INVESTIGATING LEARNERS’ BELIEFS IN LEARNING ENGLISH: A CASE STUDY

The purpose of this study was to investigate the beliefs of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners in a mixed-ability class of a private university in Yogyakarta. Having 30 respondents who took an English class at the Language Training Centre of the university, this study mostly employed a quantitative research design, through which data were taken using the BALLI questionnaire consisting of 35 question items. To support the quantitative data, interview were conducted. The quantitative data were analyzed using a 5-point Likert-scale, while the qualitative data were verbally described. The results show that learners‘ self-efficacy and expectation about learning English is low (3.20); learners‘ perceived value and nature of learning spoken English is fair (3.76); learners‘ beliefs about foreign language aptitude is low (3.11); learners‘ beliefs in formal structural studies (3.11) is also low. Therefore, it is suggested that teachers evaluate their teaching approach and strategy in order to increase students‘ motivation, confidence, and interest in learning English which can eventually promote learners‘ success in learning English as a foreign language.


INTRODUCTION
Beliefs are not only influential in one's life, but also one's process of learning (Fazilatfar, Harsej, & Heirati, 2014). In learning a foreign language, the role of beliefs in every individual learner is pivotal because they can affect the learning direction and, provided that they are properly treated, beliefs will facilitate learning process. The process and result of learning are affected by learners' beliefs (Ellis, 2008). Ultimately, it will contribute to the success of learning the target language. In Indonesia, English that has been considered as a language for international communication is learned as a foreign language and in a lot of contexts, particularly tertiary education, non-English department students have to take English as a compulsory subject, whether they like it or not. Therefore, it is common to see problems that usually occur during the teaching-learning process of a foreign language. Students' lack of motivation, enthusiasm, and low English proficiency are among the most frequent problematic issues that teachers have to deal with. Teachers should not ignore these facts and do nothing to investigate the source of those obstacles in the process of teaching and learning.
In language learning, beliefs are seen as an individual variable that is neither ability nor trait-like tendency (Ellis, 2008). Studying learners' beliefs cannot be separated from the selfefficacy theory. Self-efficacy is how people perceive their ability to set a certain degree of performance on events that influence their life (Bandura, 1998). According to Bandura (2011), efficacy beliefs that consist of cognitive, motivational, emotional, and decisional processes play a big role in a way that they can affect people's behavior, whether they will become pessimist or optimist, in self-improving or selfundermining ways. Furthermore, Bandura (2011) urged that self-efficacy beliefs are influential to people's commitment, as well as their determined desires and challenges. They also affect how people see

