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Not all first-year university students possess the academic self-concept necessary for an effective transition from high school to university. This may impact their aptitude for learning so negatively that their engagement in lifelong learning (LLL), a prerequisite for success at and beyond university, may be limited. Therefore, the relationship between self-concept and LLL tendency is critical. This paper aims to describe this relationship among Arab first year university students. 149 students (77 males and 72 females) in two consecutive courses were involved in the study. Data were collected using two surveys, one on students’ self-concept, and another on their LLL tendency. Comparisons were made to determine whether gender and courses attended played a role in students’ academic self-concept and LLL tendency. The relationship between academic self-concept and LLL tendency was also analyzed. Results showed that students possessed a relatively high academic self-concept and that their LLL tendency scores were higher than the scale midpoint. The female students’ scores for academic effort (a sub-scale of self-concept), and for curiosity (a sub-scale of LLL), were comparatively higher than those for males. The courses attended did not make a significant difference in students’ perception of their academic self-concept; however, students in the second level course scored higher for self-regulation, a sub-scale of LLL, therefore receiving a slightly higher rating for LLL. Results also indicated a positive relationship between self-concept and LLL scores. The association between the academic effort and self-regulation domains of the scales was noteworthy. Recommendations are made to enhance students’ academic self-concept and LLL tendency, with an aim to strengthen the relationship between the two concepts.

