Exploring Iranian Post and Undergraduate EFL University Students’ Attitudes toward CALL

Abstract

Recent technological developments have penetrated deeply into education and have mediated learning processes in language learning. Also, according to human agency theories, it is vital to identify learners’ attitudes and implement computer-assisted language learning (CALL) in a specific context. In so doing, this study intended to explore the attitudes of Iranian EFL postgraduate (PG) and undergraduate (UG) students toward using computers to learn English in Iranian English as Foreign Language (EFL) context. To achieve the aim of the study, a mixed method design was used. Data were collected via a CALL attitude questionnaire (CALLAI) and follow-up semi-structured interviews. Data gathered from the questionnaire were analyzed using descriptive statistics and Independent t-tests. Moreover, explanatory data were added to the study through interviews to further investigate UG and PG students’ beliefs and make sense of possible similarities and differences in their attitudes. Although the results showed that both UG and PG students had positive attitudes toward all components and domains of CALL, some differences were found in the degree of their agreement with facilitative effects of CALL. The difference might stem from the requirements of each educational level, learners’ background learning experience, and learners’ degree of awareness of language learning theories. The overall learners’ positive attitudes toward CALL create a necessity for educationalist to take appropriate measures to remove present barriers to the recognition and implementation of CALL programs.