright, 1997, p.52). A teachers style is the collection of the many attitudes and behaviors he employs to create the best possible conditions under which learning can take place (ibid). 1.6.4. Students likes about learning English

In a study conducted by Elyildirim & Ashton (2006), they found that;

While many students reported simply that they enjoyed learning English, many also recounted specific negative aspects about the teachers, the lessons, and being laughed at for their English. Additionally, several students disliked the overall difficulty of English, mainly the speaking and listening skills. Some students noted the inspirational and positive effect teachers had had on their goal of learning to speak and teach English. However other students noted that their teachers were not good and could not teach English properly. This is important because a positive attitude towards the teacher may make students more at ease and relaxed, in which case the will seek out intake by volunteering and may be more accepting of

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the teacher as a source of intake (Krashen 1981, 23). A few students displayed negative attitudes concerning English, such as I dont like learning new words, Homework is a waste of time and I have difficulty writing. (p. 5-6).

1.7.

Changing Attitudes How do you change someones attitude? To change a persons

attitude you need to address the cognitive and emotional components. How would you convince another person to start an exercise program when the individual may say, I dont have enough time or Im just too busy or I dont want to risk being injured? One approach would be to challenge someones behavior by providing new information. As an example, explain to the other person how you made time in your day and, as a result, both your cholesterol level and blood pressure decreased. This is a cognitive approach when a person is presented with new information. Providing new information is one method for changing a persons attitude and therefore his or her behavior (Pickens, 2005) Attitude transformation takes time, effort, and determination, but it can be done. It is important not to expect to change a persons attitudes quickly. Managers need to understand that attitude change takes time and should not set unrealistic expectations for rapid change (Moore, 2003). Attitudes are formed over a lifetime through an individuals socialization process. An individuals socialization process includes his or her formation of values and beliefs during childhood years, influenced not only by family, religion, and culture but also by socioeconomic factors. This socialization process affects a persons attitude toward work and his or her related behavior. While being enduring is one of the characteristics of attitudes, it is surely vital to determine how something strongly determinative of academic achievement can alter from a negative to a positive attitude, and vice versa. One obvious entry into this field is through Klausmeiers comment that attitudes have both an affective component and an informational component (1985: 403). Alterations to the informational component that is, gaining new 67

information about the object in question can alter attitudes. Indeed, Klausmeier holds that peoples attitudes are less permanent than our understanding of concepts and principles (1985: 377). Brown suggests that negative attitudes can be changed, often by exposure to reality for example, by encounters with actual persons from other cultures (1994: 169). It means that attitudes are changeable but depending on the situation. For example, suppose that we are students of English or just students and a new English teacher has arrived at school. If the teacher does not have good strategies, techniques, good attitudes toward us we are going to show negative attitudes to him, but maybe if he notices that and takes it into account and decides to change, being creative and innovative. Also, if he knows that when he contextualizes the topics, these are going to be easier for us to understand or learn, we as students could change our attitudes too in a positive way because it will be visible that our new teacher is improving as a professional in order to satisfy our expectations. 1.8. Measurement of Attitudes Measuring attitudes may be achieved more successfully than defining it as a term. Student attitudes are measured with high reliability shapes the institution curriculum especially in ELT classes. Two popular and useful methods of measuring attitudes indirectly, commonly used for research purposes are Thurstone Techniques of scaled values and Likerts method of summated ratings.

1.8.1. Techniques for Measuring Attitudes A remarkable variety of techniques has been devised to measure attitudes. The affective, cognitive, and behavioral components of an attitude may be measured by different means. For example, sympathetic nervous system responses may be

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recorded using physiological measures to quantify affect, but they are not good measures of behavioral intentions. A quantitative score results can be feasible for our purpose. The rating task involves marking a response indicating ones position using one or more attitudinal or cognitive scales. a) Likert scale A measure of attitudes designed to allow respondents to rate how strongly they agree or disagree with carefully constructed statements, ranging from very positive to very negative attitudes toward some object. It is a method that is simple to administer and therefore extremely popular is researchers adaptation of the method of summated ratings, developed by Rensis Likert. With the Likert scale, respondents indicate their attitudes by checking how strongly they agree or disagree with carefully constructed statements, ranging from very positive to very negative attitudes toward some object. Individuals generally choose from approximately five response alternativesstrongly agree, agree, uncertain, disagree, and strongly disagreealthough the number of alternatives may range from three to nine. In the following example about behavior, there are five alternatives:
Strongly Disagree Disagree Uncertain Agree Strongly Agree

(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)

(5)

Researchers assign scores, or weights, to each possible response. In this example, numerical scores of 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 are assigned to each level of agreement, respectively. The numerical scores, shown in parentheses, may not be printed on the questionnaire or computer screen. Strong agreement indicates the most favorable attitude on the statement, and a numerical score of 5 is assigned to this response. b) Category Scales A type of attitude measurement is choice between two or more alternatives. If a respondent chooses one object over another, the researcher assumes that the

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respondent prefers the chosen object, at least in this setting. The following sections describe the most popular techniques for measuring attitudes. Quality Excellent Good Fair Poor Worst

(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)

(5)

Frequency Very often (1) Often (2) Sometimes (3) Rarely (4) Never (5)

Of course, there are some other categories to be measured by means of the Likert Scale such as importance, interest, satisfaction, truth, uniqueness and so forth. SUBCHAPTER II: ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE 2.1. Conceptualization of academic performance Academic performance has been described as the scholastic standing of a student at a given moment. This scholastic standing could be explained in terms of the grades obtained in a course or groups of courses (Daniels & Schoulen, 1970). Simkins (1981) commented on this scholastic standing and argued that performance is a measure of output and that the main outputs in education are expressed in terms of learning, that is, changes in knowledge, skills and attitudes of individuals as a result of their experiences within the school's system. Stan, (1992) supported this argument and reported that performance is the level of attainment of a person in an examination, that is, how an individual is able to demonstrate his or her abilities in an examination (A Comparative Study of Students' Academic Performance in Public

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Examinations in Secondary Schools in Ondo and Ekiti States, Nigeria, 2011, p.36).

Noting

this

point,

Al-Shorayye

(1995)

regarded

student's

performance in an examination as being depended on his cumulative grade point average. His argument supported Entwistle & Wilson's (1977) assertion that a student's success is generally judged by examination performance while the best criterion of performance is the sum of the student's academic performance in all the subjects taken. Chadwick (1979) defines the term academic performance as the expression of capacities and psychological characteristics of the student, developed and updated through the teaching-learning process that enables you to obtain a level of performance and achievement over a period, which is synthesized in a final qualification (quantitative in most cases) that evaluates the level reached but the student (qtd. in Sanchez, 2012, p. 198, own translation). Burga (2005) notes that "the assessment is an extremely important aspect within the educational field" ... "The academic performance, not being the only indicator of quality in education, is one of the most important ones (ibid.: 197). Assessment of student performance in MBA programs has traditionally concentrated on academic performance with measurement focused on cumulative grade point average data collected at a single point in time. Academic performance has been examined in numerous studies (Clayton & Cate, 2004; Ivy & Naude, 2004; Sulliman & Mohezer, 2006). Predictors of academic performance have included: age, gender, sex, ethnicity, undergraduate discipline, undergraduate grade point average, job category where prior work experience was earned, years of job experience, types of employers, GMAT (Graduate Management Admission Test) test scores, and

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language skills (When Academic Performance Alone Is No Longer Enough, 2011, p. 2). Academic performance refers to how students deal with their studies and how they cope with or accomplish different tasks given to them by their teachers. Besides this is the ability to study and remember facts and being able to communicate your knowledge verbally or down on paper. As academic performance has to do with permanent evaluation, what should teachers evaluate in their classes? According to the OTP (2010) evaluation of state schools students regarding English subject means:
The evaluation of English area has as a purpose the determination of the level of development of the competencies expressed in capacities such as listening and speaking, reading comprehension and text production. Evaluation also involves the assessment of attitudes, which are predispositions that each students show in the English learning process. These attitudes are closely related to the values and the capacities that students are going to develop through the learning process in this sense, evaluation is permanent, and this would be even better if it is mutual. It means, between peers, teacher to students, and vice versa. Evaluation not always implies a mark; it also implies the evaluation of students opinions about the class (metacognition) in order to check if students are involved in the development of classes, or if they show interest about what they are learning, or even if they want to clarify some doubts about the already developed lessons (OTP, 2010, p. 83-84, own translation).

Considering the point that learning is a process, and students tend to make mistakes while trying to accomplish the capacities MED expects from them to master, how should teachers respond to students errors?
Errors of form are tolerated during fluency-based activities and are seen as a natural outcome of the development of communication skills. Students can have limited linguistic knowledge and still be successful communicators. The teacher may note the errors during fluency activities and return to them later with an accuracy-based activity (Larsen, 2008, p. 132).

2.2.

Elements that influence academic performance Suazo (2007) states that, as there are factors that influence learning

process, there are also factors which influence academic performance, and they are grouped into four main categories. The first one, are the characteristics of the educational institution on which is important to consider

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the management and procedures of this, resources, infrastructure, institutional climate; the second category is related to the curricular aspects at which the subject is developed; the third is related to the teacher of the subject, here, we could consider relevant aspects such as the genre , age, capability, how she/he interacts with the pupil, etc. ; and the fourth category is referred to the students for who are important to consider certain factors like: Demographic variables: gender, age, socioeconomic status, place of residence. Family variables: family integrity, educational level of parents. Psychological variables: skills, intelligence, motivation, personality, values. Academic variables: average of the level at the secondary school, entry score, strategies and learning styles (qtd. in Sanchez, 2012, p. 202, own translation). 2.3. Academic Performance Measurement Gonzalez (2001) argues that "measurement is a part of the evaluation that refers to the process of obtaining a quantified representation of certain features, such as some specific types of performance or scholastic aptitudes." According Pidgeon and Yates (1979), "The measuring becomes necessary for teachers, so that they can make decisions about the students and the progress of these. Measuring is also important because it enables to remember the effectiveness of the orientation of student work through the process in a continuous way, the kind of treatment that suits the students needs and abilities, discovering in the student qualities which can put them on the way where they can improve their academic performance. Cascn, I. (2000) posits that, the studies about performance have several methodological strategies that are used to explain academic performance as a dependent factor, thus, the performance can be studied based on the marks obtained by the student in the year the study takes place.

