語文是人們獲得一切知識的重要工具，成功的語文學習是其他一切學習的基礎。尤其語文對於概念及原則之學習，更有直接的關係。事實上語文在最主要功能是傳達人與人之間的共同概念。
語文也同時是我們要從事任何職業所必備的基本能力。隨著近年科學的發達、資訊交通運輸之急速進展、縮短了國際間文化交流的距離。英文已成為研究科學、溝通思想、傳佈知識、推廣文化上，最重要且不可缺少的工具。
中學文科教學目標是從語言的「聽」、「說」、「讀」、「寫」四種技巧方面來培養學生能聽、能說、能讀、能寫的語言能力，以期應用於實際生活中。學習英文的目的在於培養傳達能力，以達到溝通思想、發表意見，至於應用自如的境界，並且應用作為吸收新知識的工具。
Paulton（1974）指出：語言教學的目標，是使學習某一語言的人，能以該語言和別人溝通，而不僅在於學會很多的單字和語法規則（林玉熹，民71）。
根據筆者多年在中學從事英文教學的觀察，不少學生對新課的學習，缺少真正求知的意欲和新鮮味。上課變成一種負擔，教室裡沒有那種學習語言特有的活潑快樂的氣氛，這種情形，愈到高年級愈嚴重。除了少數英文成績優良的學生之外，大部分學生的成績都低落，愈接近大專考，愈不知從何處著手準備，而漸漸喪失信心，也喪失了學習的意願，終於放棄學習英文。這種現象如果不及時發現，並予以適當的解決，則不但是個人才能的損失，更是國家教育的浪費。因此，如何提高中學的英文程度乃當務之急。

The primary purpose of this study was to measure student attitude and method toward learning English as a second language in senior high schools. The study included the development and administration of a Lickert─type attitude scale to test the followings：
1.The higher the degree of student achievement in English acquisition the more positive will be the student’s attitude and method toward English study.
2. Girls will score higher than boys on the attitude and method scale.
3. The student’s attitude and method toward English study has some correlation with his socio─economic background.
4. The student’s attitude and method toward English study is a significant predictor of second─language achievement.
1. The higher the degree of student achievement in English acquisition the more positive will be the student’s attitude and method toward English study.
2. Girls will score higher than boys on the attitude and method scale.
3. The student’s attitude and method toward English study has some correlation with his socio─economic background.
4. The student’s attitude and method toward English study is a significant predictor of second─language achievement.
To provide the data necessary for testing the above, and attitude and method scale was developed. An original list of 87 items developed by the author was administered to a sample population of 803 first and second─year seniors randomly selected fro 4 senior high schools in Taipei district.
Pearson’s productive─moment correlation, two─factor analysis of variance, Scheffe multiple comparison and stepwise multiple regression analysis were employed in examining the data.
The major findings were：
（1） Student’s attitude and method toward English study was significantly correlated with the achievement in English. The results indicated that students whom teachers identified as high achievers in English, differed significantly from those identified as low achievers. High achievers were significantly more interested in English and has significantly more favorable attitudes and proper method toward English study than students in the low group. Also, there were appreciable difference between the middle and low, and the middle and high achievement groups on the variables. In general, all three groups indicated a moderately positive attitude toward learning English.
（2）There was no any significant correlation between student’s socio─economic background and student attitude toward learning English except for the English learning skill.
（3）Girls scored higher than boys on the attitude scale. But boys got higher than girls on the English Learning Skill scale.
（4）The result indicated that students’ attitude and method toward English learning was a significant predictor of second─language achievement.