scholarly journals The Relationship between Cultural Identity, Intrinsic Motivation and Pronunciation Knowledge of Iranian EFL Learners

Author(s):  
Somayyeh Shabani ◽  
Iman Alipoor

Gardener’s (1985) socio-cultural model shows that culture is among the variables that can affect learning languages. In addition, a series of studies were prompted by Dörnyie (2005) to gauge the effect of motivation on language learning. This correlational study endeavored to find out any possible interaction between these variables, i.e., cultural identity, intrinsic motivation, and pronunciation knowledge of Iranian EFL learners at intermediate level. To this end, 9 items from Mathews’ Cultural Identity Questionnaire (2007) (as cited in Bazrafshan, 2015) along with intrinsic/extrinsic motivation questionnaire developed by Noels, Pelletier, Clement, and Vallerand (2000) were given to the 49 intermediate Iranian EFL learners who were selected among 74 learners studying at Mahan Language Institute in Birjand. The participants’ pronunciation knowledge was also measured through an interview. The results of the data analysis through Pearson correlation revealed that cultural identity shows no relationship with pronunciation knowledge of the participants, whereas more intrinsically motivated language learners gained higher scores on the pronunciation test. Pedagogical implications are discussed. 

2019 ◽  
Vol 5 (4) ◽  
pp. 98-111
Author(s):  
Gülnihal Şakrak-Ekin ◽  
Cem Balçıkanlı

The main aim of this study was to unravel the possible relationship between individuals’ level of autonomy as EFL learners and academic success in terms of language learning at the tertiary level. Additionally, this quantitative study focused on exploring EFL learners’ level of autonomy and also the relationship between learner autonomy and some personal factors, including gender, age, English level, and the length of English education. In order to assess the participants’ levels of autonomy, a questionnaire consisting of 66 items was administered to 267 university students, who were Turkish-speakers of English as a foreign language. The findings showed that more than half of the learners (65.2%) had a high autonomy level with a mean autonomy score of 461.37 out of 660. As for the personal variables, only gender was found to be a significant factor in regards to learners’ autonomy, in this case, in favour of females. Correlation analysis revealed a positive correlation between learner autonomy level and the academic success of language learners. In other words, the academic success of language learners increased with their autonomy and vice versa. In accordance with the literature, the present study revealed that learner autonomy could be considered one of the factors that affects the success of language learners. Based on the findings, it might be suggested that learner autonomy and possible ways to promote it in and out of class should be given more importance. Further empirical research was suggested in order to comprehend unexplored aspects of learner autonomy in language learning.


2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arab World English Journal ◽  
Mohammed Khaleel Khudhur ALBODAKH ◽  
Emrah Cinkara

This study investigates the relationship between learner motivation and vocabulary size in English as foreign language (EFL) classrooms at Duhok University. The participants included 100 students (55 male, 45 female). All participants were pursuing their third years of study in an English department. Two instruments were employed: questionnaires regarding Motivation for Foreign Language Learning (MFLL) and Vocabulary Size Test (VST). The primary goal of this study is to determine which factors of motivation profoundly affect the foreign language learning processes of Iraqi EFL students and to what extent they should develop their depth and breadth English vocabularies in order to sufficiently acquire the language and elaborate the importance of both components in language acquisition. Findings showed that female students experienced both types of motivation, with the mean score of extrinsic motivation being 29.91, and that for intrinsic motivation being 31.20, while the mean score of male students was 27.10 for extrinsic motivation and 28.00 for intrinsic motivation. The VST ranged from 1,000 to 14,000 word-families, and the vocabulary size of both groups was over 6,000 word-families. Correlation analysis was conducted to determine the relationship between learner motivation and vocabulary size. For both groups, the results indicated no relationship between these two aspects of students' foreign language leaning. To investigate the difference between MFLL and VST, an independent samples t-test was utilized and no difference was found to exist between the vocabularies of both groups.