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2.3.1. Standards of academic performance regarding secondaryschool students according to the Peruvian Ministry of Education Education level Type of qualification Qualification Scales 20-18 Description It is evident the achievement of the expected learning, pupils show a high management Secondary Education (Numerical and Descriptive) 13-11 17-14 and satisfactory development in the proposed tasks The student is able to show the achievement of the expected learning within the scheduled time. The student is in the process to achieve the expected learning, so she/he needs a reasonable time of 10-00 accompaniment to do so. The student is staring to develop the expected learning and shows difficulties for doing so; and needs major time of accompaniment and the teacher intervention considering his/her rhythm and learning styles. Source: DCN, 2008, p. 53, own translation 2.4. Attitudes influence learners academic performance Saracalolu A. (2000) states Attitude has recently received

considerable attention from both first and second language researchers. Most of the researches on the issue have concluded that students attitude is an integral part of learning and that it should, therefore, become an essential component of second language learning pedagogy. There are several reasons why research on students attitudes toward language learning is important. First, attitudes toward learning are believed to influence behaviors, (Kaballa & Crowley, 1985 qtd. in Weinburgh, 1998) such as selecting and reading books,

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speaking in a foreign language. Second, a relationship between attitudes and achievement has been shown to exist. Schibeci and Riley (1986) (qtd. in Weinburgh, 1998) report that there is support for the proposition that attitudes influence achievement, rather than achievement influencing attitudes. How attitudes towards learning are formed, how affect learning has been increasingly interest of language teachers and researchers as well. The reason is that attitude influence ones behaviors, inner mood and therefore learning. So it is clear that there is an interaction between language learning and the environmental components in which the student grew up. Both negative and positive attitudes have a strong impact on the success of language learning. Raising Academic Achievement: five overarching strategies shared by programs that raised academic achievement: High standards for participants, programs and staff, including strategies that ensured the quality of implementation, and demanded high performance from youth and staff alike. Personalized attention, that is, strategies that enable the staff to know the program participants as individuals, with unique needs, strengths and weaknesses. Innovative structures where the needs of the students, rather than Experiential learning, bridging school and society. Long-term support that gave youth time to create trust and develop tradition or bureaucracy, guide the teaching/learning process.

stable relationships and supports. Self-regulated learning and academic performance Self-regulated learners approach educational tasks with confidence, diligence, and resourcefulness. They are aware when they know a factor or possess a skill and when they do not. Unlike their passive classmates, selfregulated students proactively seek out information when they needed and take the necessary steps to master it. When they encounter obstacles such as poor study conditions, confusing teachers, or abstruse textbooks, they find a way to succeed. Self-regulated learners view acquisition as a systematic and controllable process, and they accept greater responsibilities for their

75

achievement outcomes. To observers, they are self-starters who display extraordinary effort and persistence during learning (Self-Regulated Learning and Academic Achievement: An Overview, 1990, p. 4). Concerning self-regulated strategies refer to actions and processes directed at acquisition of information or skills that involve agency, purpose, and instrumentality perceptions by learners. An important aspect of theories of selfregulated learning is that student learning and motivation are treated as interdependent processes that cannot be fully understood apart from each other. Students self-regulated learning involve three features: their use of selfregulated learning strategies, their responsiveness to self-oriented feedback about learning effectiveness, and their interdependent motivational processes. Self-regulated students select and use self-regulated learning strategies to achieve desired academic outcomes on the basis of feedback about learning effectiveness and skill. Students use of these self-regulated learning strategies was strongly associated with superior academic functioning. Many times students have difficulty completing homework assignments because there are other, more interesting things they would rather do such as watching TV, daydreaming, or talking to friends. Do you have any particular method for motivating yourself to complete your homework under these circumstances? (ibid.: 7). An unexpected but interesting finding is that students in the lower achievements tracks tended to give several common non-self-regulated responses with greater frequency than students from the advanced track. These include reactive statements that indicated a lack of personal initiative such as I just do what my teacher tells me, and will power statements that indicated simple resolve such as if I am having difficulty motivating myself to complete my homework, I just work harder. These data suggest less frequent mention of strategies by students in the lower achievements tracks was not due to their lack of verbal expressions but rather to their lack of self-regulatory initiative (ibid.:8). Students use of self-regulated learning strategies made a

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distinctive contribution to their academic achievement apart from their general ability (ibid). All learners are responsive to some degree during instruction; however, students who display initiative, intrinsic motivation and personal responsibility achieve particular academic success (ibid.:14). The MED should consider the whole of the Peruvian students' reality in more detail, in order to make learning any subject or language really useful for them, and not provoking their wasting of time, such is the case of the ones who do not consider English as necessary. Because if the educational system continues focusing only on urban areas where learning English may be seen as useful and necessary it could be considered as the attention or preference of only privileged groups who due to their greater possibilities (more money, more time availability, resources) will be the ones with even greater opportunities than rural area students, ending up in educative, economic and social inequality in the country. 2.5. Factors for failure in academic performance Adeyegbe (2002) found that there was a decline in students' performance in Senior Secondary Certificate (SSC) examinations. He reported that in topics where teachers found difficult to teach, students tend to perform below expectation. Supporting this point, Onipede (2003) reported that students performed below expectation in Senior Secondary Certificate (SSC) examinations in many subject areas especially in English Language and Mathematics. Researchers have identified different factors that could cause students failure. Wankowski (1973) for instance, reported that academic failure seems to be associated with the lack of personal confidence, emotional instability and temperamental tendency towards extraversion. Supporting this fact, Al-Methen and Wilkinson (1992) reported that failure in students is due to the lack of confidence in the knowledge they possess which in turn could affect their level of activity in the classroom. They argued that students academic problems arise from personal inadequacies such as low ability; negative self concept,

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anxiety, maladjustment, environmental influences such as poor classroom conditions, curricular inadequacies, peer groups and the lack of home support. Ending up in cases where many young people do not learn much in developing countries. Some often leave school before the school leaving age while others are in the habit of attending school irregularly (A Comparative Study of Students' Academic Performance in Public Examinations in Secondary Schools in Ondo and Ekiti States, Nigeria, 2011, p.37). 2.6. Factors associated to academic performance From available research on motivation and academic performance, it became quite evident that motivational constructs do in fact impact the academic performance of students. There are studies documenting the correlation of the Scholastic Aptitude Test, American College Testing (Ward, 1993), Mathematics (Carpenter, 1993; Ward, 1993; Gist, 1996), High School Grade Point Average (Price and Kim, 1976; Carpenter, 1993) and College Entrance Examination (Price and Kim, 1976) scores and the performance of college students. Also well documented are studies in the areas of arts and sciences, psychology, philosophy, and natural sciences. Studies documenting the correlation of motivational behavior and the performance of students in a college business environment appear to be nonexistent (qtd. in Campbell, M. 2007:11). Research has shown that students who chose to engage in a task, expended effort, and persisted, were more likely to achieve at a higher level (Pintrich & Schrauben, 1992; Schunk, 1991) and researchers have obtained positive relationships between achievement and motivational indices of choice of task, effort and persistence. In a simple but effective experiment, Dale Schunk (1983) found that the more practice students obtained while in training (effort and persistence), the more successful they were in solving similar problems on an examination (measure of achievement) (ibid.: 13). On the other hand, concerning genre female students levels of academic performance were higher than their male counterparts irrespective of race. The biological trait, test anxiety, impacted Caucasian females more than

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the other gender or race groups. ANOVA confirmed that statistically significant relationships existed between academic performance and demographic variables gender and race. MANOVA confirmed that the differences in performance levels across gender and race lines were statistically significant. The results strongly supported the premise that the levels of academic performance are impacted significantly across gender and race lines for college students pursuing degrees in accredited business programs (ibid). 2.7. Importance of academic performance In educational institutions, success is measured by academic performance, or how well a student meets standards set out by local government and the institution itself. As career competition grows ever fiercer in the working world, the importance of students doing well in school has caught the attention of parents, legislators and government education departments alike. Although education is not the only road to success in the working world, much effort is made to identify, evaluate, track and encourage the progress of students in schools. Parents care about their child's academic performance because they believe good academic results will provide more career choices and job security. Schools, though invested in fostering good academic habits for the same reason, are also often influenced by concerns about the school's reputation and the possibility of monetary aid from government institutions, which can hinge on the overall academic performance of the school. State and federal departments of education are charged with improving schools, and so devise methods of measuring success in order to create plans for improvement. 2.8. Academic performance at universities In the Peruvian educational system academic performance is due apart from the students doing well in class, for other aspects that lines below are mentioned, which also influence significantly the qualification any student will

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get. This is seen in this way because what the Ministry of Education expects is to bring up learners holistically.

a) Grades Certainly the most well-known indicator of academic performance, grades are the student's "score" for their classes and overall tenure. Grades are most often a tallying or average of assignment and test scores and may often be affected by factors such as attendance and instructor opinion of the student as well. Grading systems vary greatly by country and school; common scales include a percentage from 1-100, lettering systems from A-F, and grade point averages (GPA) from 0-4.0 or above. b) Attendance It would be difficult to perform well in class if the student does not attend. In public grade schools, attendance is compulsory and numerous unexcused absences may lead to notifying the students' parents, barring of make-up work for missed assignments and tests, or direct effects on grades. c) Extracurricular activities Although by definition voluntary, involvement in extracurricular activities such as sports, volunteer work, and school newspapers develop and showcase student initiative and leadership skills, as well as provide insight into the student's interests and priorities. Extracurricular activities therefore can make a student more attractive to colleges and employers.

