Individual Factors Affecting
Language Achievement in Indonesian EFL Setting:
A Causal Model
Ag. Bambang Setiyadi
Some studies have been conducted to
relate individual factors with foreign language learning. This study
attempted to investigate how individual variables with regard to attitude,
motivation and learning strategies play important roles in learning English in
Indonesian EFL setting.
The participants
in this study consisted of 29 male and 50 female students of different
faculties who were taking an English course at a language center. The students
were mostly in the last year of study. The data of attitude, motivation and
learning strategies, which were collected through newly developed
questionnaires, were analysed by undertaking reliability analyses and factor
analyses. The underlying constructs of attitude and motivation, the use of
learning strategies and the language achievement were correlated one another.
The individual variables of attitude, motivation and learning strategies proved to be associated with language achievement. Attitude was significantly correlated with motivation; motivation was significantly associated with the use of language learning strategies and the learning strategies were significantly associated with language achievement. The findings suggest that motivation mediates the relationship between attitude and the use of language learning strategies, while, in turn, language strategies were significantly and positively correlated with the gain scores in learning English. The four individual variables of language learners form a causal model of English learning in Indonesian EFL setting. Implications for the classroom and future research are also discussed in this article.
------- ----
-------
Setiiyadi, A. B. (2005, December). Individual
factors affecting language achievement in Indonesian EFL setting: A causal
model. Paper presented at the 53rd TEFLIN International conference,
Website: www.geocities.com/eltindonesia
Email: eltindonesia@yahoo.com