Current Language Attitudes of Mainland Chinese University Students

Abstract

This paper reports on an investigation of Chinese university EFL learners' attitudes towards English and Chinese in relation to their motivation to learn the language and awareness of their eth-nic identity. 302 university students answered a 22-item Language Attitudes Questionnaire and 112 of them answered four open-ended questions. Analyses of the data reveal that the participants held positive attitudes towards English, were moti-vated to learn the language, and valued their association with English-speaking culture and people, meanwhile considering their native language superior to English. Thus the paper con-cludes that the students had a sound sense of Chinese identity with an appreciation of the value of the English language.