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http://journal.uinjkt.ac.id/index.php/ijee | DOI: http://doi.org/10.15408/ijee.v6i2.14362 P-ISSN: 2356-1777, E-ISSN: 2443-0390 | This is an open access article under CC-BY-SA license opportunities and challenges. It can be said that people with high self-efficacy view challenges as positive opportunities. Meanwhile, Shea & Bidjerano (2010) cited Bandura that selfefficacy is subjective in a way that one judges the degree of his or her competence to perform particulars conducts or to achieve future goals. Therefore, self-efficacy does not measure one's actual competence. People with a high level of self-efficacy are usually confident that they will reach high achievement (Mizumoto, 2013). Regarding learning a foreign language, when learners have high selfefficacy, they are motivated and have high confidence that they will be able to achieve success based on their desired goal in learning a foreign language.
Other factors that are influential in language learning are motivation and attitude (Oroujlou & Vahedi, 2011). Motivation plays a crucial role in the process of learning a second or foreign language because it affects the success of learning the target language (Dörnyei, 1998;Tremblay & Gardner, 1995). Furthermore, Dörnyei (1998) added that motivation functions as a driving force for continuous learning to take place. However, true motivation cannot solely be seen from learners' desire and satisfaction in learning the target language. Motivation to learn a foreign language needs to be accompanied by effort (Tremblay & Gardner, 1995). It can be said that effort represents learners' positive attitude.
Meanwhile, learners see teachers as influencers of their attitude, meaning that teachers can shape learners' attitudes (Wright, 1999). Similarly, Bower (2017) stated that learners' motivation is closely related to the learning context, meaning that learners' motivation and the learning context affect each other.
Meanwhile, motivation is temporary as Ellis (2008) urged that motivation can change during the process of learning a second language due to learners' evaluation and explanation of their progress or setback.
Language aptitude refers to the individual ability in learning a foreign language in a short time and without great efforts (Parry & Stansfield, 1990). It means learners with high language aptitude can demonstrate the ability to learn a certain foreign language in a short time and do not encounter serious obstacles. Language aptitude has been known as one of the most significant factors that can contribute to the success of L2 learning (Ma, Yao, & Zhang, 2018). Furthermore, it is stated that cross-linguistic difference is found in learners' language aptitude and their ability in learning vocabulary and that there are benefits that L3 learners can take from various components of the  (Ma et al., 2018). Meanwhile, Parry & Stansfield, (1990) suggested that there are four components of foreign language aptitude: phonetic coding ability, grammatical sensibility, memory abilities, and inductive language learning abilities. According to Yalçın, Çeçen, & Erçetin (2016), language aptitude and working memory capacity are two variables in individual differences that may have crucial roles in the learning process in different situations. Furthermore, (Yalçın et al., 2016) stated that in memorizing every item and processing the correlation among them, the capacity to remember and operate verbal information in working memory is important.
Learners' beliefs about learning a foreign language have been investigated for decades, as language learning is often seen as merely involving translating, grammar learning, and vocabulary learning (Horwitz, 1985b). A lot of studies that investigate learners' beliefs have been widely conducted and they highlight various findings. Mercer (2011) investigated the beliefs of two expert language learners, and the findings revealed that the systems of learners' beliefs are very complicated, interconnected, and dynamic. Mercer (2011) added that learners' beliefs possibly change depending on context and learners' private experience. That is to say that the environment in which learners live and learn as well as their personal experiences contribute to change their belief in learning a foreign language. Meanwhile, some studies on how anxiety takes place in the process of learning a foreign language were also conducted (Aslan & Thompson, 2018;Marwan, 2016 (2014) reported that not only do the beliefs of learners about language learning influence their use of learning strategy, but their level of English skills also affect the frequency of use and learning strategies choices. A similar study examining learners' beliefs by using the BALLI questionnaire and TEM4 score was done by Ren & Bai (2016) to find out how learners' beliefs correlate with learners' achievement in learning a foreign language. The result showed that learning belief generally affects learning achievement, but not foundational (Ren & Bai, 2016). In other words, learners' belief is not the sole factor of the success of language learning, but to a certain degree, it affects learners' achievement along with other contributing factors. BALLI questionnaire was also used to investigate learners' beliefs about grammar instruction and error correction (Loewen et al., 2009). The results showed learners' various perspectives on grammar instructionmany saw grammar instruction as a useful, positive thing, while others viewed it as a negative thing and preferred focus on communication to focus on grammar (Loewen et al., 2009). Another study to find out whether or not learners' beliefs about learning English as a foreign language change over a period of time was carried out in Iran (Fazilatfar et al., 2014). The result of the study was suggested as a consideration in employing a certain approach in teaching English as a foreign language.
This study aimed to investigate learners' beliefs in learning English as a foreign language by using BALLI questionnaire as the instrument to collect primary data. Since the context is specific, there are no attempts to generalize the findings of this study, although they may serve as a basis for considering the use of certain approaches, methods, and strategies in teaching English.

METHOD
This study employed primarily a quantitative method, through which were mostly collected quantitatively. The quantitative data were gathered from BALLI questionnaire. To strengthen the quantitative data and to gain richer information, interviews were conducted.

Participants
Since this study is a case study, the number of participants was limited so that it can focus on investigating the case of the intended context. There were 30 students of semester 4 taking part in this study who participated by responding to question items provided in the questionnaire. The students were the first semester students of the International Relations department who were enrolled in an English class at the Language Training Centre of Universitas Muhammadiyah Yogyakarta.
To gain more comprehensive data, two participants were selected for semi-structured interviews.

Instruments
To gain quantitative data, this study used the BALLI questionnaire. The questionnaire was developed by Horwitz (1985). Horwitz's BALLI questionnaire was used because this questionnaire has been widely used in a lot of research on learners' beliefs (Abdolahzadeh & Rajaee Nia, 2014;Ariogul et al., 2009;Aslan & Thompson, 2018;Bagherzadeh, 2012;Cephe & Yalcin, 2015;Fujiwara, 2011;Horwitz, 1985;Ren & Bai, 2016), so its validity is high. In addition to its popularity, Hortwitz's BALLI questionnaire covers 4 crucial factors which contribute to learners' belief in language learning: (1) self-efficacy and expectation about learning English; (2) perceived value and nature of learning spoken English; (3) beliefs about foreign language aptitude; (4) beliefs about formal structural studies. To strengthen the quantitative data and to explore learners' beliefs on language learning more comprehensively, semi-structured interviews were conducted. An interview guideline was used during the interviews.

Data analysis procedure
The quantitative data gained through questionnaire were analyzed using a five-point Likert scale: strongly agree (5), agree (4), neither disagree nor agree (3), disagree (2), and strongly disagree (1). After the quantitative data were analyzed, the data from interviews were transcribed then verbally described. The qualitative data from interviews were analyzed to strengthen the data gained through the questionnaire.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
The data gained through the BALLI questionnaire are categorized into four main factors and the question items which belong to each factor will be analyzed. The results of analyzing the questionnaire using a measurement of the five-point Likert scale are categorized into the following criteria in table 1. As shown in Table 1 above, in general, the scoring criteria for each item are measured under very high, high, fair, low, and poor.