2.9.

Academic performance features in Language Centers Performance in language centers is evaluated in a number of ways. For

regular grading, students demonstrate their knowledge by taking written and oral tests, performing presentations, turning in homework and participating in class activities and discussions. Teachers evaluate in the form of letter or number grades and side notes, to describe how well a student has done. Most

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of the language centers in the world use the Common European Framework for Language Proficiency known as the Common European framework of reference for languages. a) Common European Framework Reference for Languages The role of the Framework in respect of language acquisition, learning and teaching must however be made clear once more. In accordance with the basic principles of pluralist democracy, the Framework aims to be not only comprehensive, transparent and coherent, but also open, dynamic and non-dogmatic. For that reason it cannot take up a position on one side or another of current theoretical disputes on the nature of language acquisition and its relation to language learning, nor should it embody any one particular approach to language teaching to the exclusion of all others. Its proper role is to encourage all those involved as partners to the language learning/teaching process to state as explicitly and transparently as possible their own theoretical basis and their practical procedures. In order to full this role it sets out parameters, categories, criteria and scales which users may draw upon and which may possibly stimulate them to consider a wider range of options than previously or to question the previously unexamined assumptions of the tradition in which they are working. This is not to say that such assumptions are wrong, but only that all those responsible for planning should benet from a reexamination of theory and practice in which they can take into account decisions other practitioners have taken in their own and, particularly, in other European countries.

b) Language assessment in CEF The CEF is A common European framework for language learning, teaching and assessment. Up to this point, the focus has been upon the nature of language use and the language user and the implications for learning and teaching.

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The functions of the Framework in relation to the assessment of language prociency mention three main ways in which the Framework can be used: 1. 2. for the specication of the content of tests and examinations. for stating the criteria for the attainment of a learning objective,

both in relation to the assessment of a particular spoken or written performance, and in relation to continuous teacher-, peer- or selfassessment. 3. For describing the levels of prociency in existing tests and examinations thus enabling comparisons to be made across different systems of qualications. http://www.coe.int/t/dg4/linguistic/source/framework_en.pdf

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Taken from: Council of Europe: Common European Framework of reference for languages (CEF)

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c) Academic Performance at the Language Center of the National University of Education The Language Center of the National University of Education Enrique Guzman y Valle has set its standards for evaluating the performance of the students, taking into consideration the Article 21st of the Evaluation and Certification Regulations in the following way:
Qualitative way of grading Excellent Very good Quantitative way of grading 19-20 17-18 Description

Outstanding performance. Above average performance. A generally satisfactory, Good 16 intellectually adequate performance. Acceptable 15 A barely sufficient performance. Fail 0 to 14 An unacceptable performance. Source: prepared by the authors of this research.

This means that only students who have an average of 15 as minimum will be able to pass the cycle, which differs greatly from the passing scores of the British Peruvian Cultural Association (ACPB) that is 14 and that of the Peruvian North American Cultural Institute (ICPNA) that has established a passing score equivalent to 14 too. 1.3. DEFINITION OF KEYS TERMS Attitudes: An attitude is a relatively enduring organization of beliefs, feelings, and behavioral tendencies towards socially significant objects, groups, events or symbols. Learning: Learning involves helping people along the learning process, and learning includes all of the things that we do to make it happen. As an end result, we know that learning occurs when people take newfound information and incorporate it into their life. For example, if we are working with an audience that lacks basic financial management skills for budgeting, one of our objectives is to see people gain

84

knowledge in this area and to actually implement the new skills hopefully, over a long period of time. Affective component: The affective components consist of the kinds of feelings that a particular topic arouses. The affective response is a physiological response that expresses an individual's preference for an entity. It is a conditioned emotional response, which has been linked to a previously non-emotional stimulus. The affective component of an attitude grows into a reflex that is intertwined with new emotional responses. Cognitive component: The cognitive component consists of a set of beliefs about a topic. People acquire most beliefs about a particular topic quite directly: They hear or read a fact or an opinion, or other people reinforce their statements expressing a particular attitude. It is formed through direct instructions, reinforcement, imitation and/or exposure. Children form attitudes by imitating the behavior of people who play important roles in their lives. Children usually repeat opinions expressed by their parents. Most attitudes in individuals are a result of "social learning" from their environment. Psychologists use the expression "mere exposure" effect to denote the formation of a positive attitude toward a person, place, or thing based solely on repeated exposure to that person, place, or thing. Behavioral component: The behavioral component consists of a tendency to act in a particular way with respect to a particular topic. Attitudes are more likely to be accompanied by behaviors if the effects of the behaviors have motivational relevance for the person. Sivacek and Grano (1982) demonstrated this phenomenon by asking students to help campaign against a law pending in the state legislature that would raise the drinking age from eighteen to twenty. Although almost all the students were opposed to the new drinking law, younger students, who would be affected by its passage, were more likely to volunteer their time and effort.

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Academic performance: In educational institutions, success is measured by academic performance, or how well a student meets standards set out by local government and the institution itself.

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CHAPTER II: RESEARCH PROBLEM

2.1. DETERMINATION OF THE PROBLEM Internationally speaking, nowadays learning English language is becoming an important tool in many people' lives because this is one of the most spoken language almost all around the world, therefore, anyone who does not speak or understand English is considered as an out-of-dated person. However there are some authors like Phillipson, (observes the wide spread of English) and Holliday (posits about the cultural transfer) who disagree with the natural, useful and neutral features of English emphasizing that these three aspects are just a guise that BANA countries use in order to hide their economic and political own interests. Unfortunately, this last point seems to be evident, because many people show strong preference about the Anglo-American culture (music, way of clothing, manners...) seeing them as the model to follow in order to get success, and falling sometimes in the acculturation or alienation phenomenon.

In the Peruvian reality the use of English is seen as an important tool too, for connection to the world and for accessing updated information in the academic, technological and scientific field. Supporting this point the Diseo Curricular Nacional (DCN) states el ingls es uno de los idiomas ms difundidos internacionalmente y, como tal, se convierte en una herramienta til en la formacin integral de los estudiantesel rea de ingls tiene como finalidad el logro de la competencia comunicativa en una lengua extranjera, la que le permitir adquirir la informacin de los ms recientes y ltimos avances cientficos y tecnolgicos.

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On the other hand, at the Graduate School of the National University of Education Enrique Guzman y Valle English classes are attended by students from different majors with the objective of passing the First Cycle of the Program of English for Graduate Students at the Language Center of the National University of Education Enrique Guzman y Valle, La Molina as a requirement to follow further studies in order to get their master or doctor degree. So that, passing the whole program that lasts seven cycles enables them to submit and defend their thesis,being thus, the previous mentioned course an obligatory one. The attitudes of the participants in the afore mentioned program run by the Language Center of the National University of Education is important and paramount to be measured and known in terms of their academic performance.

2.2.

FORMULATION OF THE PROBLEM 2.2.1. General Problem To what extent are attitudes towards English language learning related to academic performance in the students of the First Cycle of the Program of English for Graduate Students at the Language Center of the National University of Education Enrique Guzman y Valle, La Molina, Lima, 2012? 2.2.2. Specific problems To what extent is the cognitive component of attitudes towards English language learning related to academic performance in the students of the First Cycle of the Program of English for Graduate Students at the Language Center of the National University of Education Enrique Guzman y Valle, La Molina, Lima, 2012?

To what extent is the affective component of attitudes towards

English language learning related to academic performance in the students of the First Cycle of the Program of English for Graduate Students at the Language Center of the National University of Education Enrique Guzman y Valle, La Molina, Lima, 2012?

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To what extent is the behavioral component of attitudes towards

English language learning related to academic performance in the students of the First Cycle of the Program of English for Graduate Students at the Language Center of the National University of Education Enrique Guzman y Valle, La Molina, Lima, 2012?

2.3.

OBJECTIVES 2.3.1. General Objective To establish the relationship between attitudes towards English language learning and the academic performance in the students of the First Cycle of the Program of English for Graduate Students at the Language Center of the National University of Education Enrique Guzman y Valle ,La Molina, Lima, 2012.

2.3.2. Specific objectives To establish the relationship between cognitive component of towards English language learning and the academic attitudes

performance in the students of the First Cycle of the Program of English for Graduate Students at the Language Center of the National University of Education Enrique Guzman y Valle ,La Molina, Lima, 2012.

To establish the relationship between affective component of towards English language learning and the academic

attitudes

performance in the students of the First Cycle of the Program of English for Graduate Students at the Language Center of the National University of Education Enrique Guzman y Valle ,La Molina, Lima, 2012.

To establish the relationship between behavioral component of attitudes towards English language learning and the academic performance in the students of the First Cycle of the Program of English for Graduate

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Students at the Language Center of the National University of Education Enrique Guzman y Valle ,La Molina, Lima, 2012. 2.4. RELEVANCE AND SCOPE OF THE RESEARCH 2.4.1. Theoretical relevance The running of this research will help develop the theory of attitudes and academic performance in our local context of teaching English as a foreign language. 2.4.2. Practical relevance We studied the practical aspects of language learning in order to help solve the problems of language teaching. 2.4.3. Methodological relevance During the development of the research process we built a new instrument in order to gather information from the informers. 2.5. LIMITATIONS OF THE RESEARCH 2.5.1. Geographical limitations This research was applied at the Graduate School of the National University of Education Enrique Guzman y Valle in the district of La Molina, Province and Department of Lima, Peru. 2.5.2. Time limitations This research took place between September 2011 and December 2012.The research instrument was applied on September 2012. 2.5.3. Resources limitations The project was financed by the authors own expenses. There was not any type of finance from any public or private institution to foster this research.

