Volume 4, Issue 2 (6-2019)                   IJREE 2019, 4(2): 1-13 | Back to browse issues page


XML Persian Abstract Print


Download citation:
BibTeX | RIS | EndNote | Medlars | ProCite | Reference Manager | RefWorks
Send citation to:

Nduwimana A. Pure Sciences Students’ Attitudes towards Learning English: The Case of University of Burundi. IJREE 2019; 4 (2)
URL: http://ijreeonline.com/article-1-166-en.html
Department of Languages and Social Sciences, English Section, Ecole Normale Supérieure du Burundi, Bujumbura, Burundi
Abstract:   (9869 Views)
Burundi is the sole country in East African Community (EAC) using mainly French as an official language and having a national language – Kirundi – which is shared by nearly all Burundians. Therefore, English language is taught as a subject on the curriculum. Although English language is even taught to science university students in Burundi, it seems that the attitudes these students have towards learning English are not known. Thus, the present study was intended to investigate the attitudes that University of Burundi pure sciences students hold towards learning English. In doing so, it also examined whether there is a statistically significant difference in these students’ attitudes in terms of gender and field of study. This study adopted a quantitative approach, hence a survey research design. The data were collected by means of a five-point Likert scale questionnaire raging from ‘strongly disagree’ to ‘strongly agree’ that was administered to a total number of 65 students enrolled in the faculty of sciences. The questionnaire was based on the tripartite model of attitude and consisted of 40 items. The collected data were analysed by means of descriptive and inferential statistics that were computed using the statistical package SPSS 22. The findings revealed that the afore-mentioned students have overall positive attitudes towards learning English. An analysis of the results also indicated that there is no statistically significant difference in students’ attitudes both by gender and by field of study.

 
Full-Text [PDF 439 kb]   (1743 Downloads)    
Type of Study: Research | Subject: General

