Attitudes of Jordanian EFL Students towards Learning English Idioms

Abstract

This paper presents the results of a field study which was carried out to identify Jordanian EFL students' attitudes towards learning English idioms. The study sample consisted of 94 students majoring in Translation and English Language and Literature at Yarmouk University, Jordan. A questionnaire was used to investigate the subjects' attitudes. The findings show that the majority of the participants have positive attitudes towards learning English idioms as they believe in their importance for achieving effective communication in English. Moreover, the data show that neither the subjects' gender nor their academic major has a significant effect on their attitudes towards learning English idioms as most of the participants displayed a highly positive attitude towards learning these idioms.

Afghan EFL students’ difficulties and strategies in learning and understanding English idioms

“…The findings demonstrated that participants' gender and first language did not have any significant impact on the attitude of students towards the importance of learning idioms. It is in line with the results of the studies by Ababneh (2016) and Tadayyon and Ketabi (2014) who reported no significant difference between the attitude of female and male students towards learning idioms. It is also similar with the findings of the study by Orfan (2020) who reported that EFL students' gender and first language did not have any significant impact on their attitude towards learning English.…”

“…The analysis of the data revealed that the attitude of the Afghan undergraduate EFL leaners towards the importance of learning idioms was very positive. This result is in line with the findings of the studies carried out by Orfan (2020), Al-Houti and Aldaihani 2018, Ababneh (2016) and Tadayyon and Ketabi (2014). However, it contradicts the results of the studies by Abidin et al (2012) and Al-Zahrani (2008) who found that EFL learners carried negative attitudes towards learning English.…”

“…A thorough review of the literature was carried out to design the questionnaire. The questionnaire items were adopted from the relevant literature (e.g., Alhaysony, 2017;Al-khawaldeh et al, 2016;Ababneh, 2016;Khan & Can Daşkin, 2014;Saleh & Zakaria, 2013;Guduru, 2012;Pimenova, 2011;Liu, 2008;Liontas, 2002;Pucelj, 2018). The first part of the questionnaire sought demographic information of the participants, i.e., gender and first language.…”

Idiomaticity as a Language Learning Barrier: The EFL Context of Saudi Arabia

“…This positive attitude is interpreted as learners' awareness of the fact that knowledge and mastery of idioms is a mark of competence in the target language. Ababneh's (2016) findings are in line with those of Al-Houti and Aldaihani (2018, pp. 147-148), who conducted their study in a Kuwaiti context and concluded that Kuwaiti EFL college students had positive attitudes toward idiom learning, particularly with respect to their importance, the difficulties involved, and learning strategies.…”

How can movies be effective in learning English idiomatic and everyday expressions?

“…The results indicated that Iranian EFL learners have a very high positive attitude towards both learning and producing English idioms. Ababneh (2016) studied the attitude of Jordanian EFL students towards learning English idioms. The findings showed that the majority of the participants have positive attitudes towards learning English idioms as they believed in their importance for achieving effective communication in English.…”