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CHAPTER III: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

3.1. SYSTEM OF HYPOTHESES AND VARIABLES 3.1.1. Hypothesis General hypothesis Attitudes towards English language learning are significantly related to Academic performance in the students of the First Cycle of the Program of English for Graduate Students at the Language Center of the National University of Education Enrique Guzman y Valle, Lima, 2012. Specific Hypotheses The cognitive components of attitudes towards English language learning are significantly related to Academic performance in the students of the First Cycle of the Program of English for Graduate Students at the Language Center of the National University of Education Enrique Guzman y Valle, Lima, 2012.

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The affective components of attitudes towards English language learning are significantly related to Academic performance in the students of the First Cycle of the Program of English for Graduate Students at the Language Center of the National University of Education Enrique Guzman y Valle, Lima, 2012. The behavioral components of attitudes towards English language

learning are significantly related to Academic performance in the students of the First Cycle of the Program of English for Graduate Students at the Language Center of the National University of Education Enrique Guzman y Valle, Lima, 2012. 3.1.2. Variables Variable I: Attitudes towards English language learning The attitude which speakers of different languages or language varieties have towards each other languages or to their own language. Expressions of positive or negative feelings towards a language may reflect impressions of linguistic difficulty or simplicity, ease or difficulty of learning, degree of importance, elegance, social status, etc. Attitudes towards a language may also show what people feel about the speakers of that language. Variable II: Academic performance Academic performance refers to how students deal with their studies and how they cope with or accomplish different tasks given to them by their teachers. Academic performance is the ability to study and remember facts and being able to communicate your knowledge verbally or down on paper.

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Operationalization of variables Variables Dimensions Indicators

Knowledge of the spread and importance (English). Beliefs about learning a foreign language (English).
Cognitive component of attitudes

Items
1. 2.

of learning a foreign language

3. 4.

Opinions concerning acceptance or rejection of the foreign language and its culture.

5. 6. 7.

Variable I: Attitudes towards English language learning

Affective Attitudes Component of

Emotions while learning the target language.

8. 9. 10. 11. 12.

Interest in learning about the target language, which depends on each persons expectations, necessities, etc. Behavior relating to acceptance or rejection of the target language.

13. 14. 15.

Behavioral Component of Attitudes

Participation through the development of classes. Responsibility for doing the assignments and being on time.

16. 17. 18.

Variable II: Academic performance

Excellent Very good Good Acceptable Fail

19,20 17,18 16 15 0 to 14

3.2.

TYPE AND RESEARCH METHOD 3.2.1. Type of research This research is descriptive and quantitative. Descriptive research concentrates on finding facts to ascertain the nature of something as it exists. In contrast analytical research is concerned with determining validity of hypothesis based on analysis of facts collected. Quantitative research studies such aspects of the research subject which are not quantifiable, and hence not subject to measurement and quantitative analysis. In contrast quantitative research makes substantial use of measurements and quantitative analysis techniques. 3.2.2. Research method 93

Descriptive research method is concerned with the description of data and characteristics about a population. It develops knowledge by describing observed situations, events and objects. The goal is the acquisition of factual, accurate and systematic data that can be used in averages, frequencies and similar statistical calculations. 3.3. RESEARCH DESIGN This study has used the Correlational design. It examines the covariation of two or more variables. A Correlational research can be accomplished by a variety of techniques which include the collection of empirical data. This research study is also a mixed model research design, which combines a descriptive research design with a case study. The answer to the main research question To what extent are attitudes towards English language learning related to academic performance in the students of the First Cycle of the Program of English for Graduate Students at the Language Center of the National University of Education Enrique Guzman y Valle, La Molina, Lima, 2012? should describe how these students feel about learning English in and out of the Graduate School; how they came to choose their second language in Language Center.

3.4.

RESEARCH INSTRUMENTS Quantitative data were obtained through a questionnaire with close-ended

Questionnaire questions. Students were asked to answer multiple-choice questions about their attitudes towards English language learning. Score register This official document from the CIUNE was used in order to gather information about language learning scores from students in terms of academic performance expressed quantitatively. 3.5. DATA COLLECTION TECHNIQUES

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Survey In order to answer the research questions, quantitative and qualitative data were collected by relying on questionnaires with all participants from the First Cycle of the Program of English for Graduate School students of CIUNE, branch La Molina. Documentary analysis This technique was used for the building of the theoretical framework and the analysis of scores of the participants of First Cycle of the Program of English for Graduate School students of CIUNE, branch La Molina in order to obtain data about academic performance. 3.6. POPULATION AND SAMPLE The participants of this study are 36 graduate school students at the National University of Education. Their ages range between 25 and 60 years old and the distribution of female and male students is about equal. All of the students native language is Spanish and the remainders of the students native language are very diverse and represent many cultural backgrounds.

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PART TWO FIELD WORK

CHAPTER IV: THE INSTRUMENTS FOR RESEARCH AND RESULTS

4.1. SELECTION AND VALIDATION OF INSTRUMENTS 4.1.1. Validation and reliability of instruments

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4.1.1.1.

Validation

Validity is most often defined as the extent to which an instrument measures what it was intended to measure (Anastasi: 1982). However, it is important to note that instruments may fail validity criteria for one purpose but be valid measures of a different construct or may be valid indicators of constructs in addition to the one for which they were originally intended (e.g., measures of physical function-ing that are also useful as quality of life indicators). In addition, instruments that may be valid in one context (i.e., population, culture, historical period, administration format), may not be valid in another context; validity is always context specific. Because validity is context specific, validating a measure must be viewed as a process of accumulating evidence that supports the meaningfulness of the measure rather than a discrete endpoint at which validity is proven (Stewart and Ware :1992). Three broad types of validity are most often cited as central to any validity argument: content, criterion, and construct. In this case, criterion or correlational validity is the extent to which the measure correlates with a ``gold standard'' of the intended construct. The gold standard (or criterion) can be another accepted measure of the same construct, or in rare cases, observed behavior, characteristic, or attribute that the measure is designed to assess (e.g., self-reported physical functioning validated against observer ratings of actual physical capabilities). Criterion validity is typically established by examining the correlation of each item and/or the full scale with the criterion score or behavior. Low correlations either item-criterion or scale-criterion suggest that particular items, or the scale as a whole, may not measure the intended construct. 4.1.1.2. Reliability

The score or value obtained by an individual on a measure traditionally has been viewed as comprising two components: an underlying ``true'' score, and error caused by imprecision in measurement (McDowell and Newell 1996; Nunnally 1978). Reliability of a measure refers to the measure's ability to detect the true score rather than measurement error. A perfectly reliable instrument would detect only the true score. The concept of reliability is based on two central considerations:

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1. Do items purportedly belonging to a scale actually assess a single construct, and 2. Do scales measuring a single construct produce consistent estimates of that construct across multiple measurements. The criterion of instrument reliability, is determined in the present investigation by the Cronbach alpha coefficient, developed by J. L. Cronbach, requires a single administration of the instrument to produce values between one and zero. It is applicable to various scales of possible values, which can be used to determine the scales reliability in response whose items have more than two alternatives. The formula determines the degree of consistency and accuracy, the scale of values that determines the reliability is given by the following values: RELIABILITY CRITERION VALUES Not reliable -1 to 0. Low reliability 0.01 to 0.49. Moderate reliability 0.5 to 0.75. Strong reliability 0.76 to 0.89. High reliability from 0.9 to 1. Scale: Attitudes towards English language learning

Reliability Statistics Cronbach's Alpha ,849 N of Items 18

The instrument that measures Attitudes towards English language learning has strong reliability with a 0.849 statistic value and this instrument consisting of 18 questions. The instrument has adequate level of reliability in its version of 18 items, therefore we can establish that the instrument is applicable.

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4.2.

STATISTICAL

TREATMENT

AND

INTERPRETATION

OF

DATA

(TABLES, GRAPHS, DRAWINGS, FIGURES) 1. QUALITATIVE ANALYSIS OF DIMENSIONS AND VARIABLES

Variable I Dimension 1: Cognitive component of attitudes Neither agree nor disagree f %

0 0.0% 0 0.0% 0 0.0%

Item I know I should learn English because it is the language of globalization. I think we should have a knowledge of English because this allows us to receive better professional training. I think that learning English helps us to have greater job opportunities. I think we (students of English) can learn English faster if the contents developed in class are related to our context and expectations. Learning English encourages me to have a favorable opinion about English culture. When the teacher promotes freedom of expression in class, he makes it more interactive. Students opinions about the topics covered in class must be considered by the teacher to be reflected in subsequent sessions more contextualized to the reality.

Disagree f %
0 0.0% 0 0.0% 0 0.0%

Agree f
10 5 11

Strongly Agree f
26 31 25

%
27.8% 13.9% 30.6%

%
72.2% 86.1% 69.4%

0 0.0%

0 0.0%

16

44.4%

20

55.6%

3 8.3% 0 0.0%

3 8.3% 0 0.0%

18 11

50.0% 30.6%

12 25

33.3% 69.4%

0 0.0%

2 5.6%

15

41.7%

19

52.8%

About to know if they should learn English because it is the language of globalization, the 72.2% have strongly agreed and the 27.8% have agreed, if they think we should have a knowledge of English because this allows us to receive better professional training the 86.1% have strongly agreed and the 13.9% have agreed, about if they think that learning English helps us to have greater job opportunities 69.4% have strongly agreed and the 30.6% have agreed, they think that they (students of English) can learn English faster if the contents

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developed in class are related to our context and expectations, the 55.6% have strongly agreed and the 44.4% have agreed, about learning English encourages them to have a favorable opinion about English culture the 33.3% have strongly agreed, the 50% have agreed, the 8.3% have agreed or disagreed and the 8.3% have disagreed, about teacher promotes freedom of expression in class, he makes it more interactive, the 69.4% have strongly agreed and the 30.6% have agreed, finally about if Students opinions about the topics covered in class must be considered by the teacher to be reflected in subsequent sessions more contextualized to the reality the 52.8% have strongly agreed, the 41.7% have agreed and the 5.6% have agreed or disagreed.

