A mixed-methods national study investigating key challenges in learning English as a foreign language: A Chinese college student perspective
IntroductionThis mixed-methods national study has a two-fold purpose: (a) to invite Chinese college students to rate their overall difficulties in the eight areas of English learning, i.e., listening, speaking, reading, writing, pronunciation, grammar, vocabulary, and culture; and (b) to invite them...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2022-12-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Psychology |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.1035819/full |
| _version_ | 1811198681383174144 |
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| author | Jinyan Huang Junfei Li Tiantian Shu Yongfang Zhang |
| author_facet | Jinyan Huang Junfei Li Tiantian Shu Yongfang Zhang |
| author_sort | Jinyan Huang |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | IntroductionThis mixed-methods national study has a two-fold purpose: (a) to invite Chinese college students to rate their overall difficulties in the eight areas of English learning, i.e., listening, speaking, reading, writing, pronunciation, grammar, vocabulary, and culture; and (b) to invite them to identify their key challenges in learning EFL. Specifically, the following three research questions were asked: (a) what are their overall difficulties in the eight areas of learning EFL? (b) Are there significant differences in rating their overall difficulties in these eight areas across the demographic variables of gender (i.e., male versus female participants) and subject discipline (arts versus sciences versus English subject disciplines participants)? And (c) what are their key challenges in learning EFL?MethodsThe participants included a sample of 1,525 freshmen and sophomore students currently studying at seven universities across China. The instrument was a survey that consisted of a five-point Likert scale self-evaluation form and a major essay question addressing their key challenges. The qualitative data can help to probe deeply into the research setting to obtain in-depth understandings about Chinese college students’ English learning; and therefore, they can greatly enhance the quantitative data.Results and discussionThe quantitative results indicated that listening, speaking, and writing were their three key difficult areas in EFL learning; further, students’ subject discipline (arts versus sciences verse English subject disciplines) had significant effects on their perceived learning challenges in English listening and vocabulary. The qualitative results confirmed that listening, speaking, and writing were their three key challenging areas. Their specific learning challenges in each area were examined. Implications for Chinese college English teachers and administrators are discussed in terms of pedagogy and policy making, respectively. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-12T01:35:25Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-924f524d88a14930997c132a12e0c665 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1664-1078 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-12T01:35:25Z |
| publishDate | 2022-12-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Psychology |
| spelling | doaj.art-924f524d88a14930997c132a12e0c6652022-12-22T03:53:21ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Psychology1664-10782022-12-011310.3389/fpsyg.2022.10358191035819A mixed-methods national study investigating key challenges in learning English as a foreign language: A Chinese college student perspectiveJinyan Huang0Junfei Li1Tiantian Shu2Yongfang Zhang3School of Education, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, ChinaSchool of Foreign Language, Shanghai Dianji University, Shanghai, ChinaSchool of Education, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, ChinaSchool of Education, Yan’an University, Yan’an, Shaanxi, ChinaIntroductionThis mixed-methods national study has a two-fold purpose: (a) to invite Chinese college students to rate their overall difficulties in the eight areas of English learning, i.e., listening, speaking, reading, writing, pronunciation, grammar, vocabulary, and culture; and (b) to invite them to identify their key challenges in learning EFL. Specifically, the following three research questions were asked: (a) what are their overall difficulties in the eight areas of learning EFL? (b) Are there significant differences in rating their overall difficulties in these eight areas across the demographic variables of gender (i.e., male versus female participants) and subject discipline (arts versus sciences versus English subject disciplines participants)? And (c) what are their key challenges in learning EFL?MethodsThe participants included a sample of 1,525 freshmen and sophomore students currently studying at seven universities across China. The instrument was a survey that consisted of a five-point Likert scale self-evaluation form and a major essay question addressing their key challenges. The qualitative data can help to probe deeply into the research setting to obtain in-depth understandings about Chinese college students’ English learning; and therefore, they can greatly enhance the quantitative data.Results and discussionThe quantitative results indicated that listening, speaking, and writing were their three key difficult areas in EFL learning; further, students’ subject discipline (arts versus sciences verse English subject disciplines) had significant effects on their perceived learning challenges in English listening and vocabulary. The qualitative results confirmed that listening, speaking, and writing were their three key challenging areas. Their specific learning challenges in each area were examined. Implications for Chinese college English teachers and administrators are discussed in terms of pedagogy and policy making, respectively.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.1035819/fullEnglish as a foreign language (EFL)learning challengesEnglish listeningspeakingreadingwriting skills |
| spellingShingle | Jinyan Huang Junfei Li Tiantian Shu Yongfang Zhang A mixed-methods national study investigating key challenges in learning English as a foreign language: A Chinese college student perspective Frontiers in Psychology English as a foreign language (EFL) learning challenges English listening speaking reading writing skills |
| title | A mixed-methods national study investigating key challenges in learning English as a foreign language: A Chinese college student perspective |
| title_full | A mixed-methods national study investigating key challenges in learning English as a foreign language: A Chinese college student perspective |
| title_fullStr | A mixed-methods national study investigating key challenges in learning English as a foreign language: A Chinese college student perspective |
| title_full_unstemmed | A mixed-methods national study investigating key challenges in learning English as a foreign language: A Chinese college student perspective |
| title_short | A mixed-methods national study investigating key challenges in learning English as a foreign language: A Chinese college student perspective |
| title_sort | mixed methods national study investigating key challenges in learning english as a foreign language a chinese college student perspective |
| topic | English as a foreign language (EFL) learning challenges English listening speaking reading writing skills |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.1035819/full |
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