Learners' self-efficacy and expectation about learning English (3.20)
The result of questioning learners' self-efficacy and expectation about learning English is shown in the following table, in which the respondents respond to the five statements, It is shown in the following table 2.  (17) agree on that statement and only three of them who neither agree nor disagree. Interestingly, none of them disagree nor strongly disagree. In response to the first statement-I have a special ability for learning foreign languages-most of the students (15) neither agree nor disagree about their ability to learn to speak English very well. The score on that is the highest (45). There is only 1 student who does not agree on this. Regarding the third statement (I feel timid speaking English with other people) most of the students do not agree nor disagree (10). Surprisingly, only 1 student who does not agree on this. Regarding difficulty in English, most of the students agree that English is an easy language (14). So, it is not surprising that a lot of them enjoy practicing English with Americans they meet. Twelve students agree on this, yet the number is almost the same as those who neither disagree nor agree on this. In fact, 15 students are neutral about this statement. Concerning the last statement (people from my country are good at learning foreign languages), most of the students (10) neither agree nor disagree on it. Only six students agree, and, surprisingly, four students disagree. They do not think that Indonesians are good at learning foreign languages. In short, students' have low self-efficacy and expectations about learning English.
Meanwhile, the data gained through interviews show contrasting findings. The two students who were interviewed claimed that they are confident in learning English. One participant confessed that because her hobby is listening to English songs, it boosts her level of confidence in learning English. Meanwhile, another participant said that her certainty in learning English is due to her willingness to learn English. As stated in the excerpt above, one participant expressed that English is not difficult because it is fun. When English is perceived as a subject which is not difficult, it implies that the learner's attitude toward English learning is positive, which means that she has good self-efficacy. Another participant compared L1 with L2 and uttered that L2 is not as complicated as L1 as it does not have linguistic attributes such as affixes, which are present in L1.

Learners' perceived value and nature of learning spoken English (3.76)
The second factor to be analyzed is learners' perceived value and nature of learning spoken English. It is shown in the following table 3. learners' perceived value and nature of learning spoken English, the highest score is on the first statement-I want to learn to speak English well (4.63). The score is very significant (105) as there are 21 students who strongly agree. Only six students who neither disagree nor disagree with it. No students agree nor strongly disagree with this. The total scoring on the first statement is almost as much as the scoring on the second statement. Most students (20) also strongly agree that it is important to repeat and practice a lot and there are six students who are neutral. No one disagrees nor strongly disagrees with this. The total score on this statement is 4.46. Regarding the third statement, people in my country feel that it is important to speak English, most of the students (10) strongly agree with this and 10 agree. However, there is one student who disagrees with it. In the fourth statement (It is best to learn English in an English-speaking country) 13 students neither agree nor disagree. The score is the highest (39). Only four students agree with this. The next statement (I would like to have American friends) also has the highest score on ‗neither agree nor disagree.' There are 15 students who are not sure about this. However, seven students strongly agree and six students agree with the statement about having American friends. In the next statement-It is important to speak English with excellent pronunciation-most students (11) strongly agree and 8 students agree with it. Only one student disagrees. The positive result is on the statement: Everyone can learn to speak a foreign language. 13 students strongly agree, and no one disagrees nor strongly disagrees. A very high score is gained on their belief about better opportunities for a good job if they learn English well. 17 students strongly agree and no students disagree nor disagree. The contrary result is found in the following statement: You shouldn't say anything in English until you can say it correctly. 14 students disagree and 8 students strongly disagree. Only one student agrees. In the last statement-It is important to practice with cassettes or tapes, 14 students agree, and 10 students are neutral. From the explanation above, it can be concluded that students' perceived value and nature of learning spoken English is fair (3.76).
The findings from the interview show that concerning learners' perceived value and nature of learning a spoken language (English), the two participants believed that doing a lot of practice is important. When being asked further about the best way to learn English, the participants stated the following: The two responses from the two participants above imply that they are aware of the strategy used in learning the target language. According to Griffith (as cited in afshar & Movassagh, 2017), language learning strategies refer to learners' conscious activities to regulate their own process of learning a language. Linck et al. (as cited in Ma et al. , 2018) asserted that meaningful practice in learning a foreign language can boost learners' associative memory.
In addition to learners' conscious awareness about the need to practice the target language, they were also interviewed to find out their perception about making errors. The two participants uttered different point of views on errors in language learning: It"s fine. When we make mistakes, we can correct them. We learn by doing. (Int.4A) No. I"d rather keep silent than making mistakes when speaking (Int.4B) As shown in the excerpts above, one participant confessed that error is seen as a normal process of learning. This is in line with Papangkorn (2015) who stated that error is useful for language teachers because it informs the teachers about learners' learning process and their accuracy. On the other hand, the second participant would rather avoid errors because he is afraid that he will be humiliated. This finding supports a previous study carried out by Papangkorn (2015) who found out that most students felt reluctant to have their errors' corrected by the teacher because it will affect their feelings.

Learners' beliefs about foreign language aptitude (3.11)
The third factor to be analyzed is learners' beliefs about foreign language aptitude. The result can be seen in Table  4. As displayed in Table 4, the highest score is on the statement-some languages are easier to learn than others (3.63). Most students (10) are neutral and 7 of them strongly agree on this. However, only two students disagree with it. The other quite high score is on their belief whether -it is easier for children than adults to learn a foreign language" (3.23). The highest score is on -strongly agree‖ (35). 14 students neither disagree nor disagree and six of them strongly disagree. for someone who already speaks a foreign language to learn another one" (3.23). Most students agree with the statement (12) and the number is the same as those who neither disagree nor agree (12). Then, about the length of the period that someone spent in learning English, many of them (11) believe that it takes six to 10 years to become fluent in English if they spend one hour a day learning it. Students mostly agree that "Some people have a special ability for learning foreign languages" (14). However, only one student who agrees that ‗Women are better than men at learning foreign languages." 16 of them are neutral, seven of them disagree, and three of them strongly disagree. So, most students believe that gender has nothing to do with achievement in learning a language. An interesting fact is found related to whether ‗People who are good at mathematics or science are not good at learning foreign languages." No one strongly agrees (0), two agree, nine are neutral, 15 do not agree, and three of them strongly disagree. The total score of that statement is three or low. So, most students disagree that the ability in mathematics does not influence the ability to learn foreign languages. A positive result is in the statement: ‗Some people have a special ability for learning foreign languages." Most of them agree (14 students), 10 of them are neutral, five of them agree, and no one agrees. And the last, no one strongly agrees that "People who speak more than one language are very intelligent," there are seven students who agree, 14 are neutral, and seven disagree on it. The total score for this statement is 2.8 or low. So, in general, students do not consider that the ability to speak more than one language determines someone's intelligence. To sum up, learners' have a low belief about foreign language aptitude.
The data from the interviews show that both participants do not correlate the success or failure of learning a foreign language with gender. The next factor to be analyzed is learners' beliefs in formal structural studies. It is shown in the following table 5. English. The number is quite significant (12 students), yet there are nine students who are neutral and five who disagree. The total number of those who agree with that statement is slightly above the total score about the importance of learning grammar and translating words into the native language. Many students agree on those statements (12 students). Yet, nine students disagree about the importance of grammar, and four students disagree about the role of translating English into Bahasa Indonesia. However, some students agree that it is easier to read and write English than to speak and understand it (seven students). Others are neutral (14) and disagree (12). Related to learners' belief about memorization in learning language, most students are neutral (12), seven students agree, three students strongly agree, and four disagree. A few students agree that it is easier to speak than understand a foreign language (4), but most of them neither agree nor disagree (14). Very few students strongly agree that ‗Learning a foreign language is different from learning other academic subjects", while most students agree (10), and 12 students neither agree nor disagree. Most students neither agree nor disagree (16) related to guessing words in English. Only two who disagree, but there are five who agree. The last is about treating errors. Most students (8) agree that permitting students to make errors without correction will result in difficulty to speak accurately. However, six students disagree with it. In this section, the statement with the highest score is the importance of learning vocabulary (4.03).
The data gained from the interviews support the result as reported above, especially about the importance of learning vocabulary. Both participants agreed that vocabulary mastery is crucial because having a lack of vocabulary will impede their ability in learning the language. One participant added: Learning a foreign language is not only about learning vocabulary. We must focus on the 4 skills. (Int.6A) The importance of vocabulary in foreign language acquisition had been highlighted in Mizumoto's study (2013) who stated that vocabulary is related to self-efficacy, as higher self-efficacy will lead to more knowledge of vocabulary.

CONCLUSION AND SUGGESTIONS
Based on this study, there are three factors that are in low category: learners' self-efficacy and expectation about learning English, their beliefs about foreign language attitude, and their beliefs in formal structural studies. Meanwhile, one factor is in the fair

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http://journal.uinjkt.ac.id/index.php/ijee | DOI: http://doi.org/10.15408/ijee.v6i2.14362 P-ISSN: 2356-1777, E-ISSN: 2443-0390 | This is an open access article under CC-BY-SA license category, that is learners' perceived value and nature of learning spoken English. It can be concluded that learners need to be motivated in order to increase their self-efficacy and attitude in learning English. Therefore, teachers need to be more aware of this reality and action must be taken, i.e., employing a more motivating approach, strategy, or technique in teaching English, so that eventually it can enhance learners' motivation, confidence, and interest in learning English.