Motivation and Student Perception of Acquiring L2 in the Tertiary Education

Motivation and Student Perception of Acquiring L2 in the Tertiary Education

Bujak, Samra
Akbarov, Azamat

This research concerns the study of the perception of the importance of motivation in English language learning. It aims to find out how important students perceive the importance of motivational factors in arousing their motivation learn EL. Motivation in learning has captured a lot of attention from researchers as a complicated, yet important phenomenon that decides learners’ learning performance. Dornyei (2001, pp.1-2) states that motivation is what influences people’s behavior and it has been largely agreed to play a very important role in determining the success or failure of learners in any learning context. Language learning is, of course, not an exception. In particular, the overall findings of research in ELT show that learner’s positive attitudes and motivation are related to success in second language learning (Gardner, 1985, cited in Lightbown & Spada, 1999). As a result, understanding factors that have impacts, either negative or positive, on learners’ motivation is of great importance. Having given the general content of the significance of motivation in education, it is important to take into consideration that motivation plays a significant and a decisive role in language learning, and the motivational factors are regarded as effective in determining the success or failure of language learning. Among the important contextual factors is the environment where students should have the chance to participate and decide on their learning, students' curiosity should always be aroused and their attention must be attracted in order to guarantee a successful acquisition of the foreign language. Other motivational factors considered important in language learning are personality factors, related to the learner himself such as his anxiety, his self feeling and how far his interests are met in the course of learning foreign language. The other important side of motivational factors is related to the instructional factors, and how far the teacher is capable to enhance students' motivation to learn through proper interaction. The issue of motivation in language learning and student perception of studying English language will be discussed in further details through my paper.

Conference or Workshop Item
PeerReviewed

2012

978