Rationale
For decades, English has been the most popular language in the world, especially in the current period of modernization and globalization Learning English is like holding in your hand a universal key to open the door to the desired future As a result, English has been one of the compulsory subjects in the educational program for students in most countries Grasping the development trend of the world and the importance of English, Vietnam's education system has made English a compulsory and essential subject in schools from primary to tertiary education
Numerous studies and theories on teaching and learning English show that some factors, such as teachers, students, educational curriculum, pedagogy, teaching materials, and learning environment, impact on English teaching and learning Among the mentioned factors, students are considered the most important and have the most influence on the results, and the success of learning English is based on their learning motivation Indeed, the role of learners’ motivation in learning has drawn great concern and has been examined by many scholars According to Gardner (1985), the motivation for foreign language learning includes a clear learning goal, efforts to master
English, a desire to achieve the set goal, and an attitude
English learners need have a positive attitude toward English to learn and produce this language better It is undeniable that motivation has been regarded as a crucial factor affecting the whole second language (L2) learning and teaching process It has also been considered one of the key factors determining success in developing the L2 language (Koiso, 2003) According to Dửrnyei (1994, p 273), motivation is defined as "one of the main determinants of second/foreign language achievement" For decades, motivation in teaching and learning L2 and FL has been the global concern Therefore, the construct of motivation has been widely studied (e.g., Garner
& Lambert, 1972 (cited in Ngo et al., 2017); Deci & Ryan, 1985 (cited in Phan, 2011); Oxford and Shearin, 1994 (cited in Phan, 2011); William, 1994; Noel et al., 1999; Dửrnyei, 1998, 2001; Dửrnyei & Ottú, 1998; Dửrnyei & Ushioda, 2011)
In Vietnam, teaching and learning English is brought up as a top concern, especially in the current period of world integration Therefore, English has been included in the national education curriculum and has become a compulsory subject in schools from primary school to university level In addition, motivation in learning English has received the wide attention of Vietnamese English teachers and scholars (Phan, 2011; Tran & Baldauf Jr., 2011; Nguyen, 2015; Truong, 2016; Ngo et al., 2017; Van & Habók, 2021)
Although motivation in English learning has been extensively studied among students in Vietnamese universities and high schools, research on motivational factors among undergraduate non-English majors at Quy Nhon University in the context of Central Vietnam has not been done in order to gain a more comprehensive understanding of teaching and learning English yet Hence, I conducted a study with the topic "Quy Nhon University undergraduate non-English majors' perceptions of motivational factors in learning English as a foreign language" for my master's thesis to explore students’ perceptions of motivation from two faculties—the Natural Sciences Faculty (NSF) and the Social Sciences & Humanities Faculty (SSF) Although there are many types of motivation affecting EFL learners’ English learning, this study will only focus on instrumental and integrative motivation Hopefully, the outcome of the study will contribute more to the effective teaching and learning of English.
Aim and objectives
This study aims to explore what instrumental and integrative factors students coming from two different faculties (NSF versus SSF) at Quy Nhon University perceive as motivation for their learning English
The following detailed objectives are set to ensure the implementation of the above aim:
To identify what instrumental and integrative motivational factors affecting their English learning process from NSF and SSF students’ perspectives;
To investigate if there is any difference in the perception of NSF students and SSF ones about these types of motivation.
Research questions
The study aims to answers two following research questions:
1 What instrumental and integrative motivational factors affect the
English learning process from NSF and SSF students’ perspectives?
2 What are similarities and differences in the motivation to learn English among non-English major students from NSF students and SSF ones?
Scope of the study
There are many types of motivational factors However, the study only focuses on two main types: instrumental and integrative
The participants are 200 first-year non-English majors from two faculties – the Natural Sciences Faculty (NSF) and the Social Sciences & Humanities Faculty (SSF) – who have almost completed two Basic English courses (English 1 and 2) at Quy Nhon University The time for collecting the data was three weeks, in which the participants were asked to complete the questionnaire individually on paper or Google form, and then 12 participants would be invited to a direct or online interview on their mobile phones.
Significance of the study
The current study investigating instrumental and integrative motivation affecting the English learning process of non-English majors in higher education in Vietnam is significant at theoretical and practical levels
At a theoretical level, this research strengthens the existing literature on L2 motivation as it complements the gaps in this area This study has provided insight into what motivates non-English majors from two opposite faculties (NSF vs SSF) in higher education to learn English, and how different these non-English majors are in their motivations to learn the English language in a tertiary context Furthermore, the findings of this research have contributed to the motivation theory of Gardner regarding its applicability in researching motivation within the Vietnamese tertiary context
At a practical level, this research has identified the most popular type of motivation non-English major students reported in learning English and the differences in the motivational factors to learn English among non-English majors from the two faculties These findings may help EFL lecturers look for possible methods to improve students’ motivation to learn English and enhance the quality of teaching and learning English at the tertiary level in Vietnam.
Organization of the study
The study consists of five chapters
Chapter 1, “Introduction”, presents the rationale, aims and objectives, research questions, the scope of the study, the significance of the study, and the organization of the study.
Definition of motivation
According to Alizadeh (2016), motivation plays an important role in achieving success in learning English as a foreign or second language Nuridin (2019) also agreed with Alizadeh (2016) that motivation is a crucial factor in second or foreign language learning Positive motivation can enable them to enhance their performance, but negative motivation can decrease their output Motivation in English language learning is considered the main factor in the success of EFL learners’ English learning and plays a crucial role in improving the effectiveness of EFL teachers’ English teaching In other words, motivation directly influences EFL teachers' and learners’ success or failure in EFL instructing and acquiring processes According to Ushioda (2008), the high achievers of this world or good learners have motivation
Depending on the desired goal, everyone can have different views on motivation and make their own definition For decades, numerous scholars have conducted various studies to gain a deep understanding of the motivation to create a model framework to assist teachers who have always had a strong desire to motivate learners to achieve their goals and succeed in L2 learning Despite the numerous explanations, there is no agreement among researchers on the meaning of motivation (Svobodova, 2015) or "viewing it as no more than an absolute umbrella that hosts a wide range of concepts that do not have much in common" (Dửrnyei, 2001, p 7) Moreover, Dửrnyei (1998, p.7) states that the term "motivation" has been mostly in the research and educational fields However, there has been no consensus on the exact definition of this word
There are challenges in using simple terms to define motivation due to the variety of motivation theories However, they have a common idea when explaining motivation, which generally indicates someone's stimulation, choice, and determination in performing the behaviors, or which is considered a personal want or desire to stimulate someone to do something Indeed, according to Dửrnyei (2001), "motivation" is a powerful source or force to drive somebody’s actions related to his/her desires to do something Williams and Burden (2000) also similarly defined motivation as a term that might be related to mental and emotional incitement, which rouses conscious determination and the sustained intellectual and physical effort to achieve the set goal Furthermore, Hall (2011) emphasized that motivation was an important factor for language learners to complete or achieve the previously set goal
Naiman et al (1977, as cited in Ur, 1991 and Alotaibi, 2020) conducted a study of successful language learning and found the typical characteristics of successful students that are closely related to motivation, including a) they are willing to do challenging tasks, b) they are determined to succeed to maintain a positive self-image, c) they are ambitious, d) they set goals, e) they are positive and not discouraged by failure, f) if they find a task ambiguous, they try very hard to understand it, and g) they overcome difficulties to succeed
The Oxford Dictionary defines motivation as "the reason why somebody does something or behaves in a particular way, or the feeling of wanting to do something, especially something that involves hard work and effort." In the Collins Dictionary, motivation is described as "the act or an instance of motivating desire to do; interest or drive; incentive or inducement (and in terms of psychology), the process that arouses, sustains and regulates human and animal behavior." Similarly, the online Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English defines motivation as "the eagerness and willingness to do something without needing to be told or forced to do it." In the mentioned dictionaries, motivation is the condition or activity that stimulates a person’s desire to behave in a certain way
Keller (1983) claimed that motivation is the decisions that people make to deal with or evade their goals and situations, and how they afford to in this respect
Motivation in Gardner et al (1983, p 39) is ―the level to which the individual works or endeavors to gain proficiency with the language as a result of a longing to do as such and the fulfillment experienced in the movement‖ Gardner (1985, p 10) stated that motivation is ―the extent to which the individual works or strives to learn the language because of a desire to do so and the satisfaction experienced in the activity.‖ The other researchers indicate essential and indispensable aspects in learning a foreign language like learners’ effort, desire, and attitudes are Richards and Schmidt (2010) In their research, they noticed motivation as ―a combination of the learner’s attitudes, desires, and willingness to expend effort to learn the second language‖ (p 377)
The motivation was a problematic notion containing many psychological perspectives (Gardner, 2006) Dejnozka and Kapel (1991) defined motivation as a mental term identified with the human attitude that views the willingness to get positive results by doing some actions Belmechi and Hummel (1998) explained that motivation was a composite of power and direction that individually relates to the objective of the exertion and the learner The motivation was thought of as the assumption for an award, and the learners’ motivation might define the learners’ success in learning a foreign language (Brown, 2000)
Oxford and Shearin (1994) suggested that motivation determines the level of active participation of individuals in second language learning
Harmer (2007, p 98) defines motivation as ―the dynamically changing cumulative arousal or internal drive in a person that initiates, directs, coordinates amplify, terminates, and evaluates the cognitive and motor processes whereby initial wishes and desires are selected, prioritized, operationalized and successfully or unsuccessfully acted out‖
All in all, despite the diversity in the definition of the term dynamics, these different versions of the concept of "motivation" all share one thing in common: "motivation" is the personal desire and interest to motivate individuals to do and afford to achieve their goals Therefore, I adopted the idea of Gardner (1985) cited in Gardner (2001) about "motivation" that includes effort (the effort to learn the language), desire (wanting to achieve a goal), and positive affect (enjoying the learning language tasks) That view of motivation also indicates that an individual who strikes for his/her learning and makes an effort to achieve the goals is a motivated learner.