Dimension 1: Cognitive component Frequency Agree Strongly Agree Total 10 26 36

Percent 27,8 72,2 100,0

Regarding the cognitive component dimension, the 27.8% of surveyed, its mean 10 students affirm that they have agreed with this dimension and the 72.2% its mean 26 students have strongly agreed with how to develop this component.

Source: Authors own work

Dimension 2: Affective component of attitudes Item Disagree f % Neither agree nor disagree f % Agree f % Strongly Agree f %

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Students feelings (the affective factor) must always be taken into account by the teacher. I feel motivated when learning and understanding English takes place through practical activities. It is exciting to take part in different classroom activities (discussions, readings, group work, pair work, etc.). If the contents developed in class are related to my personal interests (related to my area, needs, etc.), my learning of English is meaningful (difficult to forget). English arouses interest in me because it is considered as the language of the future. Source: Authors own work

0 0.0% 0 0.0%

2 5.6% 0 0.0%

21 58.3% 7 19.4%

13 36.1% 29 80.6%

2 5.6%

2 5.6%

9 25.0%

23 63.9%

0 0.0% 0 0.0%

0 0.0% 0 0.0%

15 41.7% 18 50.0%

21 58.3% 18 50.0%

About the Students feelings (the affective factor) must always be taken into account by the teacher, the 36.1% have strongly agreed, the 58.3% have agreed and the 5.6% have neither agreed or disagreed. About feeling motivated when learning and understanding English takes place through practical activities the 80.6% have strongly agreed, and the 19.4% have agreed. It is exciting to take part in different classroom activities (discussions, readings, group work, pair work, etc.) the 63.9% have strongly agreed, the 25% have agreed, the 5.6% neither agreed nor disagreed and the 5.6% have disagreed. If the contents developed in class are related to my personal interests (related to my area, needs, etc.), my learning of English is meaningful (difficult to forget) the 58.3% have strongly agreed and the 41.7% have agreed. Finally if the English arouses interest in me because it is considered as the language of the future the 50.0% have strongly agreed and the 50% have agreed.

Dimension 2: Affective component of attitudes Frequency Agree Strongly Agree Total Source: Authors own work 12 24 36 Percent 33,3 66,7 100,0

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Regarding the affective component dimension, the 33.3% of surveyed, its mean 10 students affirm that they have agreed with this dimension and the 66.7% its mean 24 students have strongly agreed with how to develop this component.

Source: Authors own work Dimension 3: Behavioral component of attitudes

Item I find learning English pleasurable and interesting because I have a positive attitude towards it. I stop paying attention when classes are not according to my expectations and needs. I participate actively in class because I learn well when I practice more English. The participation of students during the development of my English classes (asking questions, providing ideas, experiences and opinions) is an indication that they are taking part of the teaching-learning process too. I like paying attention to English classes from beginning to end in order to maximize learning as much as possible from the teaching. I am responsible for doing the tasks assigned by the teacher in order to get high marks. Disagree f 0 0 2 % 0.0% 0.0% 5.6% Neither agree nor disagree f 0 2 2 % 0.0% 5.6% 5.6% f 17 9 12 Agree % 47.2% 25.0% 33.3% Strongly Agree f 19 25 20 % 52.8% 69.4% 55.6%

0.0%

11.1%

25.0%

23

63.9%

0.0%

5.6%

16.7%

28

77.8%

0.0%

5.6%

25.0%

25

69.4%

Source: Authors own work

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About the learning English pleasurable and interesting because I have a positive attitude towards it the 52.8% have strongly agreed and the 47.2% have agreed. If stop paying attention when classes are not according to my expectations and needs, the 69.4% have strongly agreed, the 25% have agreed and the 5.6% have neither agreed nor disagreed. If they participate actively in class because they learn well when they practice more English, the 55.6% have strongly agreed, the 33.3% have agreed, the 5.6% have neither agreed nor disagreed and the 5.6% have disagreed. About the participation of students during the development of my English classes (asking questions, providing ideas, experiences and opinions) is an indication that they are taking part of the teaching-learning process too, the 63.9% have strongly agreed, the 25% have agreed and the 11.1% neither agreed nor disagreed. If they like paying attention to English classes from beginning to end in order to maximize learning as much as possible from the teaching, the 77.8% have strong agreed, the 16.7% have agreed and the 5.6% neither agreed nor disagreed. Finally if they are responsible for doing the tasks assigned by the teacher in order to get high marks the 69.4% have strongly agreed, the 25% have agreed and the 5.6% neither agreed nor disagreed.

Dimension 3: Behavioral component Frequency Neither agree nor disagree Agree Strongly Agree Total Source: Authors own work 2 7 27 36 Percent 5,6 19,4 75,0 100,0

Regarding the behavioral component dimension, the 5.6% of surveyed, its mean 2 students affirm that they are neither agree nor disagree agree with this dimension, the 19.4% affirm that they are agree and the 75.0% its mean 27 students are strongly agree with how to develop this component.

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Source: Authors own work

Attitudes towards English language learning

Attitudes towards English language learning Frequency Agree Strongly Agree Total Source: Authors own work 8 28 36 Percent 22,2 77,8 100,0

Regarding the attitude towards English language learning variable, the 22.2% of surveyed, its mean 8 students affirm that they have agreed with how to work this variable in the university program and the 77.8% its mean 28 students have strongly agreed with how to develop this variable.

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Source: Authors own work

Academic performance Academic performance Frequency Acceptable Good Very good Excellent Total Source: Authors own work 5 8 17 6 36 Percent 13,9 22,2 47,2 16,7 100,0

Regarding the academic performance variable, the 13.9% of students have an acceptable level, the 22.2% have a good performance level, the 47.2% showed a very good level and the 16.7% had excellent level of academic performance

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Source: Authors own work 2. QUANTITATIVE ANALYSIS OF VARIABLES 2.1 Attitudes towards English language learning Descriptive Attitudes towards English language learning Mean 95% Confidence Interval for Mean Median Variance Std. Deviation Minimum Maximum Range Interquartile Range
Source: Authors own work The maximum score on the attitudes towards English language learning variable is 90 points, the average achieved by the sample is 82.19 points, meaning that students have

Lower Bound Upper Bound

Statistic 82,19 80,28 84,11 84,00 31,990 5,656 70 89 19 5

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strongly agreed with how to develop this variable, and the 95% confidence interval for mean lower limits is 80.28 points and 84.11 points higher limits, its mean that in the population 95 students of 100 have strongly agreed with the development of this variable. The median amounts to 84 points above the average, therefore, more than 50% have scores above average. The minimum score is 70 points and the maximum score reached 89 points, leave us a 19 points range and an interquartile range of 5 points. The box plot shows the data distribution, shows the minimum and maximum scores, the first quartile 81 points, meaning that 25% of surveyed presented scores below 81 points, the second quartile or median to 84 points, the third quartile from 84 points to 86 points, meaning that 75% of students have scores below 86 points and the 25% have scores between 86 points and 89 points.

Attitudes towards English language learning

Source: Authors own work 2.2 Academic performance

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Descriptive Academic performance Mean 95% Confidence Interval for Mean Median Variance Std. Deviation Minimum Maximum Range Interquartile Range Source: Authors own work Lower Bound Upper Bound

Statistic 17,08 16,64 17,53 17,00 1,736 1,317 15 19 4 2

The maximum score on the academic performance variable is 20 points, the average achieved by the sample is 17.08 points, meaning that students have a very good level on this variable, and the 95% confidence interval for mean lower limits is 16.64 points and 17.53 points higher limits, its mean that in the population, 95 students of 100 shows a good level in academic performance. The median amounts to 17 points below the average, therefore, more than 50% have scores above average. The minimum score is 15 points and the maximum score reached 19 points, leave us a 4 points range and an interquartile range of 2 points. The box plot shows the data distribution, shows the minimum and maximum scores, the first quartile 16 points, meaning that 25% of surveyed presented scores below 16 points, the second quartile or median to 17 points, the third quartile from 17 points to 18 points, meaning that 75% of students have scores below 18 points and the 25% have scores between 18 points and 99 points.

Academic performance

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Source: Authors own work

3. TEST OF NORMALITY
Before hypothesis testing, we determined the type of instrument to use for the contrast, we used the normality test of Kolmogorov - Smirnov to establish whether normal or no normal data distributions in order to decide to use statistical parametric or nonparametric. Because the sample is composed by less than 50 individuals, we used the Shapiro - Wilk adequacy for determining normal.

Tests of Normality Shapiro-Wilk Statistic df ,858 36 ,908 36 Sig. ,000 ,006

Attitudes towards English language learning Academic performance Source: Authors own work

Regarding the Attitudes towards English language learning variable, the statistical value related to the test indicates a 0.858 value with 36 degrees of freedom, furthermore, the significance value is equal to 0.000, this value is less than 0.05, therefore, there is a

109

sufficient reason to affirm that the variable has skewed distribution. About academic performance variable, the statistical value related to the test indicates a 0.908 value with 36 degrees of freedom, furthermore, the significance value is equal to 0.006, this value is less than 0.05, therefore, there is a sufficient reason to affirm that the variable has skewed distribution.

Normality test conclusion

Both variables show skewed distributions, therefore, to develop hypothesis testing to correlation statistician reach; we used Spearman correlation between variables.

