FACTORS AFFECTING THE ATTITUDE OF STUDENTS TOWARDS LEARNING ENGLISH AS A FOREIGN LANGUAGE

This study aims to investigate students' attitude towards learning English in tertiary institutions. The research scrutinises students' learning attitudes and the factors that affect them. The study employs a quantitative approach to investigate the research topic. A valid questionnaire was designed and administered to undergraduate students studying in engineering and language schools of Mongolian University of Science and Technology (MUST). The data were analysed statistically utilising SPSS24 program. The objective was to identify the most influential factors for successful language learning. The factors affecting attitude were categorised as internal and external based on the responses of 36 participants. The results suggest that participants have a significantly positive attitude towards learning English, particularly regarding its importance for future job prospects. They perceive English language proficiency as a key criterion for success in the workplace. Additionally, participants highlighted the importance of parental support, and teaching methods as influential factors in studying English as a foreign language. Nevertheless, there is still room for improvement, especially in addressing the needs of students who experience anxiety, fear, and discomfort in language classes. Furthermore, it is essential to investigate the relationship between learning attitudes and learning outcomes to enhance teaching performance and achieve better results.