Approaches to Investigate Learner’s Beliefs about Language Learning

16 2 Beliefs about the Difficulty of Language Learning As Mori 1999 found that learners who believed that the foreign language they were learning is an easy language, tended to do better than those who believed that they were studying a difficult language. It can be inferred that beliefs about the difficulty of language learning associate with language achievement. In addition, Horwitz 1987 found that learners who think that they are learning an easy foreign language but cannot make much progress can be discouraged and may retreat themselves from the language learning process. Peacock 1999 supported this finding by stating that those who are anxious may be reluctant in learning the foreign language which results in their proficiency. In other words, beliefs about the difficulty of language learning were related to language achievement and anxiety. They also determined and affected the success of language learning. 3 Beliefs about the Nature of Language Learning Richard and Lockhart 1996 pointed out that the nature of language learning is related to the importance of learning the grammatical rules, and the importance of learning the vocabulary.Horwitz 1987: 124 found that learners who possess beliefs about the importance of vocabulary and grammar in language learning may have a negative impact in their learning language. It is predicted that language learners would spend a lot of time dealing with memorizing vocabulary list and grammar rules. In addition, Peacock 1999 also said that language learners would achieve less English proficiency when they believe that learning English is a matter of learning grammar rules. PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI 17 However, Wen and Johnson 1997 as stated in Vibulpol 2004: 34 drew more attention to a contrast idea about the negative effects of vocabulary learning. In their study in Chinese EFL learners, they found positive outcomes of vocabulary learning strategies. The positive outcomes came from their practicing vocabulary learning strategies such as memorizing words when reading, consulting dictionary, and using specific techniques to memorize words. Learners who carried out the strategies had higer scores than those who did not. Therefore, it is such a chalenging evidence to do further investigatigation on how the two beliefs give negative or posotive impacts on language learners success. 4 Beliefs about Learning and Communication Strategies In this fourth category of BALLI, Huang 1997 and Yan 1999 found that found some beliefs that are connected with the use of several learning and communication strategies. Yet, beliefs about correct pronunciation and beliefs about self confidence in English influence on learners’ learning. Learners tended to experience anxiety if they concerned about their being correct in their language learning performance but do not have an ability to meet their expectations Horwitz, 1989. Negative effects on language learning process may also occur if learners have beliefs about self confidence in speaking. As stated by Horwitz and Cope 1986, anxious EFL learners were not confident enough to speak the target language. Similar to the previous findings, Oh 1996, Kunt 1997, and Truitt 1995 also found similar relationship in EFL learners. They found that learners who stated that they are lack of confident in speaking English tended to have PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI