The Impact of Avoidance Behavior on Learning
- Details
- Category: English Language and Literature
- Published: Sunday, 08 April 2012 03:00
- Written by Yazan Shaker Al-Mhameed
- Hits: 2626
Abstract
The Impact of Avoidance behavior on Learning English Prepositions by
Jordanian English Majors at Mutah University
Yazan Shaker Al-Mhameed
Mutah University, 2011
This study was conducted in order to examine the impact of avoidance on learning English prepositions by Jordanian English majors at Mutah University. It highlighted the role of similarities in meaning between the English and the Arabic prepositions in avoidance of the English prepositions.
To achieve this purpose, this study attempted to investigate the following two hypotheses:
- Jordanian English majors use avoidance behavior when there are similarities in meaning between the Arabic and the English prepositions. In other words, avoidance is not likely only when the Arabic and the English prepositions are different in meaning.
- Language proficiency level has an important effect on Jordanian learners avoidance strategy. In other words, the less advanced learners have a greater tendency to resort to avoidance more than the advanced students.
The population of the study consisted of (393) male and female students majoring in English as a foreign language at Mutah University in Jordan during the second semester in the academic year 2010-2011.
The sample of the study consisted of (100) English majors who were selected purposefully.
The study included three tests, each of which consisted of two parts, the multiple choice test, the translation test, and the correction test.
The findings of the study showed that the majority of Jordanian English majors at Mutah University had a low level of avoidance when the English and the Arabic prepositions are similar in meaning and a high level of avoidance when the English and the Arabic prepositions are different in meaning. This gives partial support for the first hypothesis of the study. Also the study revealed that language proficiency level did not have an important impact on the avoidance of the English prepositions, more specifically the study indicated that both the second and the fourth year students showed a low level of avoidance when the English and the Arabic prepositions are similar in meaning