As mentioned above, the analysis of this data was used by descriptive and inferential statistical analysis tests. The data analysis was divided into two sections: the first section is specified for descriptive analysis and the second section is for inferential analysis.
Descriptive Analysis
The descriptive analysis is meant to address the following questions
- Do Yemeni students in India have positive or negative attitudes towards learning English?
- Do Yemeni students in India have integrative or instrumental motivation towards learning English?
- To what extent are the students anxious about the English language?
- What are the attitudes of Yemeni students towards learning English and practicing it in India?
Attitude towards Learning English
Table 3, demonstrates the Yemeni students’ attitudes towards learning English. The subjects’ attitude was meant to be examined by five positively worded items. The results showed that all items elicited the response of strong agreement. The highest average was given to item 1, “I like learning English.” with a mean of 4.85 and standard deviation of 0.79, followed by items 2 and 3 with a mean score of 4.69 and 4.68, respectively. The last two items were designed to examine the students’ attitude towards teaching English in Yemen. As stated early, English in Yemen is taught in public schools from grade 7 to 12, and in university education, it is taught in level one only as one compulsory subject for two semesters. The results revealed that the two items awarded a strong agreement. Item 4, “English should be a compulsory subject in Yemeni primary schools” got a strong agreement with a mean of 4.52 and standard deviation of 0.85, followed by item 5 “English should be a compulsory subject in Yemeni universities from level 1-4” with a mean of 4.42 and standard deviation of 0.66. Students revealed a favorable attitude towards teaching English widely in Yemeni schools and universities. The total average of students’ attitudes is 4.58, with standard deviation of 1.00. The mean score of 4.58 indicates the response of strong agreement. Accordingly, Yemeni students in India have a high positive attitude towards learning English. These results are similar to (Al-Tamimi & Shuib, 2009; Chalak & Kassaian, 2010; Pineda, 2011; Almamun et al., 2012; Al-Zubeiry, 2012; Al Noursi, 2013; Singh, 2014; Al-Sohbani, 2015; Al-Anisi, 2016; Alkaabi, 2016; Isti & Istikharoh, 2019; Astrid et al., 2020). They found that students have a positive attitude towards learning English. On the other hand, this study contradicts Abidin et al. (2012) where they found that students have a negative attitude towards learning English.
Table 3. The Descriptive Analysis of Students’ Attitude.
Statement
|
SA
|
A
|
N
|
SD
|
D
|
Mean
|
Std.
|
F
|
%
|
F
|
%
|
F
|
%
|
F
|
%
|
F
|
%
|
1. I like learning English.
|
76
|
71
|
22
|
20.6
|
5
|
4.7
|
3
|
2.8
|
1
|
0.9
|
4.85
|
0.79
|
2. When I hear someone speaks English well, I wish I could speak like him.
|
88
|
82.2
|
12
|
11.2
|
2
|
1.9
|
3
|
2.8
|
2
|
1.9
|
4.69
|
0.80
|
3. Learning English is very important because it is the language of international communication.
|
85
|
79.4
|
15
|
14.0
|
3
|
2.8
|
3
|
2.8
|
1
|
0.9
|
4.68
|
0.74
|
4. English should be a compulsory subject in Yemeni primary schools.
|
71
|
66.4
|
28
|
26.2
|
4
|
3.7
|
1
|
0.9
|
3
|
2.8
|
4.52
|
0.85
|
5. English should be a compulsory subject in Yemeni universities from level 1-4.
|
72
|
67.3
|
19
|
17.8
|
9
|
8.4
|
3
|
2.8
|
4
|
3.7
|
4.42
|
1.0
|
Total mean score
|
|
4.58
|
0.66
|
SA=Strongly Agree; A=Agree; N=Neutral; D=Disagree; SD=Strongly Disagree; Std= Standard Deviation; F= Frequency; %= Percent.
Language anxiety
As illustrated in Table 4, the results show that the subjects have anxious about using English. The two statements got the response of agreement. The higher average was given to item 7, “It bothers me trying to understand the more complex aspects of English” with mean score of 3.42 and standard deviation of 1.07, followed by item 6, “I feel anxious if someone asks me something in English” with mean score of 3.04 and standard deviation of 1.25. The total mean score for the anxiety of using English is 3.23, and this indicates the response of neutral towards the anxiety of using English. According to Gardener (2006), language anxiety depends on the learners’ level of experience. Thus, learners who have a poor experience in any language will have anxiety about that language. He also argued that inadequate skills cause feelings of language anxiety. Based on these results and what Gardener (2006) said, participants reported their English language anxiety, which indicates that students may have inadequate English language skills. In this study, the results revealed that the level of anxiety of English is moderate. So, this research contradicts Alshamy (2012). In his study on the attitude of EFL learners towards English, he found that the level of anxiety among participants was high. Based on the findings of this section, The English teachers should manipulate the students’ English language anxiety through the courses that enhance the student's confidence when using the English language. The anxiety of English may refer to some linguistic challenges that need to be dealt with by the English teachers.
