Nghiên cứu những nhân tố ảnh hưởng đến động lực của sinh viên trong giờ học nói tiếng Anh. Nghiên cứu trường hợp với sinh viên năm nhất trường Đại Học Lao Động

iii ABSTRACT This study aims to investigate the factors affecting students‟ motivation in English speaking class room with the first - year students at the University of Labor and Socia

VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES

FACULTY OF POST-GRADUATE STUDIES

NGHIÊN CỨU NHỮNG NHÂN TỐ ẢNH HƯỞNG ĐẾN ĐỘNG LỰC CỦA SINH VIÊN TRONG GIỜ HỌC NÓI TIẾNG ANH NGHIÊN CỨU TRƯỜNG HỢP VỚI SINH VIÊN NĂM THỨ NHẤT TRƯỜNG

ĐẠI HỌC LAO ĐỘNG – XÃ HỘI

M.A MINOR THESIS

Field: English Teaching Methodology

Code: 60.14.10

Hanoi, 2013

VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES

FACULTY OF POST-GRADUATE STUDIES

NGHIÊN CỨU NHỮNG NHÂN TỐ ẢNH HƯỞNG ĐẾN ĐỘNG LỰC CỦA SINH VIÊN TRONG GIỜ HỌC NÓI TIẾNG ANH NGHIÊN CỨU TRƯỜNG HỢP VỚI SINH VIÊN NĂM THỨ NHẤT TRƯỜNG

ĐẠI HỌC LAO ĐỘNG – XÃ HỘI

M.A MINOR THESIS

Field: English Teaching Methodology

Code: 60.14.10

Supervisor: Dr Dương Thị Nụ

Hanoi, 2013

i

DECLARATION

This thesis is a presentation of my original research work Wherever contributions of others are involved, every effort is made to indicate this clearly, with due reference to the literature, and acknowledgement of collaborative research and discussions The work was done under the guidance of Dr Duong Thi Nu.The research reported in this thesis was approved by University of Languages and International Studies, Vietnam National University, Hanoi

Hanoi, September 27th,2013

Tran Thi Huyen

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I would like to express my gratitude to all those who gave me the possibility

to make my thesis reach an end

I would like to express my faithful gratitude to my supervisor, Dr Duong Thi

Nu for her patient guidance, stimulating suggestions and encouragement throughout

my research

I wish to thank all the staff members of the faculty of Post Graduate Studies, University of Language and International studies, VNUfor providing me the best environment to fulfill my thesis

Especially, my sincere thanks send to my friend Truong Thi Thuy, M.A for her assistance in statistics as well as useful suggestions for writing this thesis

I am greatly indebted my colleague at ULSA for their participation and assistance without which this study could not have been successful

Last but not least, I would like to express my special thanks to my loving parents, my younger brother and my close friends who offered me their love, care, support and encouragement so that I could accomplish my study

Hanoi, September 2013

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ABSTRACT

This study aims to investigate the factors affecting students‟ motivation in English speaking class room with the first - year students at the University of Labor and Social Affairs (ULSA) In this study, 110 first-year students from different faculties of ULSA were chosen as the subjects A questionnaire and an interview were used as the major data collection instruments The data were computed and analyzed The major findings of the study showed that the factors affecting students‟ motivation in English speaking classroom consist of four categories: student- related factor, teacher – related factor, learning and teaching conditions and course book The study also demonstrated that among 4 factors, the student – related factor was proved to be the most affected whereas teacher – related factor was ranked as second Based on the findings of the study, some discussion and implications were made along with recommended suggestions for further research

SLA: Second Language Acquisition

SDT : Self – Determination Theory

ULSA: The University of Labor and Social Affairs

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LIST OF TABLES

Table 1: Background information of participants Table 2: Learner – related factor