Gardner’s motivation theory
There is an abundance of L2 learning or SLA motivation theories, one of which is profoundly influential in L2 learning or SLA is Gardner’s motivation theory According to Gardner (1985), desire, effort, and behavioral and affective elements in learning a second language are the factors closely related to the concept of motivation (Gardner, 1985) Gardner (2001) also confirmed that effort (the effort to learn the language), desire (wanting to achieve a goal), and positive affect (enjoying the learning language tasks) are three elements included in motivation That is, an EFL learner regarded as a motivated learner is an individual who strikes for his/her learning and makes an effort to achieve the goals There are two kinds of motivation orientations: (1) integrative orientation (integrative motivation-the enjoyment of learning a second language due to sincere interest and a desire to engage with and penetrate the culture of the target community or even become a member of that community.), and (2) instrumental orientation (instrumental motivation-learning an L2 for practical reasons, such as graduating or getting a better job with a higher salary based on language ability) that Gardner refers to as a "goal" to stimulate motivation to achieve a predetermined goal (Gardner, 1985)
When discussing Gardner’s motivation theory, it is necessary to mention the most important and influential model—the socio-educational model—that was initially introduced by Gardner and Smythe (1975, as cited in Gardner, 2010) This model has had several versions over the years For example, Gardner, 1985; Gardner & MacIntyre, 1993; Gardner, 2000; Gardner, 2005; Ellis, 2008; Cook, 2008 The model developed by Gardner (1985) (Figure 2.1) consists of four components influencing the L2 learning process: (1) cultural beliefs, (2) individual differences, (3) language acquisition contexts, and (4) linguistic and nonlinguistic outcomes, which contribute to L2 learning in classroom settings despite being regarded as natural settings In other words, this model is thought of as a method for investigating the role of motivation in L2 learning
Figure 2.1 Gardner's socio-educational model (Gardner & Lalonde, 1985)
The socio-educational model indicated that while language aptitude determines language proficiency, both motivation and attitudes are towards the L2 learning situation and the L2 cultural beliefs This model also shows that there is probably a relationship between motivation and attitudes and language proficiency
However, this model has made numerous researchers confused with the various terms related to the integrative dimension, such as integrative motivation, integrative motive, integrativeness, and integrative orientation (Dửrnyei, 1994) Furthermore, Gardner (2001, p.1) also points out that the term has "slightly different meanings to many different individuals"
There is a new version of the socio-educational model (see Figure 2.2) to solve the confusing problem in the initial version of this model (Gardner, 2005) There are two main variables—integrativeness and attitudes toward learning situations—that are linked to L2 individuals' motivation to learn and achieve achievement in the language learning environment As Gardner claims, "We never meant integrativeness (or integrative orientation, or integrative motive) to mean one wanted to become a member of the other cultural community, but rather an individual’s openness to taking on characteristics of another cultural/linguistic group." (Gardner, 2005, p 7) In addition, instrumentality, referring to learning a language for practical reasons, is another variable that influences language achievement According to Gardner (2005), Integrativeness, Attitudes to Learning Situations, and Instrumentality are not opposite but correlated with each other
Figure 2.2 The Socio-Educational Model (Gardner, 2005, p 6)
Although Gardner’s socio-educational model has been considered the most well-known and influential motivation model in L2 learning, this has been critiqued by some scholars because of its over-emphasis on integrativeness (see, for example, McClelland, 2000; Lamb, 2004; Dửrnyei,
2005, 2009; Dửrnyei, Csizộr, & Nộmeth, 2006; Dửrnyei & Ushioda, 2011).
Dửrnyei’s (1994) model of L2 motivation
Dửrnyei (1994) has presented a framework of L2 learning motivation based on three levels related to L2 learning (see Figure 2.3)
LANGUAGE LEVEL Integrative Motivational Subsystem
LEARNER LEVEL Need for Achievement
• Self-Efficacy LEARNING SITUATION LEVEL
Interest (in the course) Relevance (of the course to one’s needs)
Expectancy (of success) Satisfaction (one has in the outcome)
Affiliative Drive (to please the teacher)
Authority Type (controlling vs autonomy-supporting)
Goal-Orientedness Norm & Reward System Group Cohesiveness Classroom Goal Structure
Figure 2.3 Dửrnyei’s (1994) framework of L2 learning motivation
In his framework, Dửrnyei has divided L2 motivation into three distinct levels that coincide with the three basic constituents of the L2 learning process (the L2, the L2 learner, and the L2 learning environment): language, learner, and learning situation levels, and he has introduced affecting factors such as the social dimension, the personal dimension, and the educational subject matter dimension relevant to these three levels
At the first level of the construct—the language level—Dửrnyei includes both integrative and instrumental motivation that concentrates on learners’ attitudes towards the target language The social, cultural, and ethnolinguistic components and the interest in foreign languages that directly affect L2 learners' direction are included in the integrative motivational subsystem The practical reasons, such as academic and career achievement, represent the instrumental motivational subsystem
Dửrnyei focuses on the individual’s attitudes towards the language and the learning situation at the second element – the learner level It consists of the need for achievement and self-confidence combined with language anxiety, perceived L2 competence, attributions about past experiences, and self-efficacy, which indicate a complex of influences and cognizance to form L2 learners' character
The learning situation at the third level is constructed by intrinsic and extrinsic motivation with specific motivational elements closely related to L2 learners: the course, the teacher, and the group that contains motivational components concerning three areas (1) Course-specific motivational components are made up of the syllabus, the teaching materials, the teaching method, and the learning tasks (2) Teacher-specific motivational components include the affiliative drive to please the teacher, authority type, and direct socialization of student motivation (modeling, task presentation, and feedback) (3) Group-specific motivational components involve goal-orientedness, norm and reward system, group cohesion, and classroom goal structure.
