Striving for perfection: The influence of perfectionism on English language proficiency among Chinese non-English majors

Ye Tao, Ilyana Jalaluddin, Zalina Mohd Kasim

Abstract


As a significant personality trait that drives individuals to pursue excellence and adhere to the highest standards, perfectionism plays a vital role in language acquisition. In light of this, the present study aims to examine the relationship between perfectionism and English language proficiency among non-English majors. Utilizing the Frost Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale for Chinese (CFMPS) (Frost et al., 1990), an online questionnaire was administered to 215 non-English majors to assess various dimensions of perfectionism. The participants’ English proficiency was also measured using their College English Test Band 4 (CET-4) scores. Based on this standardized metric, their English language proficiency was quantified to further explore its association with perfectionism. To achieve the research objectives, the collected data were analyzed using various statistical techniques, including descriptive statistics, t-tests, ANOVA, and logistic regression. The results indicated that participants exhibited a high level of perfectionism both overall and across its various dimensions. Moreover, significant differences in perfectionism were observed based on gender and grade level, while no differences emerged across majors. Furthermore, a significant positive correlation was found between perfectionism and English proficiency. In summary, the findings of this study are expected to provide deeper insights into the influence of perfectionism on language learning and other behavioral aspects of learners.


Keywords


English language proficiency; foreign language learning; non-English majors

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References


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DOI: https://doi.org/10.17509/ijal.v15i1.79491

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