Table 3: Teacher – related factor

Table 4: Teaching and learning condition

Table 5: Course book

Table 6: The comparison among 4 factors

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LIST OF FIGURES

Figure 1: Student – related factor

Figure 2: Teacher – related factor

Figure 3 : Teaching and learning condition

Figure 4 : Course book

Figure 5 : The comparison among 4 factors

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

DECLARATION i

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ii

ABSTRACT iii

LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS iv

LIST OF TABLES v

LIST OF FIGURES vi

TABLE OF CONTENTS vii

PARTA.INTRODUCTION 1

1 Statement of problem and the rationale for the study 1

2 Aims and objectives of the study 2

3 Scope of the study 3

4 Significance of the study 3

5 Method of the study 3

6 Organization of the study 4

CHAPTER 1 LITERATURE REVIEW 5

1.1 Theoretical background of motivation in second or foreign language learning 5

1.1.1 The role of motivation in L2 learning 5

1.1.2 Motivation as seen from different theories and modes 6

1.1.2.1 Gardner‟s Socio- educational model of L2 acquisition 6

1.1.2.2 Deci & Ryan (1985): Self-Determination Theory 7

1.1.3 Definition of motivation in L2 acquisition 7

1.1.4 Types of motivation 8

1.4.1.1 Intrinsic and extrinsic motivation 9

1.4.1.2 Integrative vs instrumental motivation 10

1.2 Factors affecting motivation in learning speaking English 12

1.2.1 Related conceptions 12

1.2.2 Studentrelated factors 14

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1.2.3 Teacher – related factors 15

1.2.4 Teaching and learning condition 17

1.2.5 Course book 18

1.3 Motivation in L2 speaking classroom 18

1.3.1 Related issues of speaking skill 18

1.3.1.1 Some concepts of speaking skill 18

1.3.1.2 Types of classroom speaking performance 19

1.3.2 Motivation in speaking classroom 20

1.3.2.1 Factors affecting students unwilling to speak in classroom 20

1.3.2.2 Some conditions for effective motivation in speaking 20

CHAPTER 2 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 22

2.1 An overview of case study 22

2.2 Description and context of the study 22

2.3 Data collection instrument 24

3.1.1 Questionnaire for students 24

3.1.2 Interview for teachers 25

2.4 Data collection procedures and data analysis 25

CHAPTER3 RESULT AND DISCUSSION 27

3.1 Results 27

3.1.1 Data analysis of students‟ survey questionnaire and interview 27

3.1.1.1 Personal information of the students taking part in the survey 27

3.1.1.2 Student related factors 27

3.1.1.3 Teacher – related factor 30

3.1.1.4 Teaching and learning condition factor 32

3.1.1.5 Course book factor 33

3.1.1.6 The comparison among factors affecting students‟ motivation in English speaking classroom 35

3.1.2 Data analysis of teacher interviews 36

3.2 Discussions of findings on factors that motivate students in English speaking classroom 39

3.2.1 Student – related factor 39

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3.2.2 Teacher – related factors 41

3.2.3 Teaching and learning conditions 42

3.2.4 Course book 42

PART C CONCLUSION 43

1 Conclusions 43

2 Pedagogical implications 43

3 Limitation 45

4 Suggestion for further research 45

REFERENCES 46 APPENDIX 1 I

APPENDIX 2 V

APPENDIX 3 IX

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PARTA.INTRODUCTION

1 Statement of problem and the rationale for the study

No one remains to deny or to be suspicious of the role of English in our society nowadays It can be seen easily that the importance of this subject is emphasized Likewise, speaking skill is also paid more attention as a result of increasing international communication Despite the fact that many students are exposed to English from the very early stages, their oral English level is deficient

To integrate with the English community, the learners should be equipped with the basic interactive skills such as to express themselves, to transfer the information or

to exchange the knowledge, culture, etc For these demands, improving the students‟ English speaking learning is becoming the key point

As a teacher of English at ULSA (The University of Labor and Social Affairs), I realized that the students (all are non English major students) are quite passive in the oral English class Their interactions are restricted in the speaking lesson because some find it hard to follow the teacher‟s activities and some don‟t get involved Facing this situation, the researcher wonders whether the student‟s motivation is the predictor of students‟ involvement and interest Because motivation colors and shapes students‟ involvement in learning and it stimulates feelings that students associate with these experiences (Winne, 1985), why the students have the low motivation of learning oral English and how to solve this problem become the necessity and emergency among the educators

As a fact, motivation arose the students‟ performance in the oral English classroom To learn the target language, motivation seems to be very crucial in the development of speaking skill Without the sufficient motivation, even individuals with the most remarkable abilities cannot accomplish long-term goals

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There have been numerous studies conducted by the international teachers and researchers to investigate factors that may affect motivation in L2 Among all, some typical scholars are Deci and Ryan in Sefl determination Theory, Williams and Burden‟ L2 motivation framework (1997) or Dornyei‟s extended motivational framework

However, in Vietnam, to the researcher‟s knowledge, although there have been some research works on motivation for learning English, most of them focused

on investigating the motivation for learning English among students and factors affecting students‟ motivation (Cao, 2011; Dinh, 2011; Ha, 2008; Ngo, 2008; Pham, 2009) There have also been some researches investigating factors affecting motivation in speaking classroom ( Luu, 2008) However, the subjects of the study are the high school students

For these above reason, I would like to conduct a study “An investigation

into the factors affecting the students’ motivation in English speaking

classroom: A case study on the first year students at the University of Labor and Social Affair.”

