Language Learners' Attitudes Toward Online and Face-To-Face Language Environments

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Education
• Linguistics

Background:

• Learners' attitudes significantly impact language acquisition success.
• The attitude toward behavior construct from social psychology offers a framework to study these attitudes.
• Understanding attitudes in different learning modalities is crucial for effective pedagogy.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine learners' attitudes toward face-to-face and online language learning using the attitude toward behavior construct.
• To compare attitudes across different language learning environments.
• To assess the utility of the attitude toward behavior framework in predicting learner attitudes.

Main Methods:

• A mixed-method approach combining questionnaires and interviews.
• Data collected from 681 participants in face-to-face settings and 287 in online settings.
• Utilized the attitude toward behavior construct to design data collection instruments.

Main Results:

• The attitude toward behavior concept proved effective for understanding and predicting learner attitudes.
• Participants demonstrated a more positive attitude toward face-to-face language learning compared to online settings.
• The study identified key factors influencing attitudes in both learning environments.

Conclusions:

• The attitude toward behavior framework is a valuable tool for analyzing learner attitudes in language education.
• Face-to-face learning environments foster more positive learner attitudes than online settings.
• Findings inform curriculum design, policy, and instructional support for diverse language learning contexts.