The Importance of a Positive Attitude in Foreign Language Learning and Teaching

Damián Francis

Beyond theories, myths, and beliefs about effective approaches, methods, and techniques used to develop communicative competence in a foreign language, attitude is a factor that must be taken into account. The teaching of English and French is included in the curriculum of the Dominican Republic; however, when students complete their studies, many do not develop the expected level of competence in these languages. Besides factors such as motivation, exposure, interaction, and methodology, attitude also determines the success of learning a target language.

According to Oroujlou and Vahedi (2011), attitude is a set of beliefs that individuals hold toward an object. These beliefs determine their likes and dislikes. When it comes to foreign language teaching and learning, attitude plays an important role in achieving the goal of communicating ideas in the target language. Many language experts believe that the problem of negative attitudes exists only among students; however, the fact is that the attitudes of educators, coordinators, and school principals also influence students' language learning.

In schools where principals have a traditional mindset, the priority is for students to master the four subjects included in the national standardized examination taken at the end of secondary school (Spanish, Mathematics, Social Studies, and Science). For this reason, some principals do little to support foreign language teachers in improving their teaching practice. School principals are responsible for leading their schools and ensuring that educational policies are implemented. If they have a negative attitude toward foreign languages, it will be difficult for students to achieve the goals established in the curriculum for English and French. Some principals view foreign languages as merely another school subject rather than as languages that students should develop the ability to use for listening, speaking, reading, and writing.

When it comes to coordinators, these professionals are responsible for helping teachers improve their instructional practice. If coordinators have a negative attitude toward foreign language education, they will not be able to motivate or effectively support their teachers. When a new foreign language teacher is hired to work in a public or private school, proper training is essential. In many cases, teachers do not teach what they are expected to teach because there is no clear plan or well-defined goal for developing students' communicative competence. For this to be possible, schools need a shared philosophy and a clear vision.

In the case of students, their attitude toward language learning is often influenced by the attitudes of their teachers. During professional meetings, foreign language teachers frequently say that it is difficult to develop students' communicative competence because the students show little interest in learning. However, this lack of interest is often related to what teachers do in the classroom to motivate students and help them fall in love with the language, so to speak. Unfortunately, many students develop a negative attitude toward foreign languages because their teachers fail to consider their interests and needs, do not make their classes engaging, and, worst of all, sometimes underestimate their students' ability to learn the target language.

A high percentage of foreign language educators believe that most public school students will never be able to learn the target language because they assume that students' negative attitude is innate. However, this is simply a myth. According to Oroujlou and Vahedi (2011), in their study on motivation, attitude, and their influence on effective language learning, students' negative attitudes can be changed because they are acquired rather than innate.

Ortega (2013) explains that a negative attitude toward language learning may arise because students perceive it as something that lacks relevance or meaning in their lives. It is difficult to understand how, in a developing country, students could believe that learning a foreign language—especially English—is unimportant, considering its value for professional development and as a means of earning a living.

From my viewpoint, students in both public and private schools often fail in their attempts to learn a foreign language because they develop a negative attitude resulting from a lack of motivation and inadequate conditions for developing communicative competence. This situation is largely the consequence of a misguided mindset held by some school principals, coordinators, and foreign language educators.