2 Aims and objectives of the study

The study aims at investigating the factors affecting motivation in English speaking classroom among the first year students at ULSA Specifically, the project

is carried out with the following purposes:

- To explore what factors motivate students‟ oral English proficiency

- To suggest motivational strategies to stimulate learners in speaking skill With the mentioned aim of study, the researcher attempts to answer twoquestions as follows:

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1 What are the factors motivating students in learning English speaking?

2 What motivational strategies / technique can be applied in oral English classroom?

Although the motivation is of great impulse to learner‟s academic achievement, this study just makes a deep insight in only narrower area: the oral English proficiency Moreover, within the framework of the study, the author just focuses on the case of the 1st year students at ULSA instead of all the students

The study is designed to provide statistical evidence about the real motivation of students in the speaking English classroom It is believed that the study will raise a proper awareness for the teachers and educators about students‟ motivation in language learning and provide them an appropriate tool to predict students‟ speaking English learning‟s outcomes Through this prediction, teachers can come to reasonable decisions about teaching methods, materials design, measures of evaluation as well as classroom activities to raise students' interests and motivation in oral English classroom learning

The study was carried by using mixed methods for data collection and analysis Survey questionnaires were used to gather information and evidence from students The interviews for teachers were used to find out their ideas about factors affecting students in speaking English classroom

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This study consists of three parts: Introduction, Development and Conclusion

Part A - Introduction - discusses the reasons for carrying out this study,

defines the specific purposes, research questions, and the scope of the study The significance and the outline of the study are also presented

Part B – Development- consists of 3 chapters:

Chapter 1 - Literature Review - provides an overview of literature on the

issues of motivation in second or foreign language learning especially motivation in speaking English Some related issues of speaking English are also presented

Chapter 2 - Methodology - discusses the methodology for this study and

the procedure for carrying out the research such as the selection of the sample, the data collection procedures, and the data analysis

Chapter 3 - Results and Discussion - reports the results of the data

analysis and discussion

Part C – Conclusion- proposes some implications based on the findings of

the study This is followed by the limitations of the work, and some suggestions for further studies The last section in this chapter is the conclusion to the whole study

Following Part C is references listing all reference books or materials directly or indirectly quoted in the study The final section of the thesis contains the appendices that show all documents serving this research

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PART B DEVELOPMENT

CHAPTER 1 LITERATURE REVIEW

1.1 Theoretical background of motivation in second or foreign language learning

1.1.1 The role of motivation in L2 learning

The term “motivation” was intensively investigated by many scholars and researchers in the area of psychology and education such as Gardner, Dornyei There has been an immerse consensus that motivation is seen the critical determinant associated with learners‟ L2 achievement Gardner and Lambert (1959) found that aptitude and motivation were the two factors most strongly associated with learners' L2 achievement Subsequently, in Gardner‟s Socio educational model

of SLA, he hypothesized that L2 learners with positive attitudes toward the target culture and people will learn the target language more effectively than those who do not have such positive attitudes Furthermore, motivation is regarded as the core proponent of students‟ involvement in language learning Dornyei (2009) in a book

“ motivation and a vision of knowing second language” emphasized the importance

of motivation to the students‟ participation in the classroom lesson as follows

“Indeed, motivation provides the primary impetus to initiate second/foreign (L2) learning and later the driving force to sustain the long and often tedious learning Process.” Motivation in his concept devises a great force not only to foster learners‟ temporary interest but also uphold that passion till the boring lesson

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1.1.2 Motivation as seen from different theories and modes

