Our action depends on our attitude towards the particular situation that requires action. A
positive attitude towards learning can therefore have a positive impact on our performance.
Even when learning English as a foreign language, attitude has a significant impact on language
learning performance. Attitude towards learning a foreign language is closely related to
motivation, and both change over time. For English teachers, it is important to recognise why
there are differences between learners when it comes to learning a foreign language. The focus
of this master’s thesis is to explore attitudes towards foreign language learning, motivation, and
the key factors to learning English. A questionnaire survey was used to investigate the interest
in learning English, pupils' perceptions towards English lessons and the English teacher, the
experience of anxiety in English lessons, and the fear of failure among students learning English
as a foreign language in Years 5 and 6 of primary school. The research results show that pupils
have generally positive attitudes towards learning English as a foreign language. Statistically
significant differences were recorded between girls and boys. There are also statistically
significant differences between fifth and sixth graders in terms of perceived attitudes towards
learning a foreign language. There is a correlation between anxiety in foreign language classes
and achievement (grades). Anxiety is much more pronounced among students with lower
grades. Pupils perceive the role of parents and teachers in foreign language learning to be
important.
This master's thesis has an impact on the didactics of foreign language teaching in the second
cycle of primary education by offering insights into the importance of attitudes towards learning
English, and how pupils experience learning a foreign language. The results of the study were
used to present the current state of attitudes towards foreign language learning and to explain
why there may be differences between boys and girls, and between fifth and sixth graders. In
addition to the above, guidelines for improving attitudes towards foreign language learning are
presented, as well as concrete solutions on how teachers can work to (further) improve the state
of motivation for learning in their students.
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