What Demotivates English Learners in the Classroom?

Lai, Hsuan-Yau Tony

doi:10.18848/2327-0063/cgp/v10i03/43780

Cited by 5 publications

(4 citation statements)

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“…Generally speaking, demotivators in FLL mainly include internal and external factors ( Figure 2 ). The internal factors are mainly composed of learner-related factors ( Falout et al, 2009 ), while the external factors are mainly teacher-related, environment-related, important others-related, and curriculum-related factors ( Lai, 2013 ).…”

Section: Findings and Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Some factors influencing students’ demotivation have been identified, and they may be related to the students’ own psychological changes, such as excessive learning anxiety ( Xaypanya et al, 2017 ), reduced confidence ( Falout and Maruyama, 2004 ), and negative language attitude ( Kaivanpanah and Ghasemi, 2011 ). Alternatively, they may relate to the learning environment, such as boring learning material ( Husniyah, 2019 ), challenging tasks ( Lai, 2013 ), and disappointing exam results ( Sakai and Kikuchi, 2009 ). To deeply explore these demotivators (factors leading to learners’ demotivation), many scholars have made great achievements in their research on foreign language learning (FLL) demotivation in various contexts in the past 30 years.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Revisiting students’ foreign language learning demotivation: From concepts to themes

Gao

Liu

2022

Front. Psychol.

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Demotivation is a common psychological phenomenon in foreign language learning. Having a good understanding of learners’ foreign language learning demotivation is conducive to enriching the fruits of psychological research on foreign language learning theoretically and practically by exploring effective ways to improve learners’ foreign language learning motivation. Therefore, this study entails an analysis of the selected literature from 2001 to 2021 to interpret the concept of foreign language learning demotivation, illustrate the research topics from the classification of demotivators and their relationships with other psychological factors, and fully describe the research methods and participants. Future research should expand theoretical perspectives, include more participants of different grades, and adopt multiple research methods.

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Section: Findings and Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Revisiting students’ foreign language learning demotivation: From concepts to themes

Gao

Liu

2022

Front. Psychol.

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“…Most people may see tests as a demotivating factor for foreign language learners and standardized tests might be unfair to students from less advantageous backgrounds, yet most of the students in the present study seemed to regard the EGB as a motivation for them to study English harder. As Harmer [17] and Lai [10] claim, testing may not be entirely a negative force for learners; instead, as a positive drive, it can push English language learners to achieve more. Furthermore, there may also be a unique exam culture.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In contrast, it showed that students in higher learning institutions that were not under the policy had greater anxiety in comparison to the students whose institutions required them to pass the English benchmark tests before graduation [9]. Lai [10] also claimed that exams (or tests) might not be a demotivating factor for students in the English language classroom. According to his research on university students' (61 English majors) demotivating factors in Taiwan, he found that although some participants indicated that their English learning motivation was negatively affected by exams (or tests), others had a positive opinion about exams, stating that participants benefited from taking tests regularly to make progress.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Technology University Students’ Attitudes towards the English Graduation Benchmark (EGB): A Comparison between English-major and non-English Major Students

Lai

2020

Sustainability

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The English Graduation Benchmark (EGB) is a common criterion adopted by many universities in Taiwan, including both comprehensive and technology universities to monitor their graduates’ English ability. However, this common criterion has caused some debates in recent years about its appropriateness and fairness to students from less advantageous backgrounds. Some universities have decided to stop this policy in practice. This study aims to investigate technology university students’ perspectives and attitudes towards the EGB, as well as to compare and contrast the opinions of students from English and non-English departments. A quantitative method was adopted for this study. The questionnaire included: (1) Participants’ background information, (2) their experience of taking the proficiency tests, and (3) their thoughts on the EGB policy. In total, 360 students participated in this study. The results showed that most technology university students agreed with the establishment of the EGB. Students from English and non-English departments had positive attitudes because the benchmark motivated them to learn English in some way. Last but not least, technology university students considered the EGB to be useful for their future career development. This paper considers the possible implications of these findings for universities and the government, and suggests how they might re-conceptualize their policies to make them more sustainable.

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Comparing different L3s and factors that affect motivation to learn LOTEs

Lai

2023

Language Teaching Research

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In the field of L2 (second language) learning motivation, most studies have focused on English since it is one of the most important international languages in the world, while few have explored students’ motivation to learn languages other than English (LOTEs) or an L3. The literature on L2 motivation raises the issue of the need to compare the similarities and differences between learning a second language (L2) and a second foreign languages (or L3). English departments at Taiwanese universities require students to begin studying an L3 in their second or third years of study. However, the motivations for these students to learn L3s remain underexplored. This study addresses this gap in the literature. A standardized questionnaire was completed by 150 students in technological universities in Taiwan. The findings reveal five new factors that motivate students to learn L3s: self-accomplishment and expanding horizons, visions of being fluent in the L3, career orientation, interpersonal and social influences, and personal development, which are different from our perceived concept of traditional L2 motivation theories. Besides factors that might also apply to L2 learners’ motivation, the study also highlights issues of insufficient course sessions and unsystematic curriculum mapping as having negative effects on their motivation. The findings can be used as a reference to improve curricula.

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What Demotivates English Learners in the Classroom?

Cited by 5 publications

References 0 publications

Revisiting students’ foreign language learning demotivation: From concepts to themes

Revisiting students’ foreign language learning demotivation: From concepts to themes

Technology University Students’ Attitudes towards the English Graduation Benchmark (EGB): A Comparison between English-major and non-English Major Students

Comparing different L3s and factors that affect motivation to learn LOTEs

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