4. GENERAL HYPOTHESIS TEST

Working Hypothesis: Attitudes towards English language learning are significantly related to Academic performance in the students of the First Cycle of the Program of English for Graduate Students at the Language Center of the National University of Education Enrique Guzman y Valle, Lima, 2012. Null Hypothesis: Attitudes towards English language learning are not significantly related to Academic performance in the students of the First Cycle of the Program of English for Graduate Students at the Language Center of the National University of Education Enrique Guzman y Valle, Lima, 2012.

A. Statistical Hypothesis

Hp : xy > 0.340 Ho : xy 0.340

= 0.05
B. Instruments:

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The normality test showed that we have to use the Spearman correlation coefficient to determine the relationship degree between variables in order to testing the hypotheses. C. Statistical Test.

Rejection area for Null Hypothesis 95% Confidence Interval Significance value: = 0.05 n=36, df=n-2=34, therefore pxy>0.340 Rejection area for Null Hypothesis: xy > 0.340 , = 0.05 D. Nonparametric Correlations Correlations Spearman's rho Correlation Coefficient Attitudes towards English language learning Sig. (2-tailed) N Source: Authors own work The correlation degree between variables is strong, positive and direct, 0.735 for Attitudes towards English language learning and academic performance; furthermore the significance value is less than 0.05 with a 95% confidence interval. As the critical level is less than the significance level, set sufficient reason to reject the null hypothesis and conclude that there is significant linear relationship between the variables and the relationship is strong. CONCLUSION: There are sufficient reasons to reject the Null Hypothesis therefore: Attitudes towards English language learning are significantly related to Academic performance in the students of the First Cycle of the Program of English for Graduate Students at the Language Center of the National University of Education Enrique Guzman y Valle, Lima, 2012 Academic performance ,735 ,000 36

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5. SPECIFIC HYPOTHESIS 5.1 Specific hypothesis N1

Working Hypothesis: The cognitive components of attitudes towards English language learning are significantly related to Academic performance in the students of the First Cycle of the Program of English for Graduate Students at the Language Center of the National University of Education Enrique Guzman y Valle, Lima, 2012. Null Hypothesis: The cognitive components of attitudes towards English language learning are not significantly related to Academic performance in the students of the First Cycle of the Program of English for Graduate Students at the Language Center of the National University of Education Enrique Guzman y Valle, Lima, 2012. A. Statistical Hypothesis

Hp : xy > 0.340 Ho : xy 0.340

= 0.05
B. Instruments: The normality test showed that we have to use the Spearman correlation coefficient to determine the relationship degree between variables in order to testing the hypotheses. C. Statistical Test.

Rejection area for Null Hypothesis 95% Confidence Interval Significance value: = 0.05 n=36, df=n-2=34, therefore pxy>0.340 Rejection area for Null Hypothesis: xy > 0.340 , = 0.05

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D. Nonparametric Correlations Correlations Spearman's rho Correlation Coefficient Dimension 1: Cognitive component Sig. (2-tailed) N
Source: Authors own work The correlation degree between cognitive component and academic performance variable and is moderate, positive and direct, 0.513, furthermore the significance value is less than 0.05 with a 95% confidence interval. As the critical level is less than the significance level, set sufficient reason to reject the null hypothesis and conclude that there is significant linear relationship between the variables and the relationship is moderate. CONCLUSION: There are sufficient reasons to reject the Null Hypothesis therefore: The cognitive components of attitudes towards English language learning are significantly related to Academic performance in the students of the First Cycle of the Program of English for Graduate Students at the Language Center of the National University of Education Enrique Guzman y Valle, Lima, 2012

Academic performance ,513 ,001 36

5.2 Specific hypothesis N2

Working Hypothesis: The affective components of attitudes towards English language learning are significantly related to Academic performance in the students of the First Cycle of the Program of English for Graduate Students at the Language Center of the National University of Education Enrique Guzman y Valle, Lima, 2012. Null Hypothesis: The affective components of attitudes towards English language learning are not significantly related to Academic performance in the students of the First Cycle of the Program of English for Graduate Students at the Language Center of the National University of Education Enrique Guzman y Valle, Lima, 2012.

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A. Statistical Hypothesis

Hp : xy > 0.340 Ho : xy 0.340

= 0.05
B. Instruments: The normality test showed that we have to use the Spearman correlation coefficient to determine the relationship degree between variables in order to testing the hypotheses. C. Statistical Test.

Rejection area for Null Hypothesis 95% Confidence Interval Significance value: = 0.05 n=36, df=n-2=34, therefore pxy>0.340 Rejection area for Null Hypothesis: xy > 0.340 , = 0.05

D. Nonparametric Correlations Correlations Spearman's rho Correlation Coefficient Dimension 2: Affective component Sig. (2-tailed) N Source: Authors own work

Academic performance ,342 ,044 36

The correlation degree between affective component and academic performance variable and is moderate, positive and direct, 0.342, furthermore the significance value is less than 0.05 with a 95% confidence interval. As the critical level is less than the significance level,

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set sufficient reason to reject the null hypothesis and conclude that there is significant linear relationship between the variables and the relationship is moderate. CONCLUSION: There are sufficient reasons to reject the Null Hypothesis therefore: The affective components of attitudes towards English language learning are significantly related to Academic performance in the students of the First Cycle of the Program of English for Graduate Students at the Language Center of the National University of Education Enrique Guzman y Valle, Lima, 2012

5.3 Specific hypothesis N3

Working Hypothesis: The behavioral component of attitudes towards English language learning are significantly related to Academic performance in the students of the First Cycle of the Program of English for Graduate Students at the Language Center of the National University of Education Enrique Guzman y Valle, Lima, 2012. Null Hypothesis: The behavioral components of attitudes towards English language learning are not significantly related to Academic performance in the students of the First Cycle of the Program of English for Graduate Students at the Language Center of the National University of Education Enrique Guzman y Valle, Lima, 2012. A. Statistical Hypothesis

Hp : xy > 0.340 Ho : xy 0.340

= 0.05
B. Instruments: The normality test showed that we have to use the Spearman correlation coefficient to determine the relationship degree between variables in order to testing the hypotheses. C. Statistical Test.

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Rejection area for Null Hypothesis 95% Confidence Interval Significance value: = 0.05 n=36, df=n-2=34, therefore pxy>0.340 Rejection area for Null Hypothesis: p xy > 0.340 , = 0.05

D. Nonparametric Correlations Correlations Spearman's rho Correlation Coefficient Dimension 3: Behavioral component Sig. (2-tailed) N Source: Authors own work The correlation degree between behavioral component and academic performance variable and is moderate, positive and direct, 0.684, furthermore the significance value is less than 0.05 with a 95% confidence interval. As the critical level is less than the significance level, set sufficient reason to reject the null hypothesis and conclude that there is significant linear relationship between the variables and the relationship is moderate. CONCLUSION: There are sufficient reasons to reject the Null Hypothesis therefore: The affective components of attitudes towards English language learning are significantly related to Academic performance in the students of the First Cycle of the Program of English for Graduate Students at the Language Center of the National University of Education Enrique Guzman y Valle, Lima, 2012

Academic performance ,684 ,000 36

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4.3.

DISCUSSION OF RESULTS The instrument has adequate level of reliability in its version of 18 items; Regarding the cognitive component dimension, the 27.8% of surveyed, its

therefore we can establish that the instrument is applicable. mean 10 students affirm that they have agreed with this dimension and the 72.2% its mean 26 students have strongly agreed with how to develop this component. Regarding the affective component dimension, the 33.3% of surveyed, its mean 10 students affirm that they have agreed with this dimension and the 66.7% its mean 24 students have strongly agreed with how to develop this component. Regarding the behavioral component dimension, the 5.6% of surveyed, its mean 2 students affirm that they are neither agree nor disagree agree with this dimension, the 19.4% affirm that they are agree and the 75.0% its mean 27 students are strongly agree with how to develop this component. Regarding the attitude towards English language learning variable, the 22.2% of surveyed, its mean 8 students affirm that they have agreed with how to work this variable in the university program and the 77.8% its mean 28 students have strongly agreed with how to develop this variable. Regarding the academic performance variable, the 13.9% of students have an acceptable level, the 22.2% have a good performance level, the 47.2% showed a very good level and the 16.7% had excellent level of academic performance The maximum score on the attitudes towards English language learning variable is 90 points, the average achieved by the sample is 82.19 points,

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meaning that students have strongly agreed with how to develop this variable, and the 95% confidence interval for mean lower limits is 80.28 points and 84.11 points higher limits, its mean that in the population 95 students of 100 have strongly agreed with the development of this variable. The maximum score on the academic performance variable is 20 points, the average achieved by the sample is 17.08 points, meaning that students have a very good level on this variable, and the 95% confidence interval for mean lower limits is 16.64 points and 17.53 points higher limits, its mean that in the population, 95 students of 100 shows a good level in academic performance. Both variables show skewed distributions, therefore, to develop hypothesis testing to correlation statistician reach; we used Spearman correlation between variables. The correlation degree between variables is strong, positive and direct, 0.735 for Attitudes towards English language learning and academic performance; furthermore the significance value is less than 0.05 with a 95% confidence interval. As the critical level is less than the significance level, set sufficient reason to reject the null hypothesis and conclude that there is significant linear relationship between the variables and the relationship is strong. Therefore, there are sufficient reasons to reject the Null Hypothesis therefore: Attitudes towards English language learning are significantly related to Academic performance in the students of the First Cycle of the Program of English for Graduate Students at the Language Center of the National University of Education Enrique Guzman y Valle, Lima, 2012 The correlation degree between cognitive component and academic performance variable and is moderate, positive and direct, 0.513, furthermore the significance value is less than 0.05 with a 95% confidence interval. As the critical level is less than the significance level, set sufficient reason to reject the null hypothesis and conclude that there is significant linear relationship between the variables and the relationship is moderate. Therefore, there are sufficient reasons to reject the Null Hypothesis therefore: The cognitive components of attitudes towards English language learning are significantly related to Academic performance in the students of the First Cycle of the Program of English for Graduate Students at the Language Center of the National