1.1.2.1 Gardner’s Socio- educational model of L2 acquisition

The model was laid the foundation by the work of Gardner and Lambert (1959) In the1960s, the model was developed with his book about the role of attitude and motivation in second language learning Since then, it has undergone many revisions ( i.e in 1979, 1985 and 2001) Gardner, in many versions of this model emphasized that L2 acquisition unlike the studying of the other subject in classroom “involves the acquisition of skill or behavior pattern which are the characteristic of the another cultural community.” The model presented four class of variables affecting L2 acquisition: social milieu, individual differences, second language acquisition context and outcomes In the social milieu, the cultural belief which refers to people‟s belief to the culture of target language‟s community and the environment plays an important role to leaner‟s language proficiency

In the variable “individual difference”, four factors relating to learner‟s achievement including intelligence, aptitude, motivation and situational anxiety (Gardner, 1979) Gardner ( 1985) modified this model by using two different concepts called integrative motive and instrumental orientation In which, integrativeness is seen as an interest in the second language group, the learner shows an openness and identification with the target language community and their culture Instrumental orientation allows the learner to gain something from acquiring the language, for practical reasons, such as in the case of getting a job or enhancing one‟s education The former orientation concerns a positive disposition toward the L2 group and the desire to interact with and even be assimilated into valued members of that community The latter is the utilitarian counterpart of integrative orientation, pertaining to the economic and practical advantages of L2 proficiency, such as a better job or a high salary Gardner (1985)tends to hold that

an integrative orientation is a particularly important source of motivation since it is rooted in the personality of the learner Additionally, it is likely to exert its

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influence over an extended period and sustain learning efforts over the time, which

is necessary for attaining language learning success In contrast, an instrumental orientation is based on the advantages that can arise if a language is known Therefore, an instrumental motive, which is dependent on external rewards, is less effective than an integrative motive

1.1.2.2 Deci & Ryan (1985): Self-Determination Theory

Deci and Ryan had a big contribution to the formal emergence of self- determination theory with the publication of “intrinsic motivation and self- determination in Human behavior” (1985) In this theory, they present a crucial distinction between two types of motivation: intrinsic motivation and extrinsic motivation Intrinsic motivation is regarded as the internal force which urges learners to be involved in the performance of a task for its own sake More specifically, it stresses more on the volition and engagement in the “process of accomplishing some task or goal” In contrast, extrinsic motivation is the pursuit of external reward; therefore it focuses more on the outcome of task rather than process

Self – determination theory comprises of 5 mini theories as a result of many experimental research about motivation A prominent feature of this theory is to present factors affecting these two above types of motivation Among three basic psychological needs supporting motivation, autonomy and competence are seen to

be major factors in fostering intrinsic motivation

1.1.3 Definition of motivation in L2 acquisition

Motivation as seen from some theories is the affective variable in second language learning As mentioned above, there have been many researchers and theories about motivation which has a big correlation with language learning process Equivalently, many various attempts have been made to define second language acquisition motivation However, theorists define motivation differently

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Gardner was one of the pioneering researchers who laid the foundation to

the investigation of motivation In a research called The role of attitudes and

motivation (1985,p.21), he refers motivation as “the combination of effort plus

desire to achieve the goal of learning the language plus favorable attitudes towards learning the language” Specifically, motivation in his concepts consist of the following components: a goal, a desire to attain that goal and the positive behavior

to reach the goal Motivation in his socio educational model (1985) includes some complex variables affecting this such as integrativeness and attitude However, this definition achieved many criticism despite his great contribution to “ motivation in SLA” when focused much on the integrative motive; i.e., emphasize more on the directed effort the individual learners make rather than the other factors

From Dörnyei‟s (1998, p 117) point of view, motivation is defined as the

“process of whereby a certain amount of instigation force arises initiates actions, and persists” as long as there is no other forces weakening it until the planned goals were reached In other words, motivation can be seen as a force that makes a person

to initiate action, and to keep on until they reach the goals

Ellis (1994), in an overview of research on motivation, claimed that motivation affects the extent to which language learners persevere in learning, what kinds of behavior they exert, and their actual achievement

1.1.4 Types of motivation

As mentioned above, there are many theorists shed light on motivation; consequently, the conceptions of problem are complex and abundant Likewise, kinds of motivation are variously classified However, two typical following mainstreams of classification will be focused

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1.4.1.1 Intrinsic and extrinsic motivation

