Measuring the Effect of Religion, Gender, and Field of Study on Saudi University Learners' Attitudes and Motivation toward Learning and Using English as a Foreign Language

Abstract

Abstract : This study measures the attitudes and motivation of university students at King Faisal University in Saudi Arabia, Eastern Province, toward learning and utilizing English as a foreign language. The attitudes and motivation were measured in terms of three factors: religion, gender, and field of study. This topic is highly relevant to language learning since relevant literature highlighted the direct correlation between learner achievement and attitude toward foreign language learning. Two hundred and thirty-four students (males and females) from the College of Education and the College of Science at King Faisal University were asked to respond to a questionnaire that assesses their attitudes and motivation toward learning and utilizing English. The questionnaire addressed four domains: attitudes toward learning English, motivation toward learning English, effects of religion and culture on students' attitudes, and attitudes toward the usefulness of English compared to Arabic. The results of the study showed that the majority of the students have positive attitudes toward learning and utilizing English. Also, the students were more instrumentally than integratively motivated It has also been found that students do not think that English language and culture pose a threat to their native language or Islamic identity. On the contrary, positive religious thoughts about the English language and Western culture lead to positive attitudes in learning and utilizing English. This means that religion can be a good motivator for Saudi university students to learn English. In addition, the results also showed that there are no statistically significant differences in the attitudes of male and female students and that there are no statistically significant differences in the attitudes of students who study at the College of Education and those who study at the College of Science