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University of Education Enrique Guzman y Valle, Lima, 2012 The correlation degree between affective component and academic performance variable and is moderate, positive and direct, 0.342, furthermore the significance value is less than 0.05 with a 95% confidence interval. As the critical level is less than the significance level, set sufficient reason to reject the null hypothesis and conclude that there is significant linear relationship between the variables and the relationship is moderate. Therefore, there are sufficient reasons to reject the Null Hypothesis therefore: The affective components of attitudes towards English language learning are significantly related to Academic performance in the students of the First Cycle of the Program of English for Graduate Students at the Language Center of the National University of Education Enrique Guzman y Valle, Lima, 2012 The correlation degree between behavioral component and academic performance variable and is moderate, positive and direct, 0.684, furthermore the significance value is less than 0.05 with a 95% confidence interval. As the critical level is less than the significance level, set sufficient reason to reject the null hypothesis and conclude that there is significant linear relationship between the variables and the relationship is moderate. Therefore, there are sufficient reasons to reject the Null Hypothesis therefore: The affective components of attitudes towards English language learning are significantly related to Academic performance in the students of the First Cycle of the Program of English for Graduate Students at the Language Center of the National University of Education Enrique Guzman y Valle, Lima, 2012

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Conclusions
After hypothesis testing, the results were as follows: Attitudes towards English language learning are significantly related to Academic performance in the students of the First Cycle of the Program of English for Graduate Students at the Language Center of the National University of Education Enrique Guzman y Valle, Lima, 2012. The cognitive components of attitudes towards English language learning are significantly related to Academic performance in the students of the First Cycle of the Program of English for Graduate Students at the Language Center of the National University of Education Enrique Guzman y Valle, Lima, 2012. The affective components of attitudes towards English language learning are significantly related to Academic performance in the students of the First Cycle of the Program of English for Graduate Students at the Language Center of the National University of Education Enrique Guzman y Valle, Lima, 2012. The behavioral components of attitudes towards English language learning are

significantly related to Academic performance in the students of the First Cycle of the Program of English for Graduate Students at the Language Center of the National University of Education Enrique Guzman y Valle, Lima, 2012.

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Recommendations
1. Considering the idea that attitudes influence significantly the success of doing well or bad at certain situations such is the case of learning English. These should be strongly taken into account by the ELT teachers while performing their classes. What is more, teachers job not only is to promote the cultivation of positive attitudes in students but also the adaptation of these if it is necessary, because students come to class with certain already acquired attitudes which were acquired from their family, culture, community, etc. ; that not always are the appropriate ones for considering the students as holistically formed.

2. The Ministry of Education must be aware that learning a language implies the
learning of its culture as well, so that, they can choose the textbooks and any other resource that are going to be given to students more appropriately. This is recommended due to the fact that most of the English textbooks provoke cultural transfer into their users. Even though the BANA countries tried to hide this aspect stating that the wide spread of English is due to the natural, neutral and useful features it is quite evident that these developed countries intend to make students think that certain foreign countries are better than theirs. 3. The curriculum planners when elaborating the curriculum for state schools students, should consider the needs analysis process as one of the most important aspects of curriculum planning, because it seems to be evident the fact that none student is equal to the other i.e. each of them have personal characteristics depending

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much from their background (learning-styles, high or low self-esteem, cultural identity, needs, expectations, etc.). A clear example of this is the notable difference that exists between the rural and the urban area students. The latter seem to show more positive attitudes towards learning English because it means an extra in their personal development, while the rural area students seem to categorize learning this foreign language just as a wasting of time because they usually have basic necessities to be worry about like food, clothes, growing up their children, and education in some necessary subjects such as math, social sciences, language and communication which are going to enable them to deal more successfully in their daily life.

4. Students should bear in mind that even though learning English gives them
competency and better job opportunities in their life they should not forget that their own country (Peru) has a rich cultural heritage to be proud of too. Because there are some cases where students show strongly positive attitudes to English that end up categorizing their own country as inferior to the foreign ones (the dominant ones), or what is worst they quite possibly fall victim to cases of acculturation which means loss of identity.

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2. 3. 4. 5. Adeyegbe, S. 2002. How students, examiners perform at WAEC examinations. Vanguard. Adler, A. 1956. The Individual Psychology. New York: Harper Torchbooks. Allport, W. 1935. Attitudes in Murchison C. Clark Univ. Press: Worcester. Al-Shorayye, S. 1995. The effect of admissions policy, socio-economic factors, and demographic and personal considerations on students performance at Kuwait University.Unpublished PhD Thesis, University of Hull UK.An practice, Ado- Ekiti: PETOA Educational Publishers. 6. Banda, Chumpitaz&Pumacayo, 2008. Las actitudes del docente y el aprendizaje en los estudiantes de Segunda Especialidad del idioma Ingls de la Facultad de Ciencias Sociales y Humanidades de la Universidad Nacional de Educacin Enrique Guzmn y Valle, 2008. Chosica, Lima-Peru. 7. 8. 9. Borkowsky, N. 2005. Organizational Behavior in Health Care.Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data. USA. Clayton, G. & Cate, T. (2004). Predicting MBA no-shows and graduate success with discriminate analysis.International Advances in Economic Research. Daniels, M. & J. Schouten, 1970. Education in Europe: the screening of students, problems of assessment and prediction of academic performance. Council for Cultural Co- operation of the Council of Europe. London. 10. 11. Eagly and Chaiken, (1993). The Psychology of Attitudes, Fort Worth, TX: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich. Ellis, R. 1985. Understanding Second Language Adquisition.OUP achievement game London. 123 12. Entwistle, N.J. & J.D. Wilsonm, 1977. Degrees of excellence. The academic

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Ericksen, S. 1984. The essence of good teaching. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Gardner, R. 1985. Social Psychology and Language Learning: the role of attitudes and motivation. London: Edward Arnold. Ghazali, S. 2008. Learner Background and their Attitudes towards Studying Literature.Malaysian Journal of ELT Research Vol. 4. Haitema, Thomas Bryant; (2002) EdD (dissertation) Student Attitude Vis a Vis Foreign Holliday, A. 1994. Appropriate Methodology and Social Context. Cambridge: CUP. Ivy, J., &Naude, P. (2004). Succeeding in the MBA marketplace: Identifying the underlying factors.Journal of Higher Education Policy & Management, 26 (3), 401417.

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Jowell, R. 2005 Understanding and measuring attitudes. Scottish Government Social Research Group Social Science Methods Series Guide 4.

20. Lafaye&Tsuda 2002. Attitudes towards English Language Learning in Higher Education in Japan, and the Place of English in Japanese Society. Intercultural Communication Studies XI inTokai Gakuen University. 21. 22. Language in the Elementary School (FLES): A Longitudinal Study. The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Moore, M. (2003) How to improve staff morale using humor, appreciations and praise__Practical strategies to help to turn your workplace into a thank god its Monday. 23. Navarro, R. Factores asociados al Rendimiento Acadmico. Universidad Cristbal Coln, Mxico. 24. Onipede, H. 2003. National Development Hinges on Quality Education. TheComet. Marcos. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30. Phillipson, R. 1992. Linguistic Imperialism. Oxford: OUP. Phillipson, R. 1992. Linguistic Imperialism. Oxford: OUP. Pickens, J. 1998. Attitudes and perceptions Harrisonburg, Virginia. Saracalolu A. 2000. The Relation between Traniee Teachers Attitudes to Foreign Languages and their Academic Success. Ankara. Schellenberg& Shannon2003 American Journal of Health Promotion. In British civil servants. 25. Pealoza, W. (2003) Propsitos de la Educacin Lima Edit. Pedaggico de San

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31. Siregar, F. 2010. The Language Attitudes of Students of English Literature and D3 English at Maranatha Christian University toward American English, British English and Englishes in Southeast Asia, and their various contexts of use in Indonesia. Philippine ESL Journal, Vol. 4. 32. Stan, 1992. Raising the performance of students in public examinations in science, technology and mathematics. Paper presented at the WAEC Symposium held at the University of Ibadan Nigeria. 33. Sulaiman A. &Mohezar, S. (2006). Student success factors: Identifying key predictors. Journal of Education for Business. 34. Tamimi&Shuib 2009. Motivation and Attitudes towards Learning English: A Study Of Petroleum Engineering Undergraduates at Hadhramout University Of Sciences and Technology.GEMA Online Journal of Language Studies Volume 9(2) 2009. 35. 36. 37. Thurstone, L &Chave 1929 The measurement of attitudes. Chicago University of Chicago Press. Verma, M. 2005. Learners Attitude and Its Impact on Language Learning. Invertis Institute of Engineering & Technology, (Uttar Pradesh) India. Williams&Burden,1997. Psychology for Language Teachers: A Social Constructivist Approach. United Kingdom: Cambridge University Press. Magazines 1. Matthews, W. 1993. Expressing Feelings, North Carolina State University. 2. Maxwell Scientific Organization, 2011 A Comparative Study of Students' Academic Performance in Public Examinations in Secondary Schools in Ondo and Ekiti States, Nigeria T.O. AdeyemiDepartment of Educational Foundations and Management, University of Ado-Ekiti,Nigeria. 3. Schwartz, S. H. (2006). Basic human values: Theory, measurement, and applications. Revue franaise de sociologie, Online references 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. http://www.articledashboard.com/Article/The-Three-Components-of-Attitudes/1507073 http://healthadmin.jbpub.com/Borkowski/chapter3.pdf http://segr-did2.fmag.unict.it/Allegati/convegno%207-8-10-05/Schwartzpaper.pdf http://es.scribd.com/doc/78649068/Attitude-Measurement-251165524 http://es.scribd.com/doc/87605843/Attitude

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http://savior.hubpages.com/hub/beliefsinsocilogy http://www.lifelearning.utexas.edu/handouts/motivation%20and%20your%20beliefs.pdf http://www.thefreedictionary.com/opinion

ANNEXES
Operational matrix Consistency Matrix English version of the questionnaire Spanish version of the questionnaire

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Operationalization of variables Variables Dimensions Indicators

Knowledge of the spread and importance of learning a foreign language (English).
1. 2.

