Understanding Undergraduate EFL Learners‘’ English Speaking Self-efficacy Link with their Attitude to the Skill

Abstract

Social Cognitive Theory’ or the ‘Theory of Self-efficacy’ (Albert Bandura) talks about the perceived self-efficacy of one’s own capability of performing a task. Self-efficacy will determine whether or not coping behaviour will be initiated, how much effort will be expanded, and how long it will be sustained in the face of obstacles and adverse circumstances” (Bandura, 1977, p. 191). Attitude (behaviour)is determined by the beliefs about the outcomes of performance (Montano & Kasprzyk, 2008,p.71).Therefore, one’s attitude to a task is primarily determined by his or her self-efficacy about the task performance.   Though, there have been a lot of studies on self-efficacy sources and other variables, it lacks clarity, particularly with reference to foreign language learning, about whether the self-efficacy sources strongly correlate to different aspects of attitude towards language learning. With an assumption that they do so, the current study was proposed.

The current study investigated the correlation between the learners’ English speaking   self-efficacy and their attitude towards the skill. The study is the pilot survey of a doctoral project, currently in progress by the same author. In total, 38 students of pre-university level students participated in the study. A questionnaire covering four major aspects of self-efficacy and three major aspects of attitude concerning five different criteria of speaking measurement was served. Correlation procedures were used to analyse the obtained data. The results indicated positive relationship between the samples’ English speaking self-efficacy and the kind of attitude they have towards the learning and practice of the skill. The researcher hopes that the final outcome of this study will establish the unrevealed facts concerning the inclusion of strategies for self-efficacy enhancement in the pedagogical care to be taken for the teaching of EFL Speaking.