Intrinsic and extrinsic are two opposing terms of motivation Such classification has appeared in numerous studies (Covington & Kimberly, 2001; Deci & Ryan, 1985; Noels, et al., 1999; Noels, Clément, & Pelletier, 2001; Noels, Pelletier, Clément, & Vallerand, 2003; Schmidt, et al., 1996) One of the best known approaches that reveals this classification of motivation in language learning

is Deci & Ryan‟s (1985) self-determination theory Deci and Ryan in “ Self determination theory” (1985) clearly sort out these two prominent types of motivation as follows Intrinsic motivation is defined as doing something truly enjoyable and satisfying The root of this motivation is emerged from inner side People who are intrinsically motivated engaged in activities or tasks volitionally Deci and Ryan also stress the role of intrinsic motivation in education in the way it

“ results in high quality – learning and creativity” The learners participate in the task not to accomplish it but to investigate it for their own sake Moreover, the feeling of competence and self – determination are two significant factors fostering them to pursue the goal

In contrary, extrinsic motivation are regarded as the external variable While intrinsic motivation is “self – endorsed”, extrinsic motivation associated with the situation that one feels “externally propelled into action” Deci & Ryan (1985) refer extrinsic motivation to the motivation to learn something in order to arrive at

an instrumental end such as earning a reward or avoiding a punishment In other word, learners perform a task for other reasons such as reward or the worry about the punishment rather than the truly passion

Intrinsic motivation is obviously seen as positive and significant phenomenon verse extrinsic motivation Social psychological research has indicated that extrinsic rewards can diminish and lead a subsequent reduction in intrinsic motivation Unlike some theories consider extrinsic motivation non- autonomous, Self – Determination Theory proved that extrinsic motivation can vary greatly in its

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relative autonomy (Ryan & Connell, 1989; Vallerand, 1997) For example, students who do their homework because they personally grasp its value for their chosen career are extrinsically motivated, as are those who do the work only because they are adhering to their parents' control ( Deci and Ryan ) Both examples involve instrumentalities rather than enjoyment of the work itself, yet the former case of extrinsic motivation entails personal endorsement and a feeling of choice, whereas the latter involves compliance with an external control

Cognitive Evaluation Theory ( CET) presented by Deci and Ryan (1985) pointed out that a feeling of competence and autonomy will enhance intrinsic motivation Moreover, in SDT, they also emphasize that issue of autonomy versus control

1.4.1.2 Integrative vs instrumental motivation

Another distinction of motivation as integrative and instrumental orientation is also a common one in this field It was early introduced in Gardner‟s studies (Bernaus & Gardner, 2008; Gardner, 1985; Gardner & Lambert, 1972; Gardner & MacIntyre, 1991, 1992, 1993) and then advocated in other research

Crookes &Schmidt (1991) identified integrative motivation as the learner's orientation with regard to the goal of learning a second language It means that learner's positive attitudes towards the target language group and the desire to integrate into the target language community Similarly, integrative orientation is defined as “a sincere and personal interest in the people and culture represented by the other language group” (Lambert, 1974, p 98)

Finegan (1999:568) further demonstrated the role of integrative motivation that „integrative motivation typically underlines successful acquisition of a wide range of registers and a native like pronunciation‟ Obviously, integrative

motivation is a key component in assisting the learner to develop some levels of

in the target community In the other words, Integrative orientation refers to a desire

to increase the affiliation with the target community

In contrast ,instrumental motivation underlies the goal to gain some social

or economic reward through L2 achievement Gardner and Lambert ( 1972) in his motivation theory referred instrumental motivation to the potential utilization gain

of L2 proficiency It refers to learners‟ desire to learn the language in order to accomplish some non-interpersonal purpose such as to pass an exam or to advance a career or getting a good salary Like while, instrumental motivation, according to Lambert (cited in Ellis, 1997), is something which concerns “the practical value and advantages of learning a new language” ) Ur (1996, p 276)

Specified this point by characterizing this kind of motivation as “the wish to learn the language for purposes of study or career promotion, and the desire to obtain something practical or concrete from the study of a second language”

While both integrative and instrumental motivations are essential elements

of success, it is integrative motivation which has been found to sustain long-term success when learning a second language (Taylor, Meynard and Rheault 1977; Ellis 1997; Crookes et al 1991) In many researches of Gardner, he repeatedly emphasized the importance of integrative motivation in second language acquisition rather than instrumental one He explained that if learners were instrumentally motivated, when the goal has been achieved, students would lose motivation to continuing learning