The Self-determination theory
Self-determination is a crucial notion that indicates an individual’s ability to control his/ her choices and life Although the concept of self- determination has been more applied to many areas including work, exercise, and health Research suggests that having high self-determination can foster success in many different domains of life, it is strongly associated with education or L2 motivation in different ways Self-Determination Theory - intrinsic and extrinsic motivation, plays an important role in education (Ryan
& Deci, 2000) According to Deci & Ryan (1985), in Self-Determination Theory, there are amotivation, extrinsic motivation, and intrinsic motivation which are three types of motivation controlling individuals’ attitudes (see Figure 2.4)
Figure 2.4 The self-determination continuum (Ryan & Deci, 2000, p 72)
As seen in Figure 2.4, the Continuum of Motivation (Self-Determination Theory) ranges from amotivation (far left) to extrinsic motivation (in the middle) and intrinsic motivation (far right) Amotivation is on the far left expresses the unwillingness or lack of motivation to do an activity In terms of education or L2 learning, amotivated learners probably produce negative results (Vallerand et al., 1993) In the middle of the continuum is Extrinsic Motivation, referring to behavior that is driven by external rewards as stated by Ryan & Deci (2000, p 71), "the performance of an activity in order to attain some separable outcome" There are four different subtypes of Extrinsic motivation: external regulation (to obtain rewards or avoid punishment); Introjection (or Introjected Regulation-to avoid anxiety or to improve pride); Identification (or Identified Regulation-occurs when individuals find something valuable for their behaviors (Ryan & Deci, 2009); and Integration (or Integrated Regulation-occurs when individuals identify the regulations suit their needs (Ryan and Deci, 2000) On the far right is intrinsic motivation, which represents the engagement of an individual in an activity due to his/ her reward to satisfy himself or herself without any obvious external rewards In other words, he/she does it because it’s enjoyable and interesting, rather than because of an outside incentive or pressure to do it, such as a reward or deadline.
Main types of motivation
Deci and Ryan (1985) classified motivation into two main kinds, which are "intrinsic motivation" and "extrinsic motivation," while Gardner and Lambert (1959, as cited in Lei, 2012) distinguished two types of motivation that could be related to L2 learning: (1) integrative motivation and (2) instrumental motivation Moreover, Dửrnyei (2000) discovered
"amotivation"—a new type of motivation concerning the absence of any kind of motivation In the motivation theory of Gardner (1985), he categorized motivations into 3 groups: (1) Orientation and Motivation; (2) Intrinsic and Extrinsic Motivation; and (3) Integrative and Instrumental Motivation
In the motivation theory of Gardner (1985), "motivation" and
"orientation" are related to the goals of foreign and second-language learners
Ryan & Deci (2000, p.54) explain why actions were taken based on learning goals and learners’ attitudes correlated to the orientation of motivation
As also stated by Crookes and Schmidt (1991), the goal of FL/L2 learning and the attitudes toward FL/L2 learning decide the learner’s motivation and orientation Belmechri and Hummel (1998) found that motivation was predicted and determined by orientations despite no agreement about the relationship between orientation and motivation Indeed, when mentioning the motivation of someone, it refers to the reasons embodied by the orientation to take action (Ely, 1986) Spolsky (1989, p.160) also claimed that everyone always had reasons when they decided to choose and learn a new language, and these reasons would assist them to increase their determination, effort, and expenses for their language learning In the L2 literature, there is an exchange of orientations and motivations (Dửrnyei, 1994, p.518)
Motivation in the Self-Determination Theory of Deci and Ryan (1985) has two types: (1) intrinsic motivation (motivation is more inside a person) and (2) extrinsic motivation (motivation is more outside a person)
Ryan & Deci (2000) claim that intrinsic motivation refers to "the doing of an activity for its inherent satisfactions rather than for some separable consequence" (p 56), while extrinsic motivation is defined as "a construct that pertains whenever an activity is done in order to attain some separable outcome" (p 60) The self-determined learning, perceived competence, and interest in L2 learning of L2 learners are used to measure and enhance intrinsic motivation (Ryan & Deci, 2000) As claimed by Baker (2004), intrinsic motivation could reduce the tension and pressure on learning and reinforce self-regulated learning
Deci (1980, p 34, as cited in Deci & Ryan, 2013) states that intrinsic motivation is the motivation that prompts people to take part in activities because of their personal enjoyment or internal urge without regard to external rewards Woolfolk (1998) also defines intrinsic motivation as
"motivation that stems from factors such as interest or curiosity" (p.374) According to Paul and Kauchak (2005, p.398), "Intrinsic motivation is the motivation to be involved in an activity for its own sake." In other words, intrinsic motivation aims to bring about the feeling of competence and self- determination
Extrinsic motivation, on the other hand, is beyond the self and related closely to outside rewards such as getting praise, positive feedback, good grades, well-paid jobs, money, and avoiding punishment Extrinsic motivation is thought to account for short-term achievement rather than long-term success, which is believed to belong to intrinsic motivation Santrock (2004) also argues that "extrinsic motivation involves doing something to obtain something else (a means to an end)" (p 418) In L2 learning, the student is extrinsically motivated to strive to receive a reward, such as passing their tests and exams, avoiding failing, getting good qualifications, or graduating
Generally speaking, both kinds of motivation play an important role in learning, and lack of motivation can cause procrastination because motivation is the driving force that makes people act In other words, the presence of motivation can increase learning behavior Teachers need to know the type of motivation and its sources to meet the students’ particular needs
According to Harmer (1994), motivation is divided into the same two kinds as Deci & Ryan (1985) He claims that intrinsic motivation is linked with factors inside the classroom and personal features like attitude, belief, and needs, whereas the outside of the classroom elements such as receiving financial prizes, passing exams with high scores, or getting high-salary jobs in the future
Although there have been many arguments about the importance of two kinds of mentioned motivation, which one is more powerful in the success of the L2 learning of each student, Susan Harter (1981) states that both types of motivation affect each other Therefore, both kinds of motivation are crucial in learning because motivation can increase learning behavior and control when to act
In terms of gaining achievement and provoking development in L2/FL language learning, there are differences between learners with intrinsic motivation and those with extrinsic one For example, Lei (2010) claims that learners with extrinsic motivation might have more challenges in achieving their learning goals, while intrinsically motivated learners are better in their learning performance and find it easier to achieve a high level Therefore, despite having a personal awareness of the value of the tasks, learners who have extrinsic motivation are not willing to take action or resentfully and hesitantly perform the tasks As stated by William and Burden (1997), intrinsic and extrinsic motivation are two key factors in arousing language learning performance, and they are certainly connected In addition, Hall
(2011) emphasizes that L2 teachers should help L2 learners prompt intrinsic and extrinsic motivation in their learning to gain more achievement
While extrinsic and intrinsic motivations have been used to measure motivation in L1 learning, instrumental and integrative motivations are two major based notions of motivation present in L2 learning studies (Gardner & Lambert, 1972, 1959; Gardner, 1985; Gardner & Maclntyre, 1993; Tremblay
In a social psychological framework, Gardner & Lambert (1959) distinguish two types of motivations that could be related to L2 learning: (1) integrative motivation and (2) instrumental motivation These two types of motivation represent the learners' general disposition towards studying a language
According to Gardner (1985), integrative motivation refers to L2 learners’ positive attitudes towards the L2 community; therefore, integrative motivation would decide learners’ final proficiency and the learners stimulated by integrative motivation would make more effort in learning L2 to actively gain success in their second language learning
As identified by Ellis (2008) based on Dửrnyei’s (1994) clarification, there are three subcomponents of integrative motivation: (1) integrativeness (including integrative orientations, interest in foreign languages, and attitudes towards the second language community); (2) Attitude towards the learning situation (i.e., attitudes towards the teacher and the second language course), and (3) Motivation (i.e., the effort, desire, and attitude towards L2 learning (Ellis 2008))
Research design
This thesis was conducted to identify NSF and SSF students’ perceptions of motivational factors affecting English learning This study used mixed- methods design with the deployment of quantitative and qualitative methods to collect the data because "the use of both quantitative and qualitative methods, in combination, provides a better understanding of the research problem and question than either method by itself" (Creswell, 2012, p 535) Moreover, mixed-method approaches have long been seen as "legitimate inquiry" research designs (Brewer & Hunter, 1989, p 28) In addition, according to Silverman (2000, p.50), a research design using multiple methods would "give a fuller picture and address many different aspects of phenomena." Bryman (2003) and Greene et al (1989) also stated that the data types collected from both quantitative and qualitative methods provide a better understanding than the data type from one method or collecting more data sets could reveal more aspects of reality than one data set (Creswell & Clark, 2007) To answer the research questions, achieve the research objectives, and enhance the study’s reliability and validity, two main types of research tools for data collection were used, namely, questionnaires and semi- structured interviews In this instance, the quantitative data from the questionnaire and the interview results were used as qualitative data that supported and strengthened each other.
