Secondary School Graduates' Linguistic and Personality Attributes: Efl Teachers' Perspectives

Abstract

Secondary school graduates who pursue a university education should possess linguistic and personality attributes and other higher learning abilities. The lack of any of these traits may significantly impact students' future endeavors. This research aims to identify secondary school graduates’ attributes and their types; to discover any significant differences in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teachers’ perceptions due to gender (male/female) years of teaching experience; to discover how linguistic and personality attributes contribute to Saudi secondary school graduates’ EFL learning success. It correlates the teachers' responses based on the type of linguistic and personality attributes, gender, and years of teaching experience. Furthermore, it reviews how linguistic and personality attributes would contribute to secondary school graduates’ EFL learning success. To achieve its objectives, the study applied a descriptive-survey approach, using a questionnaire and a semi-structured interview to collect the data from 61 EFL teachers (33 male, 28 female). The results showed that EFL teachers perceived secondary school graduates as possessing study attributes (linguistic/personality) at a medium level. Significant differences were in the responses of the study sample for the type of attributes (linguistic/personality), favoring the personality attributes and based on the respondents’ years of teaching experience in favor of those with 6-10 years of experience. However, this study did not reveal significant differences in the responses of the study sample based on the respondents' gender (male/female). Based on the findings and their implications, this work asserts that the attributes influence graduates' initiative, competency, the tendency for hard work, and, most importantly, learning success. The study, through a blend of linguistic and personality attributes, enriches EFL teachers' experience in understanding linguistic attributes like correctness, fluency, grammar, reading, writing, and oral and communication skills. This research has explored clarity regarding desirable personality traits, including motivation, interpersonal skills, and the ability to work independently and in-group. Suggestions and recommendations conclude this study.