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However, instrumental motivation is gradually identified Moreover, it cannot be denied that at school context, majority of students approach instrument motivation more frequently than integrative one Lukmani (1972) found that an instrumental orientation was more important than an integrative orientation in non-westernized female learners of L2 English in Bombay She further stated that the social situation helped to determine both what kind of orientation learners had and what kind was most important for language learning

Noels, Clément, & Dörnyei (1994) agreed with this classification of motivation However, the researchers concluded that while integrative motivation is perhaps more important in a second language context, an instrumental motivation maybe more important in other situations where language is learnt as a foreign language One area where instrumental motivation can prove to be successful is in the situation where the learner is provided with no opportunity to use the target language and therefore, no chance to interact with members of the target group

Brown (2000) makes the point that both integrative and instrumental motivations are not necessarily mutually exclusive Learners rarely select one form

of motivation when learning a second language, but rather a combination of both orientations

1.2 Factors affecting motivation in learning speaking English

1.2.1 Related conceptions

The significance of motivation in SLA has been confirmed in many researches, therefore, the search for factors arousing as well as undermining motivation is in need Many L2 motivation framework such as Deci and Ryan in Sefl determination Theory, Williams and Burden‟ L2 motivation framework (1997)

or Dornyei‟s extended motivational framework have referred to different variables that affect students „motivation Each framework has distinct approach to the

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matter Specifically, Deci and Ryan in SDT present 5 mini theories with briefly introduction of phenomenon relating to factors affecting human motivation He proposes that the psychological needs, namely those for autonomy, competence and relatedness are satisfied and fully supported, people will become more self – motivated

Regarding to Williams and Burden‟ L2 motivation framework (1997), motivation is a mixture of internal and external influences that contribute greatly to the motivational process Internal influences include intrinsic interest of activity, perceived value of activity, sense of agency, mastery, self-concept, attitudes, other affective states such as confidence and anxiety, developmental age and gender On the other hand, external influences include, significant others such as parents, teachers; and peers, the nature of interaction with significant others, the learning environment and the broader context

Domyei's work has been considered as one of the most influential contemporary motivational constructs in L2 In his model (2001), he introduced three levels of motivation: language level, learner level and learning situation level Language level focus on motive related to some L2 aspects like the culture it conveys, the com- munity in which it is spoken, and the potential usefulness of proficiency in it

The learner level involves individual characteristics that learners have in their learning process It consists of need for achievement and self- confidence, the latter encompassing various aspects of language anxiety, perceived L2 competence, attributions about past experiences, and self-efficacy

The learning situation level: is associated with (l) course-specific motivation, which refers to syllabus, the teaching materials, teaching methods and learning tasks (2) teacher-specific motivation which concerns the motivational impact of the teacher's personality, behavior and teaching style (controlling or

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autonomy supporting) (3) group-specific motivation which includes orientedness, group cohesiveness, classroom goal structure, norm and reward system

goal-It can be inferred that even three typical researchers have different view to approach the matter, it seems that they all come to an agreement with the following classification of factors affecting students‟ motivation

1.2.2 Studentrelated factors

Intelligence& aptitude: According toLightbown & Spada (1999:52), the

term intelligence implying the performance on certain kinds of tests Whereas aptitude as Dornyei denifine is “language learning ability”(2005:32) Lightbown & Spada pointed out that aptitude include 4 components:(1) the ability to identify and memorize new sounds, (2) the ability to understand the function of particular words

in sentences, (3) the ability to figure out grammatical rules from language samples and (4) the ability to memorize new words (1999: 53)

Learning strategies

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Learning strategies are defined by Oxford as "specific actions taken by the learner to make learning easier, faster, more enjoyable, more self-directed, more effective, and more transferrable to new situations" (Oxford, 1990, p 8) Obviously, employing an appropriate learning approach will determine learners‟ motivation However, it‟s advisable to apply different learning strategies for different learners when learning a second / foreign language

Learner’s belief

Horwitz (1987) stated that second language learners often hold different beliefs or notions about language learning, some of which are influenced by students‟ previous experiences as language learners, and others that are shaped by their own cultural backgrounds Further specifically, beliefs in second language learning relate to the nature of the language, its relative difficulty, the usefulness of various learning strategies, the length of time it takes to acquire a foreign language, the existence of language aptitude, the effects of age and gender

Confidence

Accordingto Coopersmith（1967) confidence refers to theevaluation which the individual makes and customarily maintains with regard to himself It indicates theextent to which an individual believes himself to be capable and successfully

