Appendix 1: Questionnaire 1. Language Retention Study: First year students 2009

Section 1. BACKGROUND INFORMATION

(Questions marked * are mandatory)

Please complete a SEPARATE questionnaire for EACH language studied.

Q1. Please give your student ID.*

(Your ID will be deleted from the database after responses are analysed to protect your anonymity.)

Q2. Are you currently enrolled in more than one language course at ANU?

Yes

No

Q3. If yes, please specify which language(s):

(AND please complete another questionnaire for each language studied.)

Q4. Which language are you completing this questionnaire for?

(Please select ONE option from the pull-down list.)

Arabic

Chinese

French

German

Greek

Latin

Hindi

Indonesian

Italian

Japanese

Korean

Persian

Sanskrit

Spanish

Thai

Turkish

Urdu

Vietnamese

Other (please specify)

Q5. Would you have preferred to study a different language had it been available?

Yes

No

Q6. If yes, please specify the language(s):

Q7. Does your degree require compulsory language study?

Yes

No

Q8. How much freedom did you have to choose whether or not you study a language as part of your degree?

Not at all free

To some extent free

Totally free

Q9. Have you studied (formally or informally) any languages (including English as a second language) before enrolling in university?

Yes

No

Q10. If yes, please specify which language(s) and at what level (primary school, secondary school, community centre, overseas experience etc.):

Q11. If you had studied languages before enrolling at university, how would you rate your experience of learning that language?

Not at all rewarding

Not very rewarding

Somewhat rewarding

Very rewarding

Extremely rewarding

Q12. Have you been an exchange student?

Yes

No

Q13. If yes, please specify when, where, how long and which language(s) were spoken:

Q14. What languages do you speak with your immediate family?

Please provide the following information with respect to your family and friends’ experiences of other languages (Please tick the relevant circles and leave the rest blank):

○	Speaks a language (native or non-native) other than English.
○	Converses regularly with you in a language other than English.
○	Has learned a second (non-native) language well enough to get by in a country where it is spoken.

Q15. Partner.

Q16. Children.

Q17. Parents.

Q18. Siblings.

Q19. Grandparents.

Q20. Other relatives.

Q21. Close friends.

Q22. Other friends.

Q23. Acquaintances.

Section 2. REASONS FOR STUDYING A LANGUAGE

(Answer ONLY for the language that you specified in Q4)

How important are the following reasons for your decision to commence language study at university?

Not at all important

Not very important

Of some importance

Very important

Extremely important

Not applicable

Q24. I have a family background in this language.

Q25. I’m interested in the history and culture of the language.

Q26. My friends are studying this language.

Q27. To travel to where this language is spoken.

Q28. To live or work in a country where this language is spoken.

Q29. To communicate with native speakers of the language.

Q30. To participate in cultural activities of the language group.

Q31. For religious reasons.

Q32. For employment reasons.

Q33. To complete my degree.

Q34. To help me in my other studies.

Q35. My family encouraged me to study it.

Q36. Because I had previously studied the language.

Q37. Because I have previously spent time in a country where the language is spoken.

Q38. Because of the reputation of this language at ANU.

Q39. I thought it would be an easy subject.

Q40. I enjoy language learning.

Q41. To understand people and cultures outside of my own.

Q42. Other reasons (please specify and rate them, eg. ‘I like the sound of the language—very important’):

Section 3. EXPERIENCE OF LANGUAGE STUDY

(Answer ONLY for the language that you specified in Q4)

How interested were you in the following aspects of the language when you first enrolled at university?

Not at all interested

Not very interested

Somewhat interested

Very interested

Extremely interested

Q43. Reading the language.

Q44. Writing the language.

Q45. Speaking the language.

Q46. Understanding other speakers.

Q47. The culture of the language.

To what extent has your first-year language course been meeting your expectations in the following areas?

Much worse than expected

A little worse than expected

As expected

A little better than expected

Much better than expected

Q48. Teachers’ knowledge (average across teachers).

Q49. Teachers’ teaching skills.

Q50. Teaching/learning materials (including the textbook).

Q51. Learning environment and facilities.

Q52. Advice and feedback from teachers.

Q53. Approachability and availability of teachers.

Q54. Support from fellow students.

And to what extent has the language course met your expectations in the following additional areas?

Much less than expected

Less than expected

As expected

More than expected

Much more than expected

Q55. Workload associated with learning to read the language.