Research setting
The research setting of the current study is Quy Nhon University, which was selected because of the following criteria: this university has the Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities (SSF) and the Faculty of Natural Sciences (NSF), whose non-English major students are learning English; and this university offers favorable conditions with easy access for the researcher to collect the data
English is the compulsory foreign language chosen by most university students (Van H., 2010) The English program designed for non-English major students when they start at universities is at an elementary level (Tien, 2013) The SSF and NSF students at this university are not studying English as a major They have to learn English as their compulsory subject in their curriculum
At Quy Nhon University, English for non-English major students is taught in two first semesters of the whole course, with 45 periods for the first semester and 60 periods for the second one The Solutions, built with content by Tim Falla & Paul A Davies and published by Oxford Publishing House, were selected as a textbook for teaching and learning with two levels corresponding to two semesters, specifically, the Solutions Book Pre-Intermediate for semester 1, and the Solutions Intermediate for semester 2 To assess EFL learners' English language competency, the ongoing assessment method has been used to evaluate listening and speaking skills, and the other language skills (reading and writing) will be tested on the final exam.
Research participants
One week before the delivery of questionnaires and interviews to the participants, I contacted the first-year classes in a four-year Bachelor’s program non-majoring in English of the Social Sciences & Humanities Faculty (SSF) and the Natural Sciences Faculty (NSF) at Quy Nhon University with permission from their faculties and English department Then, I went to each class to inform students about my research objectives and called for volunteers among these students to participate in the study reported here
The selection of this group of participants was based on the fact that their mother tongue is Vietnamese and they are not English majors, so they seem to have a narrower view about the reasons for learning another language, which is a point that needs to be paid more attention to when teaching English to avoid demotivating them Moreover, the only foreign language they know is English, and their English proficiency varies from elementary to intermediate
The researcher chose the first-year non-English majors from two faculties as research participants for the following reasons: Firstly, in the first academic year of study, they have to complete two Basic English courses as required in their curriculum, and these are the only two English courses for most students in the whole university Secondly, these two faculties have the most diverse number of majors at Quy Nhon University (for example, NSF has nine majors, and SSF has six) Thus, with a large number of majors above, these two faculties have provided a diverse number of research participants to increase the reliability of the research Furthermore, the study's reliability and diversity of perceptions on motivational factors for learning
English are higher because the faculties represent the two largest disciplinary fields belonging to two opposing fields: natural sciences and social sciences
The paper questionnaires were administered to 200 non-English-major freshmen (100 participants from NSF and 100 from SSF), who were chosen as the participants The subjects were totally non-English-major freshmen who have completed at least one Basic English course They were undergraduate students, including 76 males (SSF: 24, NSF: 52) and 124 females (NSF: 48, SSF: 76)
The criteria for selecting the participants of the study were the following: (1) male and female first-year non-English-major students of SSF and NSF at Quy Nhon University; (2) they expressed willingness to participate in the study The distribution of the number of participants in terms of gender and faculty is shown in Table 3.1
Table 3.1 Number of students by faculty and gender
Count Column N % Count Column N % Count Column N %
Among these 200 students, 12 students were chosen at random for the interviews.
Research instruments
To identify motivational factors perceived by undergraduate non-English majors in learning English as a foreign language, two main instruments were unitized: a questionnaire to collect quantitative data and semi-structured interviews for qualitative data
The questionnaire survey was conducted to elucidate non-English major students’ perceptions of factors impacting and motivating their English learning The questionnaire used in this study is a 5-point Likert Scale, which was mainly adapted from the attitude and motivation scales of the original 6- point Likert Scale format of Gardner's Attitude/Motivation Test Battery (AMTB) (Gardner, 2004) and the L2 Dửrnyei learning motivation questionnaire (Dửrnyei, 2010), which were confirmed to be reliable and valid by these researchers, and ranged from "Strongly Disagree" to "Strongly Agree": Strongly Disagree = 1, Disagree = 2, Neutral = 3, Agree = 4, Strongly Agree = 5 (see Appendix A) Moreover, the repetition of items was avoided, and some modifications were made to this survey to suit the context of the present study (Appendix A).
The questionnaire consisted of two main parts The first part collected information on demographic characteristics (e.g., gender, name of faculty, ), and the second one consisted of criteria for assessing learning motivation with
There are ten items for instrumental motivation that are related to English as a compulsory subject needed to pass exams and graduate (items 1 and 2), English as a significant factor in students’ majors (items 3 and 5), English as a necessary tool to get better jobs or get high promotion in future careers (items
4, 7, 8, 9, and 10), and the desire to be highly respected by peers and other people when having a high level of English proficiency (item 6)
In addition, included in part two of the questionnaire, there are other ten items belonging to integrative motivation focus on the interest in reading English books, newspapers, and magazines (item 11), the desire to communicate and make friends with English-speaking people (items 12, 16, 18 and 19), the chances to understand cultures, arts and lifestyles of English-speaking people (items 13, 14 and 15), the desire of traveling to English-speaking countries (item 17), and the interest in learning the English language (item 20).
