English Self-Efficacy and Gender Differences Among Saudi EFLLearners:A Focused Study on Confidence Across Language Skills

English self-efficacy significantly influences learners’ success, confidence, andperformance in essential language tasks. In Saudi Arabia, where Englishproficiency is becoming increasingly crucial, numerous EFL learners encounter challenges in developing self-confidence, resulting in discrepancies between their perceived abilities and their actual performance. This study examined Saudi EFLlearners’ self-efficacy levels across four core language skills–listening, speaking, reading, and writing–while investigating gender differences in their self- perceptions. A descriptive quantitative research design was employed, involving a cross-sectional survey of 477 university students selected through stratifiedrandom sampling to ensure broad representation. The participants completed the ‘Questionnaire of English Self-Efficacy,’ which was designed to measure their confidence in performing various language tasks. Descriptive and inferential statistical analyses were used to identify the critical patterns and gender-baseddifferences. The results revealed moderate overall self-efficacy among learners, with reading identified as the skill with which they demonstrated the highest confidence, while speaking exhibited the lowest confidence levels. Both listeningand writing skills showed moderate self-efficacy, indicating potential for targetedimprovement. Notably, significant gender differences emerged, with female learners reporting higher self-efficacy in speaking than their male counterparts. These findings emphasize the necessity of targeted pedagogical approaches toenhance verbal communication, particularly for male students, alongside structured support to strengthen listening and writing skills. Integrating authentic language tasks and interactive classroom activities is essential to enhance self- efficacy in all language skills. Future research should investigate self-efficacyacross diverse educational settings, and conduct longitudinal studies to monitor its progression.