Table 4. The Descriptive Analysis of Anxiety of English.
Statement
|
SA
|
A
|
N
|
D
|
SD
|
Mean
|
Std
|
F
|
%
|
F
|
%
|
F
|
%
|
F
|
%
|
F
|
%
|
6. I feel anxious if someone asks me something in English.
|
18
|
16.8
|
18
|
16.8
|
34
|
31.8
|
24
|
22.4
|
13
|
12.1
|
3.04
|
1.25
|
7. It bothers me trying to understand the more complex aspects of English.
|
18
|
16.8
|
35
|
32.7
|
32
|
29.9
|
18
|
16.8
|
4
|
3.7
|
3.42
|
1.07
|
Total mean score
|
|
3.23
|
0.97
|
SA=Strongly Agree; A=Agree; N=Neutral; D=Disagree; SD=Strongly Disagree; Std= Standard Deviation; F= Frequency; %= Percent.
Learning English and using it in India
Table 5 shows the subjects’ attitudes towards learning English and practicing it in India. Item 8, “Learning English in India is good and enjoyable” was meant to show the attitude towards learning English in India, and awarded the response of neutral with a mean of 2.78 and standard deviation of 1.1.3. These results indicate that learning English in India is moderate. Besides examining the students’ attitude towards learning English in India, item 9, “I can practice English anywhere in India” was meant to explore the students’ attitude towards practicing English in India. Item 9 also elicited a neutral response with a mean score of 2.95 and standard deviation of 1.05. The subjects revealed that practicing English in India is moderate.
Table 5. The Descriptive Analysis of Learning English and Using it in India
Statement
|
SA
|
A
|
N
|
D
|
SD
|
Mean
|
St. D
|
F
|
%
|
F
|
%
|
F
|
%
|
F
|
%
|
F
|
%
|
8. Learning English in India is good and enjoyable.
|
6
|
5.6
|
25
|
23.4
|
31
|
29.0
|
29
|
27.1
|
16
|
15.0
|
2.78
|
1.13
|
9. I can practice English anywhere in India.
|
13
|
12.1
|
29
|
27.1
|
18
|
16.8
|
34
|
31.8
|
13
|
12.1
|
2.95
|
1.25
|
Total mean score
|
|
2.86
|
1.05
|
SA=Strongly Agree; A=Agree; N=Neutral; D=Disagree; SD=Strongly Disagree; Std. = Standard Deviation; F= Frequency; %= Percent.
Types of Motivation
Instrumental Motivation
Table 6 demonstrates the goals that motivate students to learn English. As stated earlier, Instrumental motivation towards learning English refers to utilitarian purposes or goals. Students reported that they learn English for the following goals:
- To get a job.
- To use English for future career.
- To be a knowledgeable person.
- For prestige.
- For education purpose.
The results in table 6 show that students have high instrumental motivation towards learning English. The highest mean score was given to item 7, “I learn English diligently because it is a medium of instruction in the university” with a mean score of 4.62 and standard deviation of 0.74. And the lowest mean score was given to item 4, “If I know English well, others will respect me more” with a mean of 3.76 and standard deviation of 1.14. The total mean score is 4.40, with a standard deviation of 0.70. The mean score of 4.40 indicates the response of strong agreement. Accordingly, the instrumental motivation towards learning English is high among Yemeni students in India. These results are in harmony with Zughoul (2003). He stated that English is needed in the Arab world for some purposes such as communication, education, and technology purposes. It is also a prerequisite for jobs, especially in the private sector.