The 20-item questionnaires containing the Instrumental and Integrative Motivation items were adapted and modified from the format of Gardner's Attitude/Motivation Test Battery (AMTB) (Gardner, 2004) and the L2 Dửrnyei learning motivation questionnaire (Dửrnyei, 2010) I made a minor modification of Gardner’s AMTB (2004) and the L2 Dửrnyei learning motivation questionnaire (2010) The instrumental item 1 is "English is a very important part of the school program." (Gardner, 2004) was changed to "I have to learn English because it is a compulsory subject in the curriculum." so that it is more suitable for the survey context I also rewrote the statement
"I wish I could read newspapers and magazines in many foreign languages." to "I learn English because I want to read English magazines, newspapers, or books and watch English films." to suit the target population and to discover whether the participants may enjoy reading daily and academic materials in English relating to their lives and majors In addition, item 3, "Studying English is important because I need it for English terms in my major, for using technology and the Internet." is the new one created in this part by the researcher The Integrative Motivation part had some statements as items 13,
15, and 17 adapted from integrativeness, cultural interest, and attitude towards the L2 community of the L2 Dửrnyei learning motivation questionnaire (Dửrnyei, 2010)
Due to the backgrounds and different proficiency levels of the participants, the questionnaire was translated from English with the support of experienced English teachers at this university The initial version of the questionnaire delivered to 30 non-English major students was in Vietnamese as a sample After receiving the responses and making an assessment, the final questionnaires were delivered to the survey participants
The whole process of conducting the survey lasted about six months The following steps were taken (Table 3.2)
Table 3.2 Process of Conducting the Survey
Construction of items for the questionnaires October, 2021
Preparation of the first draft of the questionnaire November, 2021
Pilot for the first draft of the questionnaires; Translation December, 2022
Identifying the items into constructs January, 2022
Preparation of the final version of the questionnaires The middle of February, 2022
Administration of the survey March, 2022
The second instrument used to collect qualitative data was a series of semi-structured interviews with guide questions developed and used by the researcher In the role of the interviewer, the researcher should be flexible in raising questions for the respondents to ensure that the interviews "allow respondents to say what they think and to do so with greater richness and spontaneity" (Miller & Brewer, 2003, p 167) To ensure safety during the severe COVID-19 pandemic and to avoid interference with the participants’ learning and give the respondents convenience, the researcher conducted individual semi-structured interviews with the participants through their mobile phones The interview questions aimed to answer the research questions The scales of the questionnaires were framed based on previous studies All questions for the interview were translated into Vietnamese to make the interviewees feel more comfortable Three days after the questionnaire, the researcher conducted individual interviews in Vietnamese with the same participants, consisting of six male and six female students invited at random The interviews were designed to delve deeper into the aforementioned issues: participants’ opinions on the motivation in English learning, the significance of English, and the reasons for studying English in more depth The questions for the interviews were translated into Vietnamese and concentrated on (1) whether the participants enjoy learning English or not; (2) why they learn English; (3) the importance of English to non-English majors; (4) whether they continue to learn English after finishing two Basic English courses or after graduating; (5) their perceptions of the importance of English in their future jobs and promotion, and (6) their desire to make friends with a native speaker of English to practice their English and to know more about the native lifestyle, culture, and art
The first question warmed the students up to ease the participants into the main questions The second and third items were the key questions, whereas items 4, 5, and 6 were the follow-up questions
To create a comfortable and relaxed atmosphere, despite conducting the interviews over mobile phones, the researcher explained the interview goal and asked the participants to feel free to express their opinions and thoughts on the motivational factors affecting their English learning The researcher asked the students, the participants, to respond to the questions one by one and to take turns During the interview, the researcher also took notes and recorded the interview The moderator then asked the participants to respond to the questions Each interview lasted about 10 minutes.
Research procedure
In terms of administration of the survey questionnaire, all items were translated to Vietnamese by the researcher with the support of experienced
English professors from the Faculty of Foreign Languages of the university where the survey questionnaires were administered to the participants to get the data A pilot study among 30 students was conducted to get feedback on the modification of the questionnaires The pilot study showed that all the pilot participants understood all the items and the main idea of this instrument, and there were no major changes to be made to the questionnaires Before delivering the final Vietnamese version questionnaire to these main survey participants in person, the objectives and significance of the research were explained clearly to the students to elicit their honest responses Once they finished answering the questionnaire in 15-20 minutes, they were required to check and fill in their answers to all questions fully
Regarding conducting the interviews, before the actual data collection, a pilot interview was conducted with six college students to determine whether they understood the questions clearly Twelve students among these participants who volunteered to have an interview with the researcher were randomly selected The interviewees explained the aim and procedures of the interview sessions and were personally invited to the informal semi-structured interviews to make them more comfortable, expose their honesty, and ensure better and valid results The interviewees were informed that their answers were treated with complete confidentiality All the interview participants agreed to have the interview audio and written version, so the smartphone and laptop were used during the interview to record and take notes that helped in the transcription of responses.
Data analysis
The data collected in the present study was of two types: quantitative and qualitative data The raw quantitative responses to the questionnaires were encoded by Microsoft Excel 2010 The encoded data was run on the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS, version 26) program, such as the Descriptive Statistics for describing the data and the Independent Sample T-Test for determining the differences in the terms of two majors concerning Instrumental and Integrative Motivational Factors The data on the general background of the participants was calculated and presented in percentages A five-point scale was used to measure the level and type of subjects’ learning motivation Thus, the scale was utilized in the questionnaire to measure the levels of agreement or disagreement, and the types of subjects’ learning motivation were interpreted using the following criteria (Table 3.3)
Table 3.3 Mean Range for Motivation Level
High Level of Motivation Moderate Level of Motivation Low Level of Motivation
For the analysis of qualitative data, we used the coding systems to code each recording from each participant, ranging from S1 to S12, before the coding of qualitative interview data was transcribed and done to protect the students’ identities The transcriptions were double-checked to make sure that no information was missing before they were carefully translated We transcribed the audio-recorded interviews and translated the transcripts into English with the proofreading of English language teaching (ELT) experts Afterward, the two strands of data were combined, compared, and contrasted based on themes (e.g., instrumental motivation and integrative motivation) to examine consistencies and discrepancies in the two datasets and to reach proper conclusions regarding the research questions.
Research reliability and validity
In the present study, the questionnaire was mainly based on Gardner's Attitude/Motivation Test Battery (AMTB) (Gardner, 2004), which many researchers commonly use as a research instrument to explore students’ motivation in learning English Nevertheless, the researcher made a minor modification of Gardner’s AMTB (2004) and adapted some of the integrativeness, cultural interest, and attitude towards the L2 community of the L2 Dửrnyei learning motivation questionnaire (Dửrnyei, 2010) to suit the research setting as well as the aim of the research
The researcher conducted the questionnaire reliability analysis using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (IBM SPSS; Version 26) program and calculated means, standard deviations, and other statistics The reliability of the investigated scales was evaluated with Cronbach's Alpha coefficient, which was 0.89 It has proved reliable The analysis results of the scale reliability are summarized in Table 3.4, which clearly shows two motivating factors with all 20 relevant items On the instrumental motivation scale, there are ten items used to ask the respondents how they measure their practical reasons for learning English The integrative motivation scale consists of ten items to investigate how much interest there is in learning English to adapt to the target language’s culture, customs, community, lifestyle, etc of the survey participants
Cronbach's Alpha Cronbach's Alpha Based on
Motivational factors among students of the Natural Sciences Faculty (NSF) and the Social Sciences & Humanities Faculty (SSF) from their
This part aims to answer the first research question: "What instrumental and integrative motivational factors affect the English learning process from NSF and SSF students’ perspectives?" The respondents were asked to indicate on a five-point Likert-type questionnaire focused on the instrumental and integrative motivation ranged from "Strongly Disagree" to "Strongly Agree": Strongly Disagree = 1, Disagree = 2, Neutral = 3, Agree = 4, Strongly Agree = 5 The researcher analyzed the students' responses to a 20-item questionnaire with the results itemized mean scores by using descriptive statistics of mean scores (M) and standard deviation (SD) and their corresponding motivation levels (see Table 3.3), which serve as the basis for further interpretation and implications
