Abstract
Learner motivation is a key factor that influences the success and enjoyment of learning a second or foreign language. Learner motivation can influence how learners approach, engage, and persist in learning English, as well as how they use and develop their linguistic and communicative skills. This chapter aims to investigate the learning motivation of learners studying English for specific purposes (ESP) such as business English, and English for information technology at some universities in Ho Chi Minh city. The research has been conducted in two phases and employed quantitative and qualitative methods. Questionnaires and interviews are applied. The obtained data is, then, analyzed using factor analysis, reliability analysis, and correlation analysis. The results show that learner motivation can be influenced by internal factors, such as interest and identity and external factors, such as teaching methods, learning materials and parents' encouragement. This chapter, therefore, will give some recommendations for enhancing learner diversity related to learner motivation.
TopTheoretical Background
This section provides a comprehensive overview of existing knowledge and research related to the research topic of motivation in English language learning. By critically analyzing and synthesizing relevant studies and scholarly works, insights into the theoretical frameworks, methodologies, and gaps in the field are gained. In this review, we explore key themes and findings including motivations in learning, motivation in learning English and ESP, and motivational factors that affect learning ESP. This contributes to the aspects of the findings analysis of the current study.
Key Terms in this Chapter
Learner Engagement: Refers to the active commitment of a student's cognitive and emotional resources towards completing a learning activity.
ESP: An abbreviation for English for specific/special purposes: the teaching of English for use in a particular area of activity, for example, business or science.
Extrinsic Motivation: An incentive to do something that arises from factors outside the individual, such as rewards or penalties.
Communicative Competence: A person's ability to communicate information and ideas in a foreign language.
Individual Interest (Learner Interest): As including both the stored knowledge and the value with which individuals re-engage classes of tasks (objects, ideas, and events) in their environment.
Intrinsic Motivation: An incentive to do something that arises from factors within the individual, such as a need to feel useful or to seek self-actualization.