Used three principal databases

Definition of Attitudes:

Attitude, according to Smith (1971), is an assortment of beliefs about an object or a situation, which predisposes one to react in a particular manner. Wenden (1985, 1991; cited in Karahan, 2007:75) defines attitudes as encompassing three components: cognitive, evaluative, and behavioural (see Chapter 6). The cognitive component involves beliefs or opinions about the object or situation related to the attitude. Regarding the evaluative component, it involves the feelings or the emotions that are prompted towards the objects or situations of interest, be it like or dislike. And finally, with reference to the behavioural component, certain attitudes provide learners with a disposition to adopt particular learning behaviours, one’s actions or behavioural intentions towards the object. Therefore, it can be argued that attitudes involve not only a set of beliefs and feelings but behaviours as well. Van Els et al. (1984: 33) further pinpoint:
…it does not really matter whether all or only one of the three components are measured; the relationship between the components is so close that sufficient information on an attitude can be obtained by measuring only one component, no matter which... (Van Els et al., 1984: 33)
More particularly, Bernat (2008: 7) argues that beliefs are thought to have the potential for shaping the learners’ cognitive and affective processes, which may involve either negative or positive attitudes towards the TL. Baker (1988) further describes attitudes to be dimensional, they vary in degree of favourability or lack of. Ellis (1994: 199) adds that attitudes can be modified by experience; they are malleable to be altered, taught and learnt. Yang (2012) refers to attitude in language learning as the openness to the TL, its culture or to the speakers of the TL. It is widely recognised that these beliefs, feelings, and behaviours are directly associated with the success in language learning. Achievement in language learning rests not only on the learners’ cognitive capacities (mental and intellectual faculties) but also on their attitudes towards language learning experiences (Gardner, 2007). Accordingly, positive attitudes are deemed necessary to boost the efficiency of language learners and thus it is likely to foster getting a positive result and success in language learning. They seem paramount in facilitating language learning experience (Cohen, A. & Macaro, 2007). The positive attitudes are quintessentially connected to the TL, its community and the culture represented by its speakers. Brown (2007: 193) believes that "positive attitudes toward self, the native language group, and the TL group enhanced proficiency”. Noels et al. (2003: 36) claim positive attitudes may make the experience more conducive to language learning because the “learners can be expected to want to be able to communicate with native speakers of the language they are learning.” Positive attitudes towards the TL refer to one’s eagerness to learn the TL and a willingness to expend the required efforts or lack of based on one’s own beliefs. Finally, attitudes are necessary to boost the efficiency of language learners and to foster their getting positive results in their language learning. Therefore, much research is required to explore learners’ attitudes towards TL.