The first research question is concerned with factors perceived by students as motivational that raise their interest in learning English A total of two main types of motivation were found, which were instrumental and integrative motivation This part will present and discuss the outcomes related to the first type of motivation—the instrumental one (see Table 4.1) in terms of the compulsoriness of English in the curriculum to pass exams and to graduate (items 1 and 2), the need for English in students’ majors and professional development (items 3 and 5), the desire to get a well-paid job in the future and have further promotion (items 4, 7, 8, 9 and 10), and the wish to be highly respected by peers and other people when having a high level of English proficiency (item 6)
Table 4.1 Students’ instrumental motivation for learning English
Items Min Max Mean SD Motivation level
1) I have to English because it is a compulsory subject in the curriculum
2) I have to learn English because without passing the English course I cannot graduate
3) Studying English is important because I need it for English terms 2 5 4.26 68 High
Items Min Max Mean SD Motivation level in my major, for using technology and the Internet
4) Studying English is important because with a high level of English proficiency I will able to make a lot of money
5) Studying English can be important for me because I think I’ll need it for further studies on my major
6) Studying English is important because other people will respect me more if I know English
7) Studying English can be important to me because I will need it for my career
8) Studying English can be important to me because I think it will someday be useful in getting a good job
9) Studying English is important to me because I think English proficiency is necessary for promotion in the future
10) Studying English is important to me because with English I can work globally
Based on the analysis of the scale data, Table 4.1 shows that the participants tended to have a high level of instrumental motivation for their English language learning, with an overall mean of 4.27 on the five - point scale and individual item mean scores ranging from 3.92 to 4.49 Indeed, it can be noted in Table 4.1 that students’ perception of the obligatoriness of English in the curriculum to pass exams and graduate (items 1 and 2) has high mean scores, 4.23 and 4.39, respectively These students also strongly agree with the significance of English in their majors’ studies and their further education (items 3 and 5) as expressed by the high mean scores (item 3, M = 4.26, SD = 0.68, and item 5, M = 4.07,
SD = 0.75) In terms of the students' perceptions of the usefulness of English in getting a good job and having a high promotion in the future, these factors have the top mean scores (item 4, M = 4.38, SD = 0.65; item
SD = 0.62; and item 10 (M = 4.22, SD = 0.71) on the five-point scale The desire to be highly respected by classmates and other people (item 6) gets the lowest mean (M = 3.92, SD = 0.76), but it still shows a high level of motivation (see Table 3.3) for non-English majors to learn English
4.1.1.1 English is an instrument to pass exams and graduate
Table 4.1 shows that non-English majors perceive the significance of English in their graduation (item 2, M = 4.39, SD = 0.57) This finding implies that non-English major students recognize the necessity of English in their educational achievement Moreover, the participants showed agreement on the obligatoriness of English to motivate them to learn to meet the requirements of their curriculum (item 1, M = 4.23, SD = 0.45) The results were consistent with Van & Habók (2021), who claimed in their research that Vietnamese non-English majors learned English to achieve academic success
Qualitative data from semi-structured interviews also aligns with the above-mentioned questionnaire’s results Despite the difference in their interest in learning English, eight of twelve respondents admitted that the main reason for learning English was that English was a conditional subject they had to complete to graduate by answering the second interview question (see Appendix B) In contrast, the other four students had irrelevant answers Among eight agreements, S9 and S11 considered they had to learn English because "it is a compulsory subject" Similarly, S2 insisted that students would not be able to graduate from the university without "passing the
English courses" In this vein, S4 expressed her concern about the possibility of "not being able to graduate" without learning and passing English tests
After studying the participants' instrumental motivation to learn the English language, it is clear that the study participants are making a great effort to learn English to meet their course requirements They are all motivated to recognize that they have to pass the English exams to go forward and get an academic university degree This outcome was strongly supported by Hudson (1999), who indicated that instrumental motivation refers to the desire to get practical benefits from a second language learning process It seems that instrumental motivation is also a powerful source of motivation among these non-English majors to stimulate them to learn English
4.1.1.2 English is a significant instrument in students’ majors and in professional development
Table 4.1 also demonstrates two items related to how non-English majors are aware of the helpfulness of English in their current studies, their further education, and in modern technological life According to a relatively high mean score (item 3, M = 4.26, SD = 0.68 and item 5, M = 4.07, SD 0.75), the analysis of the data revealed that the students considered English as a useful tool that gives them more knowledge and understanding when dealing with English technical terms in their majors at present and also in the future, or when comprehending high technology's instructions and the Internet's usage to become well-informed This result agreed with the study of Saville (2006), which asserted that L2 learners learned English by reading technical texts
The qualitative data from the interviews was discussed in parallel with the questionnaire data to reinforce the existence of instrumental motivation in learning English among non-English majors Of the twelve students interviewed when being asked why they were learning English and how important English was to non-English majors, seven strongly advocated that English was a key to success in their majors’ learning and self-improvement; nevertheless, the rest didn’t mention this factor when answering interview questions From the seven consensuses, S6 thought he ought to learn English harder because he had to
"read and study a lot of English materials" Similarly, S10 expressed his motivation for learning English was to "understand well English terms and materials needed for my major", and then it was "for my further study"
Likewise, S1 shared the same idea that his initial reason for learning English was its mandatory nature; nevertheless, he has recently had a different view of the English language He affirmed that English was not only a compulsory subject but also a necessary instrument for "understanding English terms in the specialized subjects in the following academic years during the whole course in the university" Moreover, S1 added another reason to emphasize that English is a must-learn language As he said, "it also helps us to keep up with the development of the world through reading and understanding how to use technology and the Internet."
4.1.1.3 English is a useful instrument to get well-paid jobs and high promotion in the future careers
As can be glanced from Table 4.1, among the types of instrumental motivation for studying English mentioned above, a fervent wish to have more chances for high-salary jobs thanks to English was perceived to be the most dominant factor affecting non-English major students, who presented the highest mean score (item 8, M = 4.49, SD = 0.63) This suggested that the participants intended to take advantage of their English proficiency to gain more career opportunities after leaving the university This finding validates the claim of Gardner & Lambert (1992) that instrumental motivation helps people get social and financial rewards, such as promoting a career or job through acquiring a language This outcome was also correlated with the result of Kửseoğlu (2013), which was about the desire to meet the international labor markets’ requirements of first-year Turkish university students when learning English Furthermore, item 8 confirms the claims of Vietnamese researchers such as Nguyen (2015), Truong (2016), Ngo et al (2017), and Van & Habók (2021) that Vietnamese non-English major students learn English primarily to advance their careers Thus, getting a very high motivational level on this question item declares that non-English majors believe English language proficiency can help them succeed in their future occupations
In addition, the students agreed that earning a lot of money after graduating is one of the factors that forced them to learn English (item 4, M 4.38, SD = 0.65) Besides, the students were highly aware of the necessity of English in their future careers (item 7, M = 4.38, SD = 0.62) and future promotion (item 9, M = 4.39, SD = 0.62) This result implies that non- English major students have a high instrumental motivation for their EFL for the sake of having more job opportunities with the possibility of earning more upon graduation
Concerning the student's desire to be offered prestigious future jobs, the item asking students whether they wanted to work globally also reported a high level of motivation (see Table 3.3) even if it received a relatively low mean score compared to other items (item 10, M = 4.22, SD = 0.71) The findings show that non-English majors recognized that mastering English would increase their chances of working abroad
A summary of the study
The current research program aims to determine how students at Quy Nhon University from two different faculties (NSF versus SSF) perceive instrumental and integrative factors as motivation for learning English The following two detailed objectives are set to ensure the implementation of the above aim: From NSF and SSF students' perspectives, we set out to (1) identify what instrumental and integrative motivational factors are affecting their English learning process; and (2) to investigate if there is any difference in the perception of NSF students and SSF ones about these types of motivation
This research was not only conducted owing to the important role of motivation in achieving success in English language learning and teaching, especially at the Vietnamese tertiary level, but also was carried out to address the gaps and strengthen the literature regarding non-English major students’ motivation to learn English at Quy Nhon University
This mixed-method research based on the theoretical framework of Gardner's motivation theory was undertaken to collect both quantitative data (questionnaires) and qualitative data (focus on individual students’ oral responses through semi-structured interviews) that involved 200 non-English major students from two faculties (200 students taking part in the quantitative survey and 12 students in interviews)
The study has attempted to answer the following research questions:
1 What instrumental and integrative motivational factors affect the English learning process from NSF and SSF students’ perspectives?
2 What are similarities and differences in the motivation to learn English among non-English major students from NSF students and SSF ones?