However，Oxford（1999）believes that unsuccessful learners often have lower confidence than successful language learners, which slows down progress and impedes success in SLA

1.2.3 Teacher – related factors

Teacher’s teaching method

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Teaching history has experience the existence of diverse teaching methods Stern (1983) lists out some popular ones includingGrammar-translation or traditional method, Direct method, Reading method, Audio-lingual method, Audiovisual method and Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) In recent years, CLT appeals many language learners and educators‟ attention when the communicative skill is concerned

Applying a suitable teaching method require teachers‟ careful consideration because it will affect the way student becomes involved in the lesson Likewise, choosing an inappropriate or not being flexible in applying methods to a certain class may have negative effects on students‟ participation

Enthusiasm

Teacher enthusiasm is one of major teacher characteristic which is studied

to have the association between enthusiastic teaching and student learning (Murray, 1985; Perry & Magnusson, 1987) According to Patrick et al., 2000, teacher enthusiasm is defined as instructional behavior of the teacher, consisting mostly of expressive, nonverbal behaviors such as gesture, posture or facial expression and usually inferred via observers‟ or students‟ ratings

Teacher’ expectation

Experimental research by some scholars such as Rosenthal and Jacobson ( 1968) has shown that teacher expectation may influence students‟ achievement If teacher set higher target to the students, their students probably reach higher level of achievement

Since this research, Good and Brophy (1994: 84 have addressed the issue teacher expectation that leads to behaviour Base on established expectation for students, teachers can determine different behavior to various students

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Good relationship with students

Improving teachers-students relationship has important, positive and lasting implications for students' academic achievement and especially foster learners‟ participation Kabilan indicated that “Teachers should develop a mutual relationship with their learners” (2000) In order to develop a mutual relationship with their learners, teachers need to have insight into students‟ backgrounds, interests, future goals, aims for English learning, and most importantly, different personalities Once they establish good relationship, teachers can apply specific teaching strategies

long-Teacher’s commitment to the students’ progress

Commitment is one of the most important factors influencing student performance in schools Dornyei (2001) stated that teachers should show commitment towards their students‟ learning and progress, at the same time they should care for what their students have learnt and succeeded

1.2.4 Teaching and learning condition

Research has shown that the quality of teaching conditions can encourage

or constrain good teaching and have a powerful influence on student achievement Teaching and learning condition involves classroom atmosphere and physical condition

Physical conditions

Physical conditions refer to something in classroom such as classroom‟s size, classroom‟s facilities (chairs, desks, tables, electric facilities…) Hammer (1992) stated that physical conditions had great impact on students‟ learning as well

as their attitude towards the subject matter The large class, the poor facilities will

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decrease the relationship between teacher and students, and as a result, will decrease motivation

A pleasant and supportive atmosphere in the classroom

MacIntyre (1999) and Young (1999) pointed out that students‟ anxiety created by a tense classroom climate was one of the most potent factors that undermined learning effectiveness and L2 motivation (cited in Dornyei, 2001: 121)

1.2.5 Course book

It‟s undeniable that using a course book is a common way of teaching English today The role of course book has been established and proved According to Ur (1996), it seems that thepossession of a course book may carry a prestige.However, depending much on it also brings about some certain disadvantages especially not suiting the learners‟ needs, not catering for mixed ability learners

1.3 Motivation in L2 speaking classroom

1.3.1 Related issues of speaking skill

1.3.1.1 Some concepts of speaking skill

Speaking skill is a productive one that must be mastered As Jones, (1989: 86) defines, “Speaking is a form of communication, so it is important that what you say conveyed in the most effective way.”

Florez (1999) defined speaking was „an interactive process of constructing meaning that involves producing and receiving and processing information‟ (cited

in Balley, 2005: 2 In other words, „speaking consists of producing systematic

verbal utterances to convey meaning‟

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According to Brown and Yule (1983) , spoken language consists of short, fragmentary utterances, in a range of pronunciation They also point out that spoken language is made to feel less conceptually dense than other types of language

In practice, many L2 learners get trouble as they find that speaking in a foreign language is a complex matter It is because speaking involves many factors The ability to speak fluently presupposes not only knowledge of language features,

but also the ability to process information and language (Harmer, 2001)

According to Brown, there are six types of classroom speaking performance

(2000:271) :

