Abstract
This study aims to investigate factors affecting changes in beginning-level EFL learners’ attitudes toward English lessons. A questionnaire was administered to 1,442 junior high school students in Japan to investigate ratios of students who changed their attitudes from elementary school to junior high school and factors affecting the changes. Findings indicate that 12.1 percent of them liked English lessons when they were in elementary school but do not like them in junior high school while 19.3 percent did not like English lessons when they were in elementary school but like them in junior high school. The result is contrary to the popular belief that a large number of students who like English lessons in elementary school start to dislike them after beginning to study English in junior high school. Responses to the questionnaire items about reasons for the change of attitudes were analyzed using a factor analysis, yielding the following four factors: 1) English skills obtained through studying, 2) English skills concerning listening and speaking, 3) utility of English, and 4) activities in English lessons. The analysis of variance indicates that the two factors related to English skills are stronger predictors of the changes of attitudes toward English lessons. Educational implications are discussed based on the findings.