The first research question was answered through the analysis of qualitative and quantitative data The results indicated that the participants were motivated by two types of motivation: integrative motivation (a desire to become a member of the other cultural community) and instrumental motivation (referring to learning a language for practical reasons) The study also demonstrated that these non-English majors were more instrumentally motivated to learn the English language (e.g., getting a good job, promotion in the future, etc.) Although their dominant motivation in learning English is instrumental, they still have a moderate integrative motivation level (having international friendships and interacting with English-speaking people to learn more about the new culture, life, and behaviors of new communities)
The quantitative data was interpreted to answer research question 2 There was a statistical difference in instrumental motivation between non- English major students from the two faculties Non-English majors in the Natural Sciences Faculty reported slightly higher levels of instrumental motivation than those in the Social Sciences & Humanities Faculty These findings revealed that non-English major students from the Natural Sciences Faculty might have a stronger desire to learn English for practical purposes than their Social Sciences & Humanities Faculty peers Furthermore, there is a similarity in terms of integrative motivation between non-English major students from two faculties.
Implications of the study
This section outlines theoretical and pedagogical implications drawn from the findings of this study
The theoretical implications drawn from the findings of this study concern the applicability of instrumental and integrative motivations in the Vietnamese EFL context
As presented in 4.2, although there was an existence of integrative motivation in their learning English, these non-English majors were not highly integratively motivated in their English learning because of the limitations in their English learning social context They have few opportunities to approach L2 communities and directly contact English natives.As such, this study claims that we should boost the integrative motivation of EFL students so that they can have more positive attitudes toward their English learning to gain long-term success in learning English instead of ignoring it when achieving pragmatic goals (e.g., for graduation or for getting jobs)
Moreover, the present research might significantly contribute to the literature on L2 motivation as it compared the motivational factors affecting English learning as a second language among non-English major students from two opposite faculties—the Natural Sciences Faculty and the Social Sciences & Humanities Faculty—that have diverse majors in each one This study showed that instrumental motivation strongly impacts their effort level in learning English Furthermore, this research indicates that Gardner's motivation theory combined with Gardner's Attitude/Motivation Test Battery (AMTB) (Gardner, 2004) can be a useful framework to examine motivation in FL learning in other contexts and for different kinds of students in various levels of education
The findings from this study suggest some pedagogical implications for the teachers of the first-year non-English majors from two faculties—the Natural Sciences Faculty and the Social Sciences & Humanities Faculty at Quy Nhon University
Firstly, as reported in Chapter Four, these non-English-major freshmen experienced two kinds of motivation (instrumental and integrative motivation) in their English learning However, they seem to be more aware of the importance of instrumental motivation in their English learning than of the integrative one Even though integrative motivation is not much drawn to their attention during the English learning environment, it is crucial in the student's study since it brings feelings of interest, enjoyment, and curiosity in adopting new knowledge related to new communities and new cultures from different target languages (Deci & Ryan, 1985) Therefore, the teacher of English needs to create an environment to nurture students' integrative motivation For example, based on individual students' needs, interests, and background knowledge levels, EFL teachers can design more interesting activities and provide more suitable learning materials in which students can feel more excited about their English learning
Secondly, the students have different levels of instrumental and integrative motivation, probably because the learning materials in the curriculum do not meet students' needs, goals, and interests Therefore, the teacher should be concerned more about the relevance of the knowledge, materials, and activities in the class to students' desires in real life To have a more obvious insight into students' real needs, the teacher should conduct regular surveys to get feedback from students at the beginning, the middle, and the end of each academic year to know exactly what the students' goals and desires are so that EFL teachers can make appropriate adjustments in teaching methods and in designing a syllabus with suitable activities Moreover, it may be helpful for EFL teachers to enable students to take responsibility for their learning if they ask students to list the topics and issues that they are interested in and then share their viewpoints with their peers when completing the assignments in the class and at home
Last but not least, EFL teachers should create learning conditions to foster students’ integrative motivation because integrative motivation may maintain their success in their English learning, improve their achievement, and encourage them to pursue to achieve language proficiency in the future.
Limitations of the study
The study had several limitations due mainly to the limited allotted time and the inaccessibility of reliable sources of data
The first limitation was that although the sample of participants in this study consisted of both males and females, there was a pretty disparity in the number of genders, which led to the failure to address any differences in motivation to learn English between males and females among non-English- major students On the other hand, the objectives of this study were to investigate the most popular motivational factors affecting the first-year non- English-major students from the Faculty of Social Sciences and the Humanities and the Faculty of Natural Sciences at Quy Nhon University and to look for the differences in the motivational factors for learning English among non-English major students from two faculties—the Natural Sciences Faculty and the Social Sciences & Humanities Faculty—instead of verifying gender differences in motivations to learn English
The second limitation of the study was the data collection methods The study utilized questionnaires as the main data collection tool The questionnaires asked the participants for their perceptions of motivation in learning English as a second language, so the students in this research might not respond honestly or probably answer the questions in a way they believed was generally acceptable However, thanks to the second tool – semi-structured interviews – I had another opportunity to get close to the participants and lend an ear to the honest sharing of the participants' points of view so that I could strengthen the trustworthiness of the research data and findings
The third limitation relates to the use of translated measures; the translation of quantitative data from English (the original version) and qualitative data from Vietnamese (the original version) to English for analysis Despite following the introductions and assessments of professional EFL teachers in the translation process to ensure the equivalence between the two versions, the translated versions may not fully express the meanings in the original versions owing to cultural differences that probably impact the explanation of the data.
Suggestions for future studies
Based on the findings and limitations of this study, some recommendations can be given for future research Firstly, future research on non-English majors’ motivation to learn the English language should have a long investigation program to capture the changes in their motivation in learning English to have more useful and detailed suggestions to improve their motivation Moreover, future studies can utilize observations to account for the changes in the motivation of these students over time and how they present their motivation in class Secondly, the present study failed to examine the differences between male and female students regarding their motivation for learning the English language, so future research may investigate whether male and female students from diverse majors have any differences in their motivation to learn English Finally, researchers may also conduct interviews with students’ EFL teachers to compare the views of non- English major students and their EFL teachers on students’ motivation during their English learning as a foreign language
To conclude, this chapter has summarized this research program with the key findings and the researcher’s main arguments for these findings, mentioned the theoretical and pedagogical implications of the study, and listed the limitations of the present research and some recommendations for further research
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Thank you for agreeing to complete this 15-minute questionnaire The questionnaire comprises 20 items asking what make you motivated in learning English in higher education Since responses will be treated confidentially, no names of individuals or the university will be used in reporting the results of this questionnaire
Please read the sentences carefully and circle the most appropriate answer on the following scale:
III- CIRCLE THE MOST APPROPRIATE CHOICE
1) I have to English because it is a compulsory subject in the curriculum
2) I have to learn English because without passing the English course I cannot graduate
3) Studying English is important because I need it for English terms in my major, for using technology and the Internet
4) Studying English is important because with a high level of English proficiency I will able to make a lot of money
5) Studying English can be important for me because I think I’ll need it for further studies on my major
6) Studying English is important because other people will respect me more if
7) Studying English can be important to me because I will need it for my career
8) Studying English can be important to me because I think it will someday be useful in getting a good job
9) Studying English is important to me because I think English proficiency is necessary for promotion in the future
10) Studying English is important to me because with English I can work globally
11) I learn English because I want to read English magazines, newspapers, or books or to watch English films
12) I would like to know more native English speakers
13) I learn English because I want to learn more about the culture and art of its speakers
14) Studying English is important because it will enable me to better understand and appreciate the English way of life
15) I learn English because I want to become similar to the people who speak English
16) Studying English is important because it will allow me to meet and converse with more and varied people
17) Studying English is important because it will allow me to travel to English-speaking countries
18) Studying English is important because I will be able to interact more easily with speakers of English
19) I learn English because I could have many native English-speaking friends
Thank you for completing this questionnaire!