References
1. Abidin, M. J. Z., Pour-Mohammadi, M., & Alzwari, H. (2012). EFL students' attitudes towards learning English language: The case of Libyan secondary school students. Asian social science, 8(2), 119-134. http://dx.doi.org/10.5539/ass.v8n2p119 [DOI:10.5539/ass.v8n2p119]
2. Ahmed, S. (2015). Attitudes towards English language learning among EFL learners at UMSKAL. Journal of Education and Practice, 6(18), 6-16. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1079681.pdf
3. Al-Tamimi, A., & Shuib, M. (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, 9(2), 29-55. http://ejournal.ukm.my/gema/article/download/156/132
4. Angelovska, T. (2007). Review of the book Motivation, language attitudes and globalisation: A Hungarian perspective, by Z. Dörnyei, K. Csizér & N. Németh]. eachers College, Columbia University Working Papers in Applied Linguistics & TESOL, 7(1), 1-3. http://dx.doi.org/10.7916/D8RF66J8
5. Charoensuk, V., & Jaipetch, D. (2017). Attitudes toward English: A study of first-year students at King Mongkut's University of Technology North Bangkok. Journal of Advances in Humanities and Social Sciences, 3(1), 42-57. doi: 10.20474/jahss-3.1.4 [DOI:10.20474/jahss-3.1.4]
6. Crystal, D. (2003). English as a global language (2nd ed.). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. [DOI:10.1017/CBO9780511486999]
7. Csızér, K., & Dörnyei, Z. (2005). The internal structure of language learning motivation and its relationship with language choice and learning effort. The Modern Language Journal, 89(1), 19-36. https://www.jstor.org/stable/pdf/3588549.pdf [DOI:10.1111/j.0026-7902.2005.00263.x]
8. De Vaus, D. (2001). Research design in social research. Great Britan: SAGE. [DOI:10.4135/9781446263495]
9. Dörnyei, Z., Csizér, K., & Németh, N. (2006). Motivation, language attitudes and globalisation: A Hungarian perspective. Clevedon, England: Multilingual Matters. [DOI:10.21832/9781853598876]
10. Dörnyei, Z. (1998). Motivation in second and foreign language learning. Language teaching, 31(3), 117-135. http://www.test01.ippobuk.cv.ua/images/Motivation.pdf [DOI:10.1017/S026144480001315X]
11. Drubin, D. G., & Kellogg, D. R. (2012). English as the universal language of science: opportunities and challenges. Molecular biology of the cell, 23(8), 1399. [DOI:10.1091/mbc.e12-02-0108]
12. Dudley-Evans, T., & St John, M. J. (1998). Developments in English for specific purposes: A multi-disciplinary approach. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
13. Elyildirim, S., & Ashton-Hay, S. (2006). Creating positive attitudes towards English as a foreign language. English Teaching Forum (Vol. 44, No. 4, pp. 2-21). US State Department. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/12256/1/12256.pdf
14. Eshghinejad, S. (2016). EFL students' attitudes toward learning English language: The case study of Kashan University students. Cogent education, 3(1), 1-13. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/2331186X.2016.1236434 [DOI:10.1080/2331186X.2016.1236434]
15. Feng, R., & Chen, H. (2009). An analysis on the importance of motivation and strategy in postgraduate English acquisition. English Language Teaching, 2(3), 93-97. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1083053.pdf [DOI:10.5539/elt.v2n3p93]
16. Ferguson, G. (2007). The global spread of English, scientific communication and ESP: questions of equity, access and domain loss. Ibérica: Revista de la Asociación Europea de Lenguas para Fines Específicos (AELFE), 13, 7-38. https://dialnet.unirioja.es/descarga/articulo/2474003.pdf
17. Gardner, R. C. (1985). Social psychology and second language learning: the role of attitude and motivation. London: Edward Arnold.
18. Gardner, R. C., & Lambert, W. E. (1972). Motivational variables in second language acquisition. In R.C. Gardner & W. Lambert (eds.) Attitudes and motivation in second language learning (pp. 119-216). Rowley, MA: Newbury House.
19. Ibrahim, D., Yana, I. H., & Yinusa, S. (2018). Measuring attitudinal disposition of undergraduate students to English language learning: The Nigerian University Experience. International Journal of Research in English Education, 3(1), 28-34. DOI: 10.18869/acadpub.ijree.2.2.10 [DOI:10.18869/acadpub.ijree.2.2.10]
20. Johnson, A. (2009). The rise of English: The language of globalization in China and the European ::union::. Macalester International, 22(1), 131-168. https://bit.ly/2F71Zir [DOI:10.1080/07908310902789677]
21. Johnston, M. P. (2014). Secondary data analysis: A method of which the time has come. Qualitative and Quantitative Methods in Libraries (QQML), 3(3), 619 -626.
22. Khalid, A. (2016). A study of the attitudes and motivational orientations of Pakistani learners toward the learning of English as a second language. SAGE Open, 6(3), [DOI:10.1177/2158244016665887]
23. Karatas, H., Alci, B., Bademcioglu, M., & Ergin, A. (2016). Examining university students' attitudes towards learning English using different variables. International Journal of Educational Researchers, 7(3), 12- 20. http://dergipark.gov.tr/download/article-file/262414
24. Martinović, A., & Poljaković, I. (2011). Attitudes toward ESP among university students. FLUMINENSIA: časopis za filološka istraživanja, 22(2), 145-161. https://hrcak.srce.hr/file/97888
25. Mazunya, M., & Habonimana, A. (2010). Les langues de scolarisation dans l'enseignement fondamental en Afrique subsaharienne francophone: réalisation d'études bibliographiques et d'enquêtes de terrain. in MAEE et al. Les langues de scolarisation en Afrique francophone: Enjeux et repères pour l'action (pp. 94 - 147). Paris, France: Edition des archives contemporaines. http://www.elan-afrique.org/sites/default/files/fichiers attaches/rapport_lascolaf_cas_burundi.pdf
26. Mitchell, M. L., & Jolley, J. M. (2012). Research design explained (7th ed.). USA: Cengage Learning.
27. Munir, F. (2015). Attitudes of secondary school students towards English as Foreign Language: A case study at Lahore, Pakistan. International Journal of Research, 2(4), 637-650. doi: 10.6084/m9.figshare.4284458
28. Ntiranyibagira, C. (2017). La politique linguistique du Burundi : évolution et perspectives. Revue Sénégalaise de Langues et de Littérature, 10, 69-80. https://bit.ly/2F2ZKwm
29. Oroujlou, N., & Vahedi, M. (2011). Motivation, attitude, and language learning. Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences, 29, 994-1000. [DOI:10.1016/j.sbspro.2011.11.333]
30. Rassool, N., & Mansoor, S. (2009). Contemporary issues in language, education and development in Pakistan. In N. Rasool (ed.), Global issues in language, education and development: Perspectives from post-colonial countries, 218-244. New Delhi: Orient Longman. [DOI:10.21832/9781853599538-010]
31. Rwantabagu, H. (2011a). Education in Burundi: An evolutionary perspective. Bujumbura, Burundi: University of Burundi.
32. Sabieh, C. (2018). English for specific purposes (ESP) testing. In J. I. Liontas (Ed.), The TESOL Encyclopedia of English Language Teaching, (pp. 14-19).USA: John Wiley & Sons. [DOI:10.1002/9781118784235.eelt0378]
33. Shams, M. (2008). Students' attitudes, motivation and anxiety towards English language learning. Journal of Research, and Reflections in Education, 2(2), 121-144. https://ecommons.aku.edu/pakistan_ied_pdck/7
34. Smith, A. (1971). The importance of attitude in foreign language learning. The Modern Language Journal, 55 (2), 82-88. https://www.jstor.org/stable/pdf/321854.pdf [DOI:10.1111/j.1540-4781.1971.tb00916.x]
35. Soleimani, H., & Hanafi, S. (2013). Iranian medical students' attitudes towards English language learning. International Research Journal of Applied and Basic Sciences, 4(12), 3816-3823. https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/c70b/9479bef81f70224320ce262efec7947247f4.pdf
36. Stegmann, S. M. (2014). Motivation and attitudes towards second language learning at primary schools; A comparison of teaching programmes. Unpublished MA thesis. https://bit.ly/2QkzxLM
37. Ushida, E. (2005). The role of students' attitudes and motivation in second language learning in online language courses. CALICO journal, 23(1), 49-78. https://www.jstor.org/stable/pdf/24156232.pdf [DOI:10.1558/cj.v23i1.49-78]
38. Yu B., Watkins D. (2010) Attitudes and motivation in second language acquisition: A study of international students in China from a cultural perspective. In: Chapman D. W., Cummings W. K., Postiglione G. A. (Eds.) Crossing Borders in East Asian Higher Education. CERC Studies in Comparative Education, Vol 27. Springer: Dordrecht. [DOI:10.1007/978-94-007-0446-6_8]
39. Uwimana, D. (2014). English is now official language of Burundi. Iwacu English News, Retrieved from https://goo.gl/hktAc4

Add your comments about this article : Your username or Email:
CAPTCHA

Send email to the article author


Rights and permissions
Creative Commons License This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

© 2024 CC BY-NC 4.0 | International Journal of Research in English Education

Designed & Developed by : Yektaweb