Exploring Saudi EFL Students’ Perceptions of Language Mindsets and Vocabulary Learning

Abstract

This study explored Saudi EFL students’ perceptions of language mindsets and vocabulary learning in an EFL reading course. The study aimed to understand how students viewed their ability to develop vocabulary through reading and how their beliefs about language ability shaped their learning experiences. A qualitative case study design was used. The participants were students enrolled in a Saudi university reading course in which vocabulary development was one of the course learning outcomes. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and analyzed using thematic analysis. The findings showed that many students believed vocabulary learning could improve through effort, practice, and repeated exposure to words in reading texts. However, some students also expressed mixed beliefs, suggesting that vocabulary learning was influenced by both effort and individual ability. The results further showed that students’ beliefs were related to their effort, persistence, and emotional responses when dealing with unfamiliar vocabulary. In addition, the students viewed the reading course as an important source of vocabulary development because it exposed them to new words in meaningful contexts. The study concludes that language mindset is an important psychological factor in students’ vocabulary-learning experiences in EFL reading courses. The findings may help teachers better understand how students think about vocabulary learning and may support the improvement of reading and vocabulary instruction in Saudi EFL classrooms.