The Beliefs of Iranian ESP Students about Language Learning

Abstract

This study investigated Iranian ESP learners' beliefs about language learning. It also aimed at finding the effect of gender on
learners' beliefs about language learning. To this end, the Persian version of Beliefs About Language Learning Inventory (BALLI) was
administered among 40 male and 40 female students majoring in medicine, environmental health, and radiology at Shiraz University of
Medical Sciences. The findings revealed that the highest mean average among the five components of beliefs about language learning
is belief of motivations and expectations (M=3.1208), followed by belief of learning and communication strategies (M=3.0150), and belief
of difficulty of language learning (M=2.5828). The two components with the lowest scores were belief of the nature of language
(M=2.3479) and belief of foreign language aptitude (M=2.1917). Moreover, there was a significant difference between learners’ beliefs
and gender.