ﻻ ﯾﻣﺗﻠ ك ﺟﻣﯾ ﻊ طﻼب اﻟ ﺳﻧﺔ ا ﻷوﻟ ﻰ ﻓ ﻲ اﻟ ﺟﺎ ﻣﻌﺔ ﻣﻔﮭوم اﻟذا ت ا ﻷﻛﺎدﯾﻣ ﻲ اﻟ ﺿ رور ي ﻟ ﻼﻧﺗﻘﺎ ل اﻟﻔﻌﺎ ل ﻣ ن اﻟ ﻣد رﺳﺔ اﻟﺛﺎﻧ وﯾﺔ إﻟ ﻰ اﻟ ﺟﺎ ﻣﻌﺔ. ﻗد ﯾؤ ﺛ ر ھذا ﻋﻠ ﻰ ا ﺳﺗ ﻌدا دھم ﻟﻠﺗ ﻌﻠ م ﺑ ﺷﻛ ل ﺳﻠﺑ ﻲ ﻟ د رﺟﺔ أ ن ﻣ ﺷﺎ رﻛﺗ ﮭم ﻓ ﻲ اﻟﺗ ﻌﻠ م ﻣد ى اﻟ ﺣﯾﺎة ) LLL (، وھ و ﺷرط أ ﺳﺎ ﺳﻲ ﻟﻠﻧ ﺟﺎ ح ﻓ ﻲ اﻟ ﺟﺎ ﻣﻌﺔ وﺧ ﺎ رﺟﮭﺎ، ﻗد ﯾ ﻛو ن ﻣ ﺣدودًا. وﻟ ذﻟ ك، ﻓﺈن اﻟ ﻌ ﻼ ﻗﺔ ﺑﯾ ن ﻣﻔﮭوم اﻟ ذا ت واﺗ ﺟ ﺎه LLL أﻣر ﺑﺎﻟ ﻎ ا ﻷھﻣﯾ ﺔ. ﺗ ﮭد ف ھذه اﻟ ورﻗﺔ إﻟ ﻰ و ﺻ ف ھذه اﻟﻌ ﻼ ﻗﺔ ﺑﯾ ن ط ﻼ ب اﻟﺟ ﺎ ﻣﻌﺎ ت اﻟﻌر ب ﻓﻲ اﻟﺳ ﻧ ﺔ ا ﻷ و ﻟ ﻰ . ﺷ ﺎ ر ك ﻓ ﻲ اﻟد ر ا ﺳ ﺔ 149 ط ﺎ ﻟ ﺑًﺎ ) 77 ﻣن اﻟذﻛور و 72 ﻣن اﻹ ﻧﺎ ث( ﻓ ﻲ دورﺗﯾ ن ﻣﺗ ﺗﺎﻟﯾﺗﯾ ن. ﺗم ﺟﻣﻊ اﻟﺑﯾﺎﻧﺎ ت ﺑﺎ ﺳﺗ ﺧدا م ﻣﺳ ﺣﯾن ، أﺣدھﻣﺎ ﻋن ﻣﻔ ﮭوم اﻟ ذا ت ﻟ د ى اﻟط ﻼ ب ، وا ﻵﺧر ﻋن اﺗ ﺟﺎه LLL . أ ﺟرﯾ ت ﻣﻘﺎ رﻧﺎ ت ﻟﺗ ﺣدﯾد ﻣ ﺎ إ ذ ا ﻛ ﺎ ن ا ﻟ ﺟ ﻧ د ر و ا ﻟ د و ر ا ت ا ﻟ ﺗ د ر ﯾ ﺑ ﯾ ﺔ ﻗ د ﻟ ﻌ ﺑ ت د و ر اً ﻓ ﻲ ﻣ ﻔ ﮭ و م ا ﻟ ط ﻼ ب ا ﻷ ﻛ ﺎ د ﯾ ﻣ ﻲ ا ﻟ ذ ا ﺗ ﻲ و ا ﺗ ﺟ ﺎ ه LLL . ﻛﻣﺎ ﺗم ﺗ ﺣﻠﯾ ل اﻟ ﻌ ﻼ ﻗﺔ ﺑﯾ ن ﻣﻔ ﮭوم اﻟذا ت ا ﻷ ﻛﺎ دﯾ ﻣ ﻲ و اﺗ ﺟ ﺎه LLL . أ ظ ﮭر ت اﻟﻧﺗﺎﺋ ﺞ أ ن اﻟ ط ﻼ ب ﯾ ﻣ ﺗ ﻠ ﻛ و ن ﻣ ﻔ ﮭ و ﻣً ﺎ ذ ا ﺗ ﯾًﺎ ﻋ ﺎ ﻟ ﯾًﺎ ﻧ ﺳ ﺑ ﯾًﺎ ، وأ ن د رﺟﺎ ت ﻣﯾﻠ ﮭم ﻟﻠﻐﺔ ا ﻹ ﻧ ﺟ ﻠﯾ ز ﯾ ﺔ ﻛﺎﻧ ت أﻋ ﻠ ﻰ ﻣ ن ﻣﻧﺗ ﺻ ف اﻟﻧ طﺎ ق. ﻛﺎﻧ ت ﻧﺗﺎﺋ ﺞ اﻟ طﻼب ا ﻹﻧﺎ ث ﻟﻠ ﺟﮭد ا ﻷﻛﺎدﯾ ﻣ ﻲ )ﻣﻘﯾﺎ س ﻓ رﻋﻲ ﻟ ﻣﻔﮭوم اﻟ ذا ت(، وﻓﺿ ول )ﻣﻘﯾﺎ س ﻓ رﻋﻲ ﻣ ن LLL (، أﻋ ﻠ ﻰ ﻧ ﺳﺑﯾﺎ ﻣ ن ﺗﻠ ك ﺑﺎﻟﻧ ﺳﺑ ﺔ ﻟﻠ ذﻛور. ﻟ م ﺗ ؤد اﻟ دورا ت اﻟﺗ ﻲ ﺣ ﺿ رو ھﺎ ﻓ رق ﻛﺑﯾ ر ﻓ ﻲ إ د را ك اﻟ طﻼب ﻟ ﻣﻔ ﮭوﻣﮭم اﻟ ذاﺗ ﻲ اﻷﻛﺎدﯾ ﻣ ﻲ؛ وﻣ ﻊ ذﻟك ، ﻓﺈن اﻟ ط ﻼ ب ﻓ ﻲ دورة اﻟ ﻣ ﺳ ﺗ و ى اﻟﺛﺎﻧ ﻲ ﺣ ﺻ ﻠ وا ﻋ ﻠ ﻰ د رﺟ ﺎ ت أ ﻋ ﻠ ﻰ ﻓ ﻲ اﻟﺗﻧ ظ ﯾم اﻟذاﺗ ﻲ ، وھ و ﻣﻘﯾﺎ س ﻓ رﻋﻲ ﻟـ LLL ، وﺑ ﺎﻟﺗﺎﻟ ﻲ ﺣ ﺻ ﻠ و ا ﻋ ﻠ ﻰ ﺗ ﺻ ﻧ ﯾ ف أ ﻋ ﻠ ﻰ ﻗ ﻠ ﯾ ﻼً ﻟ ﻠ ـ LLL . أ ﺷﺎ ر ت اﻟﻧﺗﺎﺋ ﺞ أﯾ ﺿ ﺎ إﻟ ﻰ وﺟود ﻋﻼ ﻗﺔ إﯾ ﺟﺎﺑﯾ ﺔ ﺿ ﻌﯾﻔﺔ ﺑﯾن ﻣﻔﮭوم اﻟذا ت وﻧﺗ ﺎﺋﺞ ا ل LLL . ﻛﺎ ن ا ﻻ ر ﺗ ﺑ ﺎ ط ﺑ ﯾ ن ا ﻟ ﺟ ﮭ د ا ﻷ ﻛ ﺎ د ﯾ ﻣ ﻲ و ﻣ ﺟ ﺎ ل ا ﻟ ﺗ ﻧ ظ ﯾ م ا ﻟ ذ ا ﺗ ﻲ ﻓ ﻲ ا ﻟ ﻣ ﻘ ﺎ ﯾ ﯾ س ﺟ د ﯾ رً ا ﺑ ﺎ ﻟ ﻣ ﻼ ﺣ ظ ﺔ . ﻟذ ا ﻧ و ﺻ ﻲ ﺑﺄ ھﻣﯾ ﺔ ﻟ ﺗﻧﻣﯾ ﺔ ﻣﻔ ﮭوم اﻟ طﻼب ا ﻷﻛﺎ دﯾ ﻣ ﻲ اﻟذاﺗ ﻲ و اﺗ ﺟ ﺎه ال LLL ، ﺑﮭ د ف ﺗﻌزﯾ ز اﻟ ﻌ ﻼﻗﺔ ﺑﯾ ن اﻟ ﻣﻔ ﮭوﻣﯾ ن.