Cảm ơn bạn đã đồng ý hoàn thành bảng câu hỏi 15 phút này Bảng câu hỏi bao gồm 20 câu hỏi về điều gì khiến bạn có động lực trong việc học tiếng Anh ở giáo dục đại học Vì các câu trả lời sẽ được bảo mật, không có tên của cá nhân hoặc trường đại học nào sẽ được sử dụng để báo cáo kết quả của bảng câu hỏi này
Vui lòng đọc kỹ các câu và khoanh vào câu trả lời thích hợp nhất theo thang điểm sau:
(1) Hoàn toàn không đồng ý (4) Đồng ý
(2) Không đồng ý (5) Hoàn toàn đồng ý
III- KHOANH TRÒN VÀO CÂU TRẢ LỜI BẠN CHỌN
1) Tôi học tiếng Anh vì nó là môn học bắt buộc trong chương trình học
2) Tôi học tiếng Anh vì tôi cần nó để có thể tốt nghiệp
3) Tôi học tiếng Anh vì tôi cần nó cho các thuật ngữ tiếng Anh trong chuyên ngành của tôi, cho việc sử dụng công nghệ và Internet
4) Tôi học tiếng Anh vì với trình độ tiếng Anh cao, tôi sẽ có thể kiếm được nhiều tiền
5) Tôi học tiếng Anh bởi vì nó có thể quan trọng đối với công tác nghiên cứu sâu hơn về chuyên ngành của tôi trong những năm học tiếp theo
6) Tôi học tiếng Anh vì người khác sẽ ngưỡng mộ tôi hơn khi tôi biết tiếng Anh
7) Tôi học tiếng Anh vì tiếng Anh có thể hỗ trợ công việc sau này của tôi
8) Tôi học tiếng Anh vì với trình độ tiếng Anh cao, tôi sẽ có thể kiếm được một công việc với mức lương tốt
9) Tôi học tiếng Anh vì có trình độ tiếng Anh sẽ giúp tôi thăng tiến trong tương lai
10) Tôi học tiếng Anh vì tôi có thể làm việc khắp mọi nên trên toàn thế giới
11)Tôi thích học tiếng Anh vì tôi muốn hiểu được sách báo, tạp chí và phim ảnh bằng tiếng Anh
12) Tôi học tiếng Anh là để hiểu thêm về người bản địa
13) Tôi học tiếng Anh vì tôi muốn tìm hiểu thêm về văn hóa và nghệ thuật của những người nói tiếng Anh
14) Việc học tiếng Anh rất quan trọng vì nó sẽ giúp tôi hiểu hơn và đánh giá cao cách sống của người Anh
15) Tôi học tiếng Anh là để có giống với người ở các nước nói tiếng Anh
16) Tôi học tiếng Anh vì tôi muốn gặp gỡ và trò chuyện với đa dạng người nói tiếng Anh hơn
17) Học tiếng Anh rất quan trọng vì nó sẽ cho phép tôi đi đến các nước nói tiếng Anh
18) Tôi học tiếng Anh vì nó sẽ cho phép tôi cảm thấy thoải mái hơn khi tương tác với người nói tiếng Anh
19) Tôi học tiếng Anh vì tôi có thể có nhiều bạn bè bản ngữ nói tiếng Anh
20) Tôi thật sự thích học tiếng Anh
(5) Hoàn toàn đồng ý Cảm ơn bạn đã hoàn thành bảng câu hỏi này!
APPENDIX B Questions for interview in English
1) Do you like to learn English?
2) Why are you studying English?
3) Do you think Vietnamese non-English majors should learn English? Why/Why not?
4) Would you like to continue to learn English after you finish two Basic English courses or after graduating? Why/Why not?
5) Do you think English is important for your future job opportunities/ future career?
6) Do you want to make friends with a native speaker of English to practice your English?
Questions for interview in Vietnamese
1) Bạn có thích học tiếng Anh không?
2) Tại sao bạn học tiếng Anh?
3) Theo bạn, sinh viên Việt Nam không chuyên ngành tiếng Anh có nên học tiếng Anh không? Tại sao/ Tại sao không?
4) Bạn có muốn tiếp tục học tiếng Anh sau khi bạn hoàn thành hai kì học tiếng Anh cơ bản hoặc sau khi tốt nghiệp không? Tại sao/ Tại sao không?
5) Bạn có nghĩ rằng tiếng Anh là quan trọng đối với cơ hội việc làm / nghề nghiệp tương lai của bạn không?
6) Bạn có muốn kết bạn với người bản ngữ nói tiếng Anh để thực hành tiếng Anh của mình không?
APPENDIX C INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPTS Extract 1: Researcher (R), Student 1 (S1)
R: Do you like to learn English?
R: Why are you studying English?
S1: Um … Because English is a compulsory subject for our curriculum, if we cannot pass this subject, we will not be able to graduate Furthermore, I would like to take part in activities in English classes with my classmates without and scare or hesitance
R: Do you think Vietnamese non-English major students should learn English? Why/Why not?
S1: Yes, maybe… For understanding the English terms in the specialized subjects in the following academic years during the whole course in the university and most employers prefer applicants who have good English skills
R: Would you like to continue to learn English after you finish two General English courses or after graduating? Why/Why not?
S1: Oh, I have to learn English harder because I think English will support me when I pursue higher education
R: Do you think English is important for your future job opportunities/ future career? Why/Why not?
S1: Very important Because English is indispensable instrument in working and communicating with foreign partners Besides, it also helps us to keep up with the development of the world through reading and understanding how to use high technology and the Internet
R: Do you want to make friends with a native speaker of English to practice your English and to know more about their lifestyle, culture and art? Why/Why not?
S1: That’s sound interesting I have never thought about this idea when learning English Making friends with international friends is a good idea in improving language skills much faster and more effectively than learning through textbooks, even learning a lot of interesting things from them I will try
R: Do you like to learn English?
R: Why are you studying English?
S2: Um … Because it is one of my obligatory subjects that I need to complete
R: Do you think Vietnamese non-English major students should learn English? Why/Why not?
S2: Yes, of course … As I have mentioned every student will not be able to graduate without passing English course Besides, English can assist me to understand English articles and materials in my major
R: Would you like to continue to learn English after you finish two General English courses or after graduating? Why/Why not?
S2: Oh, I must go on learning English in the future for my job opportunities even I will have finished my compulsory two Basic English courses in my curriculum
R: Do you think English is important for your future job opportunities/ future career? Why/Why not?
S2: Yes English is very popular nowadays; the job market also requires
English ability and relevant English certificates Everywhere, priority is given to people who are good at English, if they are good at English, their job opportunities will be more than those do not know English
R: Do you want to make friends with a native speaker of English to practice your English and to know more about their lifestyle, culture and art? Why/Why not?
S2: No I think it’s not necessary, but if I have time, I will try
R: Do you like to learn English?
R: Why are you studying English?
S3: Um … I have to learn English to meet the requirement of my curriculum
R: Do you think Vietnamese non-English major students should learn English? Why/Why not?
S3: Yes, of course … We need English to be able to graduate To be honest, I will be more idolized by the girls in my class because of my good English
R: Would you like to continue to learn English after you finish two General English courses or after graduating? Why/Why not?
S3: Yes, of course … English is an international language and very popular now, if you don’t know English, you will be left behind Especially, when technology is more and more developed, you need to know English to use technology and surf the web
R: Do you think English is important for your future job opportunities/ future career? Why/Why not?
S3: Definitely yes! English will increase your winnings and create more chances in work and life In addition, it also helps you build many relationships in society that may facilitates your future promotion
R: Do you want to make friends with a native speaker of English to practice your English and to know more about their lifestyle, culture and art? Why/Why not?
S3: I want to exchange cultures and experience direct communication with native speakers to improve my English skills
R: Do you like to learn English?
R: Why are you studying English?