Abstract:

Whether explored or unexplored, beliefs and attitudes about language learning and teaching could have prominent effects on teaching and learning English as a foreign language. The present study aims to identify beliefs and attitudes about learning and teaching English as a foreign language in the context of preparatory programs in Turkey. The aim of the study is to find the similarities and differences between the students’ and instructors’ beliefs and attitudes. The participants were 111 preparatory program students enrolled at Adana Science and Technology University and 51 instructors who teach English in prep classes in various universities in Turkey. The data were collected through the BALLI (Beliefs about Language Learning Inventory) and an open-ended questionnaire developed by the researchers. The study adopted a mixed methods research design, which involved both qualitative and quantitative data collection tools. The data obtained from the BALLI were analyzed using Statistical Packages for Social Sciences (SPSS 17.0 version for Windows), and the data obtained from the open-ended questionnaire were analyzed using content analysis method. Results show that although similarities exist between students and instructors in their views about the procedures of learning English as a foreign language, there are also some notable differences. This study sheds light into the views of students and instructors on the issue of learning and teaching English as a foreign language at preparatory programs in Turkey.

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