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Article published In: Revista Española de Lingüística Aplicada/Spanish Journal of Applied Linguistics
Vol. 37:1 (2024) ► pp.109–142

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Spanish enrollment decline and students’ beliefs and attitudes

Does gender matter?

ORCiD logo with link | Washington University in St. Louis
 | Washington University in St. Louis
 | Washington University in St. Louis
Published online: 18 January 2024
DOI logo with link
https://doi.org/10.1075/resla.21030.bal
Abstract
Universities across the USA are experiencing a decline in foreign language enrollment and in advanced Spanish courses (Looney, D., & Lusin, N. (2019). Enrollments in languages other than English in United States institutions of higher education, summer 2016 and fall 2016: Final report. Modern Language Association, 1–92.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar; Lusin, N., Peterson, T., Sulewski, C., & Zafer, R. (2023). Enrollments in languages other than English in US institutions of higher education: Fall 2021. Modern Language Association of America. [URL]), with a trend of higher female enrollment (Brantmeier, C., Dolosic, H., Balmaceda, D., & Li, Y. (2019). Revisiting gender and L2 reading Spanish at the university level: The evolution of reading skill components across instructional levels. Hispania, 102(4), 513–527. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar; Chavez, M. (2001). Gender in the language classroom. McGraw Hill.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar). Literature in Second Language Acquisition and Sociopsychology has studied how beliefs can influence a student’s thoughts and actions regarding their decision to enroll in a particular course (Mills, N., & Moulton, S. (2017). Students’ and instructors’ perceived value of language and content curricular goals. Foreign Language Annals, 50(4), 717–733. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar; Omrod, J. E. (2011). Human learning (6th ed.). Allyn & Bacon.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar; Taylor, F., & Mardsen, E. (2014). Perceptions, attitudes and choosing to study foreign languages in England: An experimental intervention. Modern Language Journal, 98(4), 902–920. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar). The present study aims to investigate advanced Spanish learners’ awareness, beliefs, and attitudes toward four language learning skills and their differences by gender. Overall results indicated that participants from two different advanced Spanish courses had more positive beliefs and attitudes toward speaking and listening than reading and writing. Additionally, a higher proportion of female students had more positive beliefs toward the four skills than male students. Pedagogical implications and future directions on student uptake are suggested in this study.
Resumen
El decaimiento en la matrícula de cursos de español a nivel universitario, creencias y actitudes de los estudiantes: ¿Importa el género?
Las universidades en los EE. UU. están sufriendo un decaimiento en las inscripciones en cursos de idiomas extranjeros y en cursos avanzados de español (Looney, D., & Lusin, N. (2019). Enrollments in languages other than English in United States institutions of higher education, summer 2016 and fall 2016: Final report. Modern Language Association, 1–92.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar; Lusin, N., Peterson, T., Sulewski, C., & Zafer, R. (2023). Enrollments in languages other than English in US institutions of higher education: Fall 2021. Modern Language Association of America. [URL]), con una tendencia de mayor inscripción de mujeres en los cursos avanzados de español (Brantmeier, C., Dolosic, H., Balmaceda, D., & Li, Y. (2019). Revisiting gender and L2 reading Spanish at the university level: The evolution of reading skill components across instructional levels. Hispania, 102(4), 513–527. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar; Chavez, M. (2001). Gender in the language classroom. McGraw Hill.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar). Estudios sobre la adquisición de una segunda lengua y sociopsicología han demostrado como las creencias de un estudiante pueden influir en sus acciones, pensamientos, y su decisión de inscribirse en un curso en particular (Mills, N., & Moulton, S. (2017). Students’ and instructors’ perceived value of language and content curricular goals. Foreign Language Annals, 50(4), 717–733. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar; Omrod, J. E. (2011). Human learning (6th ed.). Allyn & Bacon.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar; Taylor, F., & Mardsen, E. (2014). Perceptions, attitudes and choosing to study foreign languages in England: An experimental intervention. Modern Language Journal, 98(4), 902–920. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar). Por lo cual este estudio tiene como objetivo investigar la percepción, las creencias y las actitudes de estudiantes en niveles avanzados de español sobre cuatro habilidades en el aprendizaje de idiomas (la escucha, el habla, la lectura, y la escritura) y sus diferencias según el género. Los resultados generales indicaron que los estudiantes en cursos de nivel avanzado de español tienen más creencias y actitudes positivas sobre el habla y la escucha en español que sobre la lectura y la escritura. Además, una gran proporción de estudiantes mujeres demostraron tener más creencias positivas sobre las cuatro habilidades que los estudiantes varones. Este estudio sugiere aplicaciones pedagógicas y orientaciones para futuras investigaciones para comprender mejor el decaimiento en la matrícula de cursos de español.
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.Literature review and operational definitions
    • 2.1Studies on learners’ beliefs and attitudes in second and foreign language settings
    • 2.2Studies on gender in undergraduate Spanish language programs
    • 2.3Studies on learners’ beliefs, attitudes, gender and uptake in Spanish and other foreign languages
  • 3.Methods
    • 3.1Participants
    • 3.2Data collection instruments
    • 3.3Procedures
    • 3.4Analyses
  • 4.Results
    • 4.1RQ1. Which of the four skills LSRW do advanced Spanish learners identify as relevant for their L2 learning, specifically for their L2 proficiency and fluency?
    • 4.2RQ2. What are the beliefs and attitudes of advanced Spanish language learners toward LSRW?
      • 4.2.1Beliefs
      • 4.2.2Attitudes
        • 4.2.2.1Do advanced Spanish learners’ beliefs and attitudes differ by gender?
          • 4.2.2.1.1Beliefs and gender
          • 4.2.2.1.2Attitudes and gender
        • 4.2.3Do their beliefs and attitudes differ by the type of advanced Spanish course in which they are enrolled, Grammar and Composition, Advanced Reading and Writing?
        • 4.2.3.1Beliefs and type of advanced Spanish course
        • 4.2.3.2Attitudes and type of advanced Spanish course
  • 5.Discussion and implications
  • 6.Conclusion
  • Acknowledgements
  • References
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