Acquiring a foreign language may be a lifelong endeavor, and this requires one to approach it from a lifelong learning perspective. However, learners may not always be ready for such an approach. It is important to know where learners stand in their orientations toward learning and consider this when planning educational activities. Therefore, it is necessary to determine language learners’ readiness for lifelong learning (LLL) in order to support their language development. This paper reports the findings of a study conducted to identify the LLL propensities of some Turkish and Emirati university students learning English as a foreign language in their local contexts. The study included 61 Emirati and 47 Turkish students, with a mean age of 19. Data were collected using a research tool with three sections: Demographics, the Lifelong Learning Tendency Scale (LLLTS – developed by Coskun & Demirel (2012)), and a survey with six open-ended questions. Student’s t-test, the Kruskal-Wallis test and the Mann-Whitney U-test were used to compare the quantitative data in terms of the participants’ nationalities, gender and length of study. The results showed that both Turkish and Emirati students had a moderate level of propensity for LLL. However, the Turkish students’ overall LLLTS scores as well as certain sub-skills were found to be higher than those of the Emirati students. Gender was not found to make a significant difference in the students’ LLL orientations, while motivation was found to be lower at a statistically significant level for those learning English for more than a year. Suggestions are offered for the development of language learners’ LLL skills.

The purpose of this paper is to identify the opinions of first-year Emirati students in a writing-intensive English program regarding the extent to which they found themselves creative and the ways in which they expressed creativity in general. The other aim was to identify the ways in which they tended to make their writing creative. The study also sought to see if there were differences between male and female students’ responses.

Data were collected from 54 first-year Emirati students using a survey with closed and open-ended questions.

Results revealed that only three quarters of the students considered themselves creative. The most common ways in which they perceived themselves creative were through originality, problem-solving and design. With regards to creativity in writing, amongst several factors, they believed that the incorporation of experience, skillful use of lexis and grammar and understanding of their audience in particular make their writing creative. There were no statistically significant differences between male and female students’ responses.

People’s cultural backgrounds play a significant role in their perception of creativity and beliefs in their own creative writing powers. Creative writing skills are, therefore, often among key learning outcomes, and many universities offer their students writing-focused courses. For these courses to be successful, students’ perceptions of creativity skills ought to be taken into consideration. The current study achieved this.

This study investigated the effects of an intercultural communication (IC) course on Emirati university students' intercultural sensitivity (IS).

The participants were 89 Emirati students. The course required student involvement in a variety of tasks and activities, both inside and outside the classroom. The development of the students' IS was tracked using two instruments: the Intercultural Sensitivity Scale (ISS) and a reflective writing task.

The difference between the students' overall pre-test and post-test scores was at a statistically significant level. The data from the reflective writing papers showed that the course developed the students' IS with a particular effect on their awareness of other cultures, barriers to effective communication and self-confidence.

In an increasingly globalized world, the findings of this study highlight the importance of a course designed to enhance university students' IS and therefore intercultural competence. They also indicate the need for more experiential learning to bridge in-class and out-of-class experiences which facilitate the development of students' intercultural competence.