The Relationship between Saudi EFL Students’ Attitudes towards Learning English and their Academic Achievement
Abstract
This study aimed to explore the attitudes of Umm Al-Qura University students (Al-Qunfudah branch) towards learning English as a Foreign Language (EFL), as well as to study factors affecting their attitudes towards learning EFL. The study also investigated the relationship between the students’ attitudes and their grade point average (GPA). The researchers designed a questionnaire to measure the students’ attitudes towards learning EFL. The researchers also interviewed a number of English major students to explore the factors that affect their attitudes towards learning EFL. The sample of this study consisted of 112 English major students from Umm Al-Qura University / Al-Qunfudah branch. These students were randomly chosen from different levels (second, third and fourth year students), and the results of the study showed that the students have overall positive attitudes towards learning EFL. The results also indicated that students with high GPAs have the highest positive attitudes towards learning English, followed by the medium GPA students and finally the low GPA students.