The Impact of medium of instruction on students’ foreign language learning beliefs

Download

index.pdf

Date

2015

Author

Utku Yurdakul, Ayşegül

Metadata

Show full item record

Item Usage Stats

236
views

106
downloads

This thesis analyzes the impact and magnitude of the language medium of instruction adopted at undergraduate programs on the foreign language learning beliefs of students attending compulsory language preparatory programs of their universities prior to commencing their higher education. The research was conducted at two universities in Ankara: Middle East Technical University (METU), where all academic education is provided in English, and TOBB University of Economics & Technology (TOBB), where programs are offered in either 100 per cent Turkish or a combination of 70 per cent Turkish and 30 per cent English. The data was collected through a survey questionnaire and semi-structured interviews. In total, 295 students participated in the questionnaire, and 26 in the interviews. v Data analysis was conducted both quantitatively and qualitatively in order to identify inter-group similarities and differences in the language learning belief patterns of English-medium students and Turkish-medium students regarding motivations, strategies, nature of language learning, apprehension/ difficulty, and aptitude in language learning. The research revealed that, although significant differences existed in some beliefs in the areas of motivations, strategies, nature of language learning and apprehension/ difficulty, the overall trend in beliefs were similar in both groups, emanating from students' awareness on the essentialness of learning English in the current era.

Subject Keywords

English language, English language, Motivation in education., Learning, Psychology of.

URI

http://etd.lib.metu.edu.tr/upload/12618718/index.pdf
https://hdl.handle.net/11511/24620

Collections

Graduate School of Social Sciences, Thesis

Suggestions

OpenMETU
Core

Social identity change among english language learners: a case study Tarhan, Hakan; Karaman, Abdullah Cendel; Department of English Language Teaching (2015) This case study has been conducted in order to explore social identity change among a group of language learners studying in the English language preparatory program at a private university in Turkey. The relationship between the students’ self-system types and their academic performance was also investigated. The data were collected through face-to-face interviews with eleven students and the instructors who taught them during an academic year and the assessment and performance reports each instructor prep...
An Analysis of the needs and perceptions of english language teachers and students in an EAP course Demir, Müslüme; Eröz Tuğa, Betil; Department of English Language Teaching (2015) The purpose of this study is to investigate the perceptions and needs of English language teachers and students pertaining to an EAP course -Professional Communication Skills (PCS 406)- and propose an In-Service Teacher Training Module for EFL teachers working in the Foreign Languages Unit at a private university in Ankara. Hence, a case study was designed to investigate the needs of the stakeholders: the learners, teachers and principal. The study undertook a multifaceted needs analysis including questionn...
An investigation into the relationship between emotional intelligence skills and foreign language anxiety of students at a private university Ergün, Ekin; Seferoğlu, Gölge; Department of English Language Teaching (2011) This study aims to investigate the relationship between emotional intelligence skills and foreign language anxiety levels of students from Atılım University Preparatory School, in addition to looking at Foreign Language Anxiety (FLA) and Emotional Intelligence (EI) in relation to gender, high-school background, foreign language background and the level of exposure to English. In the data gathering process, 436 students from a private university preparatory school participated. The data were collected in thr...
Role of drama activities on foreign language anxiety and motivation of higher education EFLl students Edoğan, Pelin; Akar, Hanife; Department of Educational Sciences (2013) The study investigates into the role of drama activities on foreign language anxiety and motivation of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) students at Gazi University School of Foreign Languages. The participants included EFL students (N=123) and their language instructors (N=7). Through action research, quantitative and qualitative data collection instruments were incorporated into the study in three phases. Quantitative data were collected through a foreign language anxiety and motivation questionnaire, a...
Investigating ELT instructors' perceived competencies: challenges and suggestions Canbolat, Nilay; Daloğlu, Ayşegül; Department of English Literature (2013) This study aims at finding out instructors’ perceived competencies in Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) and Ministry of Education (MONE) competencies, and accordingly exploring strengths and weaknesses of the ELT undergraduate program as well as providing suggestions for a more effective and fruitful program. At the first phase of the research, a questionnaire is given to seventy-five participants, working in the department of Foreign Languages at various universities. For the secon...

Citation Formats

A. Utku Yurdakul, “The Impact of medium of instruction on students’ foreign language learning beliefs,” M.S. - Master of Science, Middle East Technical University, 2015.