Items

Beliefs about learning a foreign language (English).

3. 4.

Cognitive attitude

component

of

Opinions concerning acceptance or rejection of the foreign language and its culture.

5. 6. 7.

Variable I: Attitudes towards English language learning

Emotions while learning the target language.

8. 9. 10. 11. 12.

Interest in learning about the target language, which depends on each persons
Affective Attitude Component of

expectations, necessities, etc. Behavior relating to acceptance or rejection of the target language.

13. 14. 15.

Behavioral Attitude

Component

of

Participation through the development of classes. Responsibility for doing the assignments and being on time.

16. 17. 18.

Variable II: Academic performance

Excellent Very good Good Acceptable Fail

19,20 17,18 16 15 0 to 14

CONSISTENCY MATRIX

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ATTITUDES TOWARDS ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNING AND ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE IN STUDENTS OF THE FIRST CYCLE OF THE PROGRAM OF ENGLISH FOR GRADUATE STUDENTS AT THE LANGUAGE CENTER OF THE NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF EDUCATION ENRIQUE GUZMAN Y VALLE, LA MOLINA, LIMA, 2012

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Formulation of the problem General problem To what extent are attitudes towards English language learning related to academic performance in the students of the First Cycle of the Program of English for Graduate Students at the Language Center of the National University of Education Enrique Guzman y Valle, La Molina, Lima, 2012? Specific problems

QUESTIONNAIRE ABOUT STUDENTS ATTITUDES TOWARDS LEARNING ENGLISH

Study objectives Research hyphotesis General objective To establish the relationship between attitudes towards English language learning and the academic performance in the students of the First Cycle of the Program of English for Graduate Students at the Language Center of the National University of Education Enrique Guzman y Valle ,La Molina, Lima, 2012. Specific objectives To establish the relationship between the cognitive component of attitudes towards English language learning and the academic performance in the students of the First Cycle of the Program of English for Graduate Students at the Language Center of the National University of Education Enrique Guzman y Valle ,La Molina, Lima, 2012. General hypothesis Attitudes towards English language learning are significantly related to Academic performance in the students of the First Cycle of the Program of English for Graduate Students at the Language Center of the National University of Education Enrique Guzman y Valle, Lima, 2012. Specific Hypotheses Study variables Variable I Attitudes towards English language learning Variable II Academic performance

Methodolog y

Population and sample

Type of research Descriptivequantitative Research method Descriptive research method Research design Correlational design Research instruments Questionnaire Score register Data collection techniques Survey

To

what extent is the cognitive component of attitudes towards English language learning related to academic performance in the students of the First Cycle of the Program of English for Graduate Students at the Language Center of the National University of Education Enrique Guzman y Valle, La Molina, Lima, 2012? what extent is the affective component of attitudes towards English language learning related to academic performance in the students of the First Cycle of the Program of English for Graduate Students at the Language Center of the National University of Education Enrique Guzman y Valle, La Molina, Lima, 2012?

The

To

To

establish the relationship between the affective component of attitudes towards English language learning and the academic performance in the students of the First Cycle of the Program of English for Graduate Students at the Language Center of the National University of Education Enrique Guzman y Valle ,La Molina, Lima, 2012.

cognitive components of attitudes towards English language learning are significantly related to Academic performance in the students of the First Cycle of the Program of English for Graduate Students at the Language Center of the National University of Education Enrique Guzman y Valle, Lima, 2012. affective components of attitudes towards English language learning are significantly related to Academic performance in the students of the First Cycle of the Program of English for Graduate Students at the Language Center of the National University of Education Enrique Guzman y Valle, Lima, 2012. behavioral components of attitudes towards English language learning are significantly related to Academic performance in the students of the First Cycle of the Program of English for Graduate Students at the Language Center of the National University of Education Enrique Guzman y Valle, Lima, 2012.

The

The participants of this study are 36 graduate school students at the National University of Education. Their ages range between 25 and 60 years old and the distribution of female and male students is about equal. All of the students native language is Spanish and the remainders of the students native language are very diverse and represent many cultural backgrounds.

To

what extent is the behavioral component of attitudes towards English language learning related to academic performance in the students of the First Cycle of the Program of English for Graduate Students at the Language Center of the National University of Education Enrique Guzman y Valle, La Molina, Lima, 2012?

To establish the relationship between the behavioral component of attitudes towards English language learning and the academic performance in the students of the First Cycle of the Program of English for Graduate Students at the Language Center of the National University of Education Enrique Guzman y Valle ,La Molina, Lima, 2012.

The

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Dear student; This questionnaire is designed to find out your honest views about the learning of English and your attitude towards this as well. Please respond to all the questions below carefully and honestly. This is not a test and there are no right or wrong answers. Your responses will be kept strictly confidential, and will only be used for the purpose of this study. Your answers will not prejudice you in any way.
Strongly Disagree 1 Disagree 2 Neither agree nor disagree 3 Agree 4 Strongly Agree 5

SD

D A (2 )

NA/ ND (3)

A G (4 )

S A (5 )

Item description
Dimension 1: Cognitive component I know I should learn English because it is the language of globalization. I think we should have a knowledge of English because this allows us to receive better professional training. I think that learning English helps us to have greater job opportunities. I think we (students of English) can learn English faster if the contents developed in class are related to our context and expectations. Learning English encourages me to have a favorable opinion about English culture. When the teacher promotes freedom of expression in class, he/she makes it more interactive. Students opinions about the topics covered in class must be considered by the teacher to be reflected in subsequent sessions more contextualized to the reality. Dimension 2: Affective component Students feelings (the affective factor) must always be taken into account by the teacher. I feel motivated when learning and understanding English takes place through practical activities. It is exciting to take part in different classroom activities (discussions, readings, group work, pair work, etc.). If the contents developed in class are consistent with my personal interests (related to my area, needs, etc.), my learning of this is meaningful (difficult to forget). English arouses interest in me because it is considered the language of the future. Dimension 3: Behavioral component I find learning English pleasurable and interesting because I have a positive attitude towards it. I stop paying attention when classes are not according to my expectations and needs. I participate actively in class because I learn well when I practice more English. The participation of the students during the development of

(1)

1 2 3 4

5 6 7

8 9 10 11

12

13 14 15 16

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17

18

classes, (asking questions, questioning, and providing ideas, experiences and opinions) is an indication that they are taking part of the teaching-learning process too. I like paying attention to English classes from beginning to end in order to maximize benefits as much as possible from the teaching. I am responsible for doing the tasks assigned by the teacher in order to get high marks.

CUESTIONARIO SOBRE LAS ACTITUDES HACIA EL APRENDIZAJE DEL IDIOMA INGLS

INSTRUCCIONES: Estimado estudiante; El propsito de este cuestionario es conocer las actitudes que tienes hacia al aprendizaje del idioma Ingls. Por favor, lee con atencin cada enunciado y marca una de las alternativas con la mayor objetividad posible. Toda respuesta que refleje fielmente tu modo de pensar y actuar es una buena respuesta, el tiempo para ejecutar la tarea es libre; lo importante es hacerlo bien. Muy en desacuerdo 1
N 1 2 3 4 Dimensin 1: Componente cognitivo S que debo aprender el ingls porque es el idioma de la globalizacin. Conocer el ingls nos permite estar preparados profesionalmente. Creo que aprender el idioma ingls nos ayuda tener mayores oportunidades laborales. Creo que se aprende ms rpido el ingls si los contenidos desarrollados en clase estn relacionados con nuestra realidad y expectativas. Aprender el ingls me motiva a tener una opinin favorable respecto a la cultura inglesa. Cuando el profesor promueve la libre opinin en clases, hace de estas ms interactivas. Las diferentes opiniones que tenemos respecto a los temas desarrollados en clase, deben ser tomados en cuenta por el profesor(a) para reflejarse en posteriores sesiones ms contextualizados a la realidad. Dimensin 2: Componente afectivo Los sentimientos (parte afectiva) de los estudiantes siempre deben ser tomados en cuenta por el profesor. Me siento con agrado cuando entiendo y aprendo el ingls a travs de actividades prcticas. Me emociona ser partcipe de las diferentes actividades desarrolladas en clase (dilogos, lecturas, trabajos grupales, en pares, etc.). Si los contenidos desarrollados en clase son acordes con mis intereses personales (relacionados a mi rea, necesidades, etc.) mi aprendizaje se hace significativo (difcil de olvidar). El ingls despierta inters en m porque es considerado el

En desacuerdo 2

Indeciso 3
TEMS

De acuerdo 4

Muy de acuerdo 5
1 2 3 4 5

5 6 7

8 9 10

11

12

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idioma del futuro. Dimensin 3: Componente conductual 13 14 15 16 Aprendo el ingls con agrado e inters porque tengo una actitud favorable hacia este. Presto atencin cuando las clases son acordes con mis expectativas y necesidades. Participo en clase activamente porque as aprendo y practico ms el ingls. La participacin de los estudiantes durante el desarrollo de las clases, (preguntando, cuestionando, aportando ideas, experiencias y opiniones) es un indicador de que ellos tambin estn siendo parte del proceso enseanza-aprendizaje. Me gusta escuchar las clases de ingls de principio a fin para aprovechar al mximo las enseanzas. Soy responsable con las tareas asignadas por el profesor ya que as obtengo altas calificaciones. Gracias por tu colaboracin

17 18

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