Imitative: This types of speakingperformance is the ability to simply parrot

back (imitate) a word or phrase or possibly a sentence Its prominent advantage

is focusing on some particular elements of language form such as phonetic level,

a number of prosodic, lexical, and grammatical properties of language However,

hindrance of this kind is carried out not for the purpose of meaningful interaction

Intensive: This kind of speaking performance relate to the production of

short stretches of oral language designed to demonstrate competence in a

narrow band of grammatical, phrasal, lexical, or phonological relationships The speaker must be aware of semantic properties in order to be able to

respond, but interaction with an interlocutor or test administratoris minimal at best

Responsive: Responsive assessment tasks include interaction and test

comprehension but just in the level of very short conversations, standard greetings and small talk, simple requests and comments

Transactional: It is an extended form of responsive which has the purpose of

exchanging specific information, language Conversations, for example, may have more of a negotiate nature to them than does responsive speech

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Interpersonal(dialogue): Conversation is carried out more for the purpose of

maintaining social relationships than for the transmission of facts and information

Extensive: Oral production tasks include speeches, oral presentations, and

story­telling Language style is frequently more deliberative (planning is involved) and formal for extensive tasks, but we cannot rule out certain informal monologues such as casually delivered speech

1.3.2 Motivation in speaking classroom

1.3.2.1 Factors affecting students unwilling to speak in classroom

In his investigation, Oxford (1998) stated some factors that decrease students‟ motivation in classroom:

- The teacher‟s personal relationship with the students, including a lack of caring, general belligerence, hypercriticism and patronage

- The teacher‟s attitude towards the course or the material, including lack

of enthusiasm, sloppy management and close- mindedness

- Style conflicts between teachers and students, including multiple style conflicts, conflicts about the amount of structure and conflicts about the amount the degree of closure or „seriousness‟ of the class

- The nature of the classroom activities, including irrelevance, overload and repetitiveness

(cited in Dornyei, 2001: 146)

Nunan (1999) pointed out some preconditions for effective motivation

Strategies: motivational strategy is matched to instructional need; particular strategies are not overused; teacher uses a range of strategies; there is a learning- how- to- learn dimension to instruction

Content: students can relate content to own experience; topics are interesting (Nunan, D 1999: 235)

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CHAPTER 2 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

The purpose of this chapter is to provide readers detailed description of how the study was carried out Firstly, a brief look about case study will be mentioned Subsequently, the information about the data collection instruments, the subject of the study will be included It is followed by a discussion of data collection procedures as well as data analysis

2.1 An overview of case study

Yin (2009) defined a case study as “an empirical inquiry that investigates a contemporary phenomenon in depth and within its real-life context, especially when the boundaries between phenomenon and context are not clearly evident” (p 18)

The adoption of a case study design for this research would be expected to provide a thorough, holistic understanding of factors affecting the motivation to learn English speaking among 110 students of first year students

According to Yin (2003) case study is categorizes into explanatory, exploratory, or descriptive In which, descriptive case study is used to describe an intervention or phenomenon and the real – life context in which it occurred Therefore, in the present study a descriptive case study will be applied

2.2 Description and context of the study

The participants

Students and their background: The participants in this survey were 112

students from different faculties of ULSA Of the 110 participants, 28 students came from the Accounting Department, 27 participants were the students of the Labor Management Department, 28 cases belonged to the Insurance Department

When this research was carried out, the participants were in their second year They took two end-of-term examinations of English and got their English final grades for their first year

To some extent, some students especially who come from Hanoi and some cities are good in oral English proficiency The others are evaluated as in the low level in spoken English Consequently, there are only a small number of students who actually have positive motivation in speaking classroom; the rest have strong pressure to pass exams

Teachers and their background: 9 teachers who take charge of teaching

Basic English participated in the interview Among them, 4 have MA Degree and the rest hold a bachelor degree in English Language Teaching Five of them have

more than 5 years teaching experience

The course book

The book used for the first year students at ULSA is Lifeline – Elementary

by Tom Hutchinson, published by Oxford University Press The course book at it consists of 14 units with 14 different topics relating to our life such as entertainment, survivors, travel, fashion, health, experiences and so on Each unit is divided into 5 sections: grammar, vocabulary, reading and writing, listening and speaking, and pronunciation Especially, the book supports students with some supplementary such as grammar reference, functional language, tape script, work book and key In which, the spoken English is emphasized with following objectives: