The students’ attitudes towards English language learning: diagnosis

This paper includes the diagnostic to determine the reasons of the lack of student enthusiasm towards English learning, which confirmed the need to intervene the language curriculum using students’ input and study its influence in their attitudes towards the language and learning outcomes. The diagnosis of the students’ attitudes based on the literature review that permitted to arrive to some theoretical insights about the influence of attitudes in the students’ learning outcomes. The diagnosis of the attitudes towards the language took place following the study case method steps and principles. The case consisted of a group of 18 students of the second term, to whom I was the English teacher. I diagnosed the attitudes they brought from previous levels of study. The results of the diagnosis showed that the students’ attitudes towards the language, at their entrance to the university, are influenced by the teacher’s methods and materials, and language needs, mainly, affecting their learning outcomes. Then, I decided to include students’ input as part of the curriculum development in the English language classroom and study the possible changes in their attitudes and learning outcomes.