The Impact of English Language and Its Culture on Learners' Personality
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria Ministry of higher Education and Scientific Research University of Batna-2 Faculty of letters and foreign languages Department of English The Impact of English Language and its Culture on Learners’ Personality and Social Values: a longitudinal study of students of English at Batna-2 University. Thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of LMD doctorate in Applied linguistics. Submitted by: ZITOUNI Khadidja Samira Board of Examiners: President: Pr. BAHLOUL Amel University of Batna-2 Supervisor: Pr NEDJAÏ Mohammed-Salah University of Batna-2 Examiner: Dr. CHELLI Saliha University of Biskra Examiner: Dr. BAGHZOU Sabrina University of Khenchela Examiner: Dr. GUERZA Radhia University of Batna-2 Academic year: 2018-2019 ii Dedication To those who tell me the right way, to those who are waiting impatiently for my success. I cannot express enough thanks to my entire family, who have been supporting and encouraging me all the time. My special sincere gratitude must be dedicated to my parents, their help, support, and encouragement have been above and beyond the call of duty. They taught me patience and perseverance; without their support and advice, I have never been able to accomplish my thesis. I owe a great debt of gratitude to my sisters, Asma and Lilia, to my brothers, Ilyes and Walid, and of course to my husband. To all my family, all my teachers and my friends who make my life bright for their endless hours of fun, their love, support and devotion. iii Acknowledgments “Show (thy) gratitude to Allah. Anywho is (so) grateful does so to the profit of his own soul: but if any is ungrateful, verily Allah is free of all wants, Worthy of all praise.” Surat Luqman (31:12). All praise and glory go to Allah. As this particular adventure in my life nears its end, I am immensely indebted to a number of individuals for their endless support, their pivotal roles they have played in my life, both professionally and personally. First of all my deepest gratitude is dedicated to my supervisor, Professor NEDJAÏ Mohammed- Salah, for his tremendous amount of assistance, his invaluable constructive advice, his continuous support and encouragement that have been provided throughout the process of my research. Certainly, I would never have successfully completed this thesis without his help and enthusiastic guidance. I would like to express my sincere gratitude to Prof. Bahloul Amel, the Chair of this Dissertation Committee, and Drs. Radhia Guerza, Saliha Chelli and Sabrina Baghzou who round out this Dissertation Committee team generously gave their time to help me complete this study. Their eager willingness to discuss how to conceptualise the study, and their invaluable input at the completion of the process are truly appreciated. iv Abstract Interest in foreign language learning, particularly the English language, has considerably increased in the last decades, not only in terms of linguistic aspects but also in psychological and sociological aspects. Hence, the research reported in this thesis accentuated on exploring whether learning English as a foreign language may yield an impact on learners’ personality and social values, and if so, which aspects have been most impacted. In this account, the study hypothesises that a longer exposure of learners of English at Batna-2 University to the English culture is likely to cause, and increase, a change in their personality traits and social values. The study draws on a longitudinal study involving a descriptive analysis method. It uses a mixed methods approach to quantify and qualify the data gathered. In this respect, the tools employed in the field study are a social values checklist, a test of personality, and a questionnaire that were administered three separated times. The sample consists of 100 first-year students from English Department at Batna-2 University, following stratified random sampling techniques. As the research seeks to scrutinise the impact of the English culture, it was important to use another sample outside the Department of the English language. This external sample consists of 100 first-year students from the Islamic and Social Science departments at Batna-1 University. The findings reveal that the majority of participants’ personality types have changed. Likewise, seven social values out of twenty have changed, as well. It is worth noting that the personality and social values of participants outside the English department are found to be more consistent. Therefore, the study fervently recommends to organise a systematic culture-training programme for teachers and to enhance learners’ intercultural communicative competence. It is recommended as well to focus more on the psychological and sociological aspects of foreign language learners. v List of Tables Table 1. The Rokeach value