Voices of the Future: Palestinian Students’ Attitudes Toward English Language Learning in an EFL Context

This study is about Palestinian university students’ attitudes toward English as a foreign language (EFL) learning, paying special attention to variables such as gender, parents’ knowledge of a foreign language, academic year, and travel to English-speaking countries. The researchers implemented a descriptive–analytical design to collect data. The sample of the study is 570 university students across various higher education institutions in Palestine. The researchers used several statistical tests, such as an Independent Sample t-test and one-way ANOVA, to analyse data. The findings suggest that Palestinian university students’ attitudes toward learning English are mainly neutral. However, there are positive inclinations in specific aspects such as travel, academic content, and reading and writing, with no statistically significant differences due to variables such as gender, academic year, or exposure to English-speaking countries. These results suggest that student attitudes are shaped less by personal background and more by broader sociopolitical and educational conditions. This study contributes to the limited body of localised research on affective variables in second language acquisition (SLA) within conflict-affected regions. It highlights the need for contextually responsive pedagogies that promote student engagement and linguistic resilience. Implications are offered for educators, curriculum developers, and policymakers seeking to enhance EFL instruction in Palestine and similar settings.