Q56. Workload associated with learning to write the language.

Q57. Workload associated with learning to speak the language.

Q58. Workload associated with learning to understand other speakers.

Q59. Overall difficulty of the course.

Q60. Difficulty learning the grammar in particular.

Q61. Enjoyment of language learning.

Q62. How well I learned to read the language.

Q63. How well I learned to write the language.

Q64. How well I learned to speak the language.

Q65. How well I learned to understand other speakers.

Q66. How much I learned about the culture of the language.

Q67. Others (please specify and rate them):

Q68. Please comment on any expectations that are not being met:

Q69. If you are studying the Bachelor of International Relations (BIR), Bachelor of International Commerce (BIC) or any other degree where a language component is compulsory, to what extent has your languages study supported your other BIR or BIC studies, especially in terms of cross-cultural understandings?

Much less than expected

Less than expected

As expected

More than expected

Much more than expected

Not applicable

Q70. If you are studying an International Relations (IR) or International Commerce (IC) or any other course as major within the BA, to what extent has your languages study supported your interest in IR or IC or others, especially in terms of cross-cultural understanding?

Much less than expected

Less than expected

As expected

More than expected

Much more than expected

Not applicable

Section 4. THOUGHTS ON DISCONTINUING LANGUAGE STUDY

Q71. How much freedom do you have in continuing to study this language and not another?

Not at all free

To some extent free

Totally free

Q72. Was there anything compelling or forcing you to study this language?

Yes

No

Uncertain

Q73. Please expand on the reasons for your answer in Q72. (e.g. family, religion, career track, degree only, etc.)

Q74. If you had had the choice of not studying a language, would you have chosen to study it anyway?

Yes

No

Uncertain

Q75. Please expand on the reasons for your answer in Q74.

Q76. Are you now seriously considering (or have you in the past) discontinuing or deferring your language studies?

Yes

No

Comments

If no, please mention why not in the comment box above and go to Q102.

If yes, please indicate the importance of the following reasons for thinking of discontinuing/deferring.

Not at all important

Not very important

Of some importance

Very important

Extremely important

Not applicable

Q77. Health reasons.

Q78. Financial reasons.

Q79. My expectations are not being met.

Q80. I’m not satisfied with my progress.

Q81. I’m not enjoying the course content.

Q82. I don’t like the way the language is being taught.

Q83. Class sizes are too big.

Q84. I’m finding the course too difficult.

Q85. I’m finding the workload too high.

Q86. Not enough class time is spent on speaking the language.

Q87. I’m not getting good marks/grades.

Q88. My friends are discontinuing.

Q89. People are discouraging me from continuing language study.

Q90. I fell behind in my studies and can’t catch up.

Q91. Problems with daily travel.

Q92. Timetable clash.

Q93. Other study commitments.

Q94. Paid work commitments.

Q95. Family commitments.

Q96. I feel uncomfortable speaking the language in front of others.

Q97. I do not fit in with other students in the course.

Q98. It worries me that other students seem to speak better than I do.

Q99. I didn’t think I would get to use the language outside university.

Q100. I’m thinking of terminating all of my studies.

Q101. Other reasons (please specify and rate them):

Plans for continuing language study

Q102. How long do you think you will continue to study the language at university? (Please select ONE option from the pull-down list.)

Complete the current course (up to 1 year).

Complete the sub-major (2 years).

Complete the major (3 years).

Do honours (4 years).

Do postgraduate study.

Other (please specify)

Q103. Do you plan to keep learning the language informally after you complete university study?

Yes

No

Uncertain

Q104. Which aspects of language study do you enjoy least?

Q105. Which aspects of language study do you enjoy most?

Q106. Is there anything else you would like to share about your experiences of language study?

Section 5. THE NEXT STAGE OF THE PROJECT

Q107. Would you like to receive a copy of the survey report when it is available?

Yes

No

Q108. If yes, please insert your email address so that we can contact you:

Q109. Would you be available for a follow-up interview about your experiences of language study?

Yes

No

Q110. If yes, please insert your email address and telephone number so that we can contact you (if you already provided your email address in the previous question, then write ‘as above’ in the email box):

Email

Phone number

THANK YOU FOR TAKING YOUR TIME TO COMPLETE THIS QUESTIONNAIRE.

Please press the ‘Submit’ button only when you are satisfied with your responses as you will not be able to change your answers once the survey is submitted.