Table 6. The Descriptive Analysis of Instrumental Motivation
Statement
|
SA
|
A
|
N
|
D
|
SD
|
|
Mean
|
Std.
|
F
|
%
|
F
|
%
|
F
|
%
|
F
|
%
|
F
|
%
|
1. Learning English is important for me because it helps me get a suitable job in the future.
|
64
|
59.8
|
32
|
29.9
|
6
|
5.6
|
1
|
0.9
|
4
|
3.7
|
4.41
|
0.93
|
2. Learning English is important for me because I will need it for my future career.
|
76
|
71
|
21
|
19.6
|
6
|
5.6
|
2
|
1.9
|
2
|
1.9
|
4.56
|
0.83
|
3. Learning English is important for me because it makes me a more knowledgeable person.
|
68
|
63.6
|
29
|
27.1
|
6
|
5.6
|
2
|
1.9
|
2
|
1.9
|
4.49
|
0.83
|
4. If I know English well, others will respect me more.
|
32
|
29.9
|
38
|
35.5
|
22
|
20.6
|
9
|
8.4
|
6
|
5.6
|
3.76
|
1.14
|
5. Learning English is essential for me because it helps me search for information and English materials on the Internet.
|
77
|
72
|
22
|
20.6
|
4
|
3.7
|
3
|
2.8
|
1
|
0.9
|
4.60
|
0.77
|
7. I learn English diligently because it is a medium of instruction in the university.
|
61
|
57
|
35
|
32.7
|
5
|
4.7
|
3
|
2.8
|
3
|
2.8
|
4.62
|
0.74
|
Total mean score
|
|
4.40
|
0.70
|
SA=Strongly Agree; A=Agree; N=Neutral; D=Disagree; SD=Strongly Disagree; Std. = Standard Deviation; F= Frequency; %= Percent.
Integrative Motivation
The results in table 7 show that Yemeni students have high integrative motivation towards learning English. The highest average was given to item 6, “Learning English helps me read English books, articles, newspapers, and magazines” with a mean score of 4.52 and standard deviation of 0.78, followed by item 4, “Learning English helps me understand American and British movies and talk-shows” with a mean score of 4.48 and standard deviation of 0.94. The lowest average was awarded to item 3, “Learning English helps me learn about the values and beliefs of English native speakers” with a mean score of 4.18 and standard deviation of 0.90. The total mean score for integrative motivation is 4.37, which indicates the response of strong agreement. Accordingly, Yemeni students have high integrative motivation towards learning English. These results support Zughoul’s claim (2003) that the influence of American cultures and ways of living are remarkable among Arabians in urban centers. Most Yemeni students in India belong to urban areas in Yemen or are affected by urban life. Therefore, they have high integrative motivation towards learning English.
The results of this study are similar to (Qashoa, 2006; Yvonne, 2009; Degang, 2010; Alshamy, 2012; Köseoğlu, 2013; Goktepe, 2014; Hashemi & Hadavi, 2014). They found that students have instrumental and integrative motivation towards learning English. Moreover, the findings of this study revealed that students are highly motivated instrumentally and integratively towards learning English. The mean score of instrumental motivation is 4.40, and integrative motivation is 4.37. These scores indicate that the level of instrumental and integrative motivation is the same. Therefore, this study’s results contradict (Qashoa, 2006); Al-Tamimi & Shuib, 2009; Yvonne, 2009; Al-Khasawneh & Al-Omari, 2015) where they found that the instrumental motivation is higher than the integrative motivation. This study’s findings also contradict (Degang, 2010; Alshamy, 2012), where they found that integrative motivation is higher than instrumental motivation.
The findings showed that Yemeni students in India have high instrumental and integrative motivation towards learning English. Therefore, the English language should be taught intensively in Yemen, whether in schools or universities. As the English language is taught only from grade 7 in public schools and level one in university education, it should be taught from grade one in schools, and it should be a compulsory subject from level 1-4 in Yemeni universities. This will help students improve their English language to function effectively in their education or occupation, whether in Yemen or abroad.
Table 7. The Descriptive Analysis of Integrative Motivation
Statement
|
SA
|
A
|
N
|
D
|
SD
|
|
Mean
|
Std.
|
F
|
%
|
F
|
%
|
F
|
%
|
F
|
%
|
F
|
%
|
1. Learning English helps me understand the cultures and traditions of native English speakers.
|
62
|
57.9
|
35
|
32.7
|
5
|
4.7
|
4
|
3.7
|
1
|
0.9
|
4.43
|
0.82
|
2. Learning English helps me make friends easily with foreigners.
|
60
|
56.1
|
28
|
26.2
|
13
|
12.1
|
3
|
2.8
|
3
|
2.8
|
4.30
|
0.98
|
3. Learning English helps me learn about the values and beliefs of English native speakers.
|
46
|
43
|
41
|
38.3
|
15
|
14
|
3
|
2.8
|
2
|
1.9
|
4.18
|
0.90
|
4. Learning English helps me understand American and British movies and talk-shows.
|
64
|
59.8
|
34
|
31.8
|
6
|
5.6
|
2
|
1.9
|
1
|
0.9
|
4.48
|
0.76
|
5. Learning English enables me to communicate with different people.
|
58
|
54.2
|
36
|
33.6
|
6
|
5.6
|
4
|
3.7
|
3
|
2.8
|
4.33
|
0.94
|
6. Learning English helps me read English books, articles, newspapers, and magazines.
|
69
|
64.5
|
30
|
28
|
4
|
3.7
|
3
|
2.8
|
1
|
0.9
|
4.52
|
0.78
|
Total mean score
|
|
4.37
|
0.70
|
SA=Strongly Agree; A=Agree; N=Neutral; D=Disagree; SD=Strongly Disagree; Std. = Standard Deviation; F= Frequency; %= Percent.