survey model 72 Table 2. Stratified random sampling techniques 105 Table 3. Data Gathering Tools 107 Table 4. Generosity value 125 Table 5. Offering help value 126 Table 6. Proactiveness value 127 Table 7. Family value 128 Table 8. Simplicity value 129 Table 9. Obedience value 130 Table 10. Shyness value 131 Table 11. Patriotism value 132 Table 12. Freedom value 133 Table 13. Hard work value 134 Table 14. Parental attachment value 135 Table 15. Pragmatic value 136 Table 16. Religion value 137 Table 17. Collectivism value 138 Table 18. Sociability value 139 Table 19. Courage value 140 Table 20. Independence value 141 Table 21. Traditionalism value 142 Table 22. Conservative value 143 Table 23. Culture value 144 Table 24. The maintained social values among students of English 145 vi Table 25. The values menaced to change among students of English 148 Table 26. The impacted values among students of English 151 Table 27. First checklists’ similarities 154 Table 28. First checklists’ differences 155 Table 29. The maintained social values among the Islamic and social science students 157 Table 30. The values menaced to change among the Islamic and social science students 158 Table 31. The impacted values among the Islamic and social science students 159 Table 32. Learners’ age 163 Table 33. Learners’ regions and length of stay 164 Table 34. Learners’ cultural identification 1 166 Table 35. Learners’ mother tongue 1 167 Table 36. Learners’ interest in learning the English language 1 169 Table 37. The scale of traits 1 176 Table 38. Learners’ positions on different behaviour 1 178 Table 39. Learners’ evaluation on their culture 1 185 Table 40. Learners’ classification to social values 1 188 Table 41. Learners’ cultural identification 2 190 Table 42. Learners’ mother tongue 2 191 Table 43. Learners’ interest in learning the English language 2 193 Table 44. The scale of traits 2 200 Table 45. Learners’ positions on different behaviour 2 202 Table 46. Learners’ evaluation on their culture 2 209 Table 47. Learners’ classification to social values 2 212 vii Table 48. Learners’ cultural identification 3 214 Table 49. Learners’ mother tongue 3 215 Table 50. Learners’ interest in learning the English language 3 216 Table 51. The scale of traits 3 223 Table 52. Learners’ positions on different behaviour 3 225 Table 53. Learners’ evaluation on their culture 3 233 Table 54. Learners’ classification to social values 3 236 viii List of Figures Figure 1. Hofstede’s cultural dimensions 26 Figure 2. Hippocorates’s four humours model 43 Figure 3. Carl Jung’s model of personality 47 Figure 4. Eysenck’s model of personality 50 Figure 5. The big five personality model 52 Figure 6. Schlossberg’s transition theory 60 Figure 7. Berry’s acculturative strategies 62 Figure 8. Theoretical model of relations among ten motivational types of value 75 Figure 9. The Social Change Model and the 7 C’s 79 Figure 10. World Values Surveys cultural map of the world (2010-2014) 83 Figure 11. English learners’ personality test 1 120 Figure 12. English learners’ personality test 2 120 Figure 13. Islamic and social science learners’ personality test 1 122 Figure 14. Islamic and social science learners’ personality test 2 123 Figure 15. Students’ gender 162 Figure 16. Students’ newcomers 165 Figure 17. Comparison between the Algerian and English cultures 1 168 Figure 18. Learners’ awareness about the impact 1 170 Figure 19. Learners’ preference about the Algerian culture 1 171 Figure 20. Learners’ preference about the English culture 1 172 Figure 21. Learners’ desire to change in their culture 1 172 Figure 22. Readiness to follow modernity 1 173 Figure 23. Feeling special when talking in English 1 174 Figure 24. Experiencing influence 1 174 ix Figure 25. The challenge to learn more than the English language 1 175 Figure 26. The reaction toward living in UK 1 181 Figure 27. Reference of decision taking 1 182 Figure 28. Satisfaction with the way of life 1 183 Figure 29. Rating the way of life in Algeria 1 184 Figure 30. Comparison between the Algerian and English cultures 2 192 Figure 31. Learners’ awareness about the impact 2 194 Figure 32. Learners’ preference about the Algerian culture 2 195 Figure 33. Learners’ preference about the English culture 2 196 Figure 34. Learners’ desire to change in their culture 2 196 Figure 35. Readiness to follow modernity 2 197 Figure 36. Feeling special when talking in English 2 198 Figure 37. Experiencing influence 2 198 Figure 38. The challenge to learn more than the English language 2 199 Figure 39. The reaction toward living in UK 2 205 Figure 40. Reference of decision taking 2 206 Figure 41. Satisfaction with the way of life 2 207 Figure 42. Rating the way of life in Algeria 2 208 Figure 43. Comparison between the Algerian and English cultures 3 216 Figure 44. Learners’ awareness about the impact 3 217 Figure 45. Learners’ preference about the Algerian culture 3 218 Figure 46.