Inferential Analysis
An inferential analysis test is used to identify the significant differences between students according to their education level and gender. The independent t-test is used to address the following questions:
- Are there any differences in the attitudes of students according to their gender and education level?
- Are there any differences between the students’ motivation according to their gender and educational level?
- Are there any differences in the students’ anxiety of English according to their gender and education level?
- Are there any differences in the attitudes of Yemeni students towards learning English and practicing it in India?
Table 8. Means, Standard deviations, and P-values according to the students’ education level and gender.
Variable
|
Education Level
|
Gender
|
Postgraduate N= 74
|
Undergraduate
N=33
|
Male n=92
|
Female N=15
|
Attitude
|
Mean
|
Std.
|
Mean
|
Std.
|
P-value
|
Mean
|
Std.
|
Mean
|
Std.
|
P-value
|
4.67
|
0.49
|
4.38
|
1.00
|
0.04*
|
4.59
|
0.65
|
4.53
|
0.97
|
0.78
|
Anxious of English learning
|
3.19
|
1.00
|
3.32
|
0.89
|
0.53
|
3.18
|
1.00
|
3.53
|
0.74
|
0.193
|
Learning English and use it in India
|
2.87
|
0.96
|
2.85
|
1.22
|
0.91
|
2.83
|
1.05
|
3.07
|
1.05
|
0.42
|
Instrumental
|
4.43
|
0.55
|
4.33
|
0.96
|
0.47
|
4.43
|
0.66
|
4.25
|
0.90
|
0.36
|
Integrative
|
4.42
|
0.58
|
4.26
|
0.93
|
0.26
|
4.38
|
0.68
|
4.31
|
0.88
|
0.72
|
The results in table 8 reveal the significant differences between (postgraduate and undergraduate students) and between (males and females). The results are as follows:
- The results reveal that there is a significant difference in the attitude of postgraduate and undergraduate students towards learning English. The mean postgraduate score is 4.67, and the undergraduate score is 4.38 with P-value of 0.04. This indicates a significant difference between these two groups, and the difference favors postgraduate students. The results show that postgraduate students have a higher positive attitude towards learning English than undergraduate students.
- There is no significant difference between males and females regarding the attitude towards learning English. The mean scores of males and females are 4.59 and 4.53, respectively, with a P-value of 0.78 (P-value is above 0.05). These results support Al-Sohbani (2015) that there is no significant difference between males and females and contradict Gajalakshmi (2013) where he found that males have a higher attitude than females.
- There is no significant difference in the students’ English anxiety according to their education level and gender, where the P-value is 0.53 for education level and 0.19 for gender. The p-value is above 0.05, so there is no significant difference between students.
- The results show no significant difference in the students’ attitude towards learning English and using it in India according to the students’ education level and gender, where the P-value is 0.91 and 0.42, respectively.
- There is no significant difference between postgraduate and undergraduate students regarding their instrumental motivation towards learning English. The mean instrumental scores of postgraduate and undergraduate students are 4.43 and 4.33, respectively. The P-value is 0.047 (it is above 0.05 level).
- The results reveal no significant difference between postgraduate and undergraduate students regarding their integrative motivation towards learning English. The mean integrative scores of postgraduate and undergraduate students are 4.42 and 4.26, respectively. The P-value is 0.26, so this indicates that there is no significant difference where P-value is above 0.05 level.
- There is no significant difference between male and female students regarding instrumental and integrative motivation, where P-value is 0.36 and 0.72. The P-value is above 0.05. These results contradict (Alshamy 2012; Al-Khasawneh and Al-Omari, 2015) where they found that females have a higher motivation than males.
According to the results interpreted above, postgraduate students have a higher positive attitude towards learning English than undergraduate students. Postgraduate students have a great experience about the importance of learning English, where they use it more than undergraduate students. This is compatible with Oskamp & Schultz (2005) where they argued that the experience about an object leads a person to have an attitude towards that object. Oskamp & Schultz claimed that the formation of attitude towards an object as favorable or unfavorable refers to an early experience about that object.