2017 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 20 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lalu Thohir

<p>In learning English as a foreign language, where learners are separated logistically and psychologically from the target culture, motivation plays a critical role and it is one of the main determining factor in a second/foreign language learning achievement. Motivation is defined as some kind of internal drive which pushes someone to do things in order to achieve something and to achieve success, someone needs to be motivated.Motivation is distinguished into different kinds, such as integrative and instrumental, intrinsic and extrinsic, global, situational and task. However, the most widely cited distinction of motivation is between intrinsic and extrinsic motivation.In the field of language learning, motivation is sometimes distinguished from orientation. As an ideal for self-determined behavior, the intrinsic motivation is considered to be more powerful than extrinsic motivationin the success of learning a language, however, most of learning activities which the language learners do are initiated and driven by extrinsic motivation.There are three areas – goalsand goal setting, learning environment, and interesting classes – in which the language teachers could directly influence the language learners’ motivation and their continuing participation in the classroom. Providing positive feedback and enhancing the autonomous learning are among important means to increase the learners’ motivation. In addition, emphasizing two forms of positive extrinsic motivation – identificationand integration, while minimizing two forms of negative extrinsic motivation – external regulation and introjection could boost the intrinsic motivation of the learners.  </p>


2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
pp. 224-229
Author(s):  
Dr. Mirza Sibtain Beg

One of the most important Laws of Learning is the Law of Readiness. It is a big challenge for the teachers to kindle a strong desire in pupils to learn English Language swiftly which is not their Native Language. Motivation plays a very important role in the process of learning a Language. Intrinsic Motivation is a kind of motivation that comes from inside. Extrinsic Motivation emanates from external pressures such as essential for job or any other obligation. The differential success of ESL learner proffers us to examine the strategies utilized by successful Language Learners. The teachers can help students improve their performance laying more focus on learning strategies which proved fruitful. Language teachers can effectively teach by virtue of developing interest in students for Language Learning. Passion is very key to Motivation. Passion establishes a link between intrinsic goals and aspirations. Successful Language Learning can be achieved by means of passion. The role of ELT teacher is to devise ways and means to connect to this Passion. Learners need quality instruction, feedback, interaction and chance to have progress and to maintain Motivation for Language Learning as well. A good instructor must utilize the sources of Intrinsic Motivation to establish a connection with Extrinsic factors that can be brought to a classroom setting. It is also very significant for instructors to identify student’s motives and needs etc and thereby evolving proper motivational strategies. Motivation may erode during designing a Language course. The Teachers have to bear in mind that Learners differ in interest expectations from one another.


2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 422
Author(s):  
Fatemeh Khonamri ◽  
Khazar Molana ◽  
Marzie Danaei ◽  
Mohammad Kazemian

The common widespread interest in the socio-cultural aspect of language learning among applied linguists has made ESL researchers draw attention to learners' motivation and autonomy in the European and Asian educational circles. The rationale of this study is to pinpoint the relationship between EFL learners’ motivation and autonomy. To gather relevant data, motivation and autonomy questionnaires were distributed among 100 EFL learners, who were chosen through Quick Placement Test (QPT), and were put them into B2, C1, and C2 levels of linguistic proficiency based on Common European Framework Rubric (CEFR) model. To fulfill the objectives of this study, both descriptive and inferential statistics were utilized in the process of data analysis. Regarding the statistical analysis, learners’ motivation significantly correlated with their autonomy. Additionally, it was found that there was a significant positive correlation between autonomy and intrinsic motivation, while the correlation between autonomy and extrinsic motivation was significant but negative. This study can shine a light on language teaching in general and in particular on the relationship between EFL learners' motivation and autonomy.


Author(s):  
Zohre Esmaeeli ◽  
Masoud Khalili Sabet ◽  
Yadollah Shahabi

The role of emotional intelligence as a significant factor contributing to academic achievement was central in the area of research for several years. In second language learning research, personal and social skills seems to be critical as individual differences in language production. In this regard, this study has attempted to investigate the relationship between emotional intelligence and speaking skills of Iranian advanced EFL learners. In order to achieve this goal, 96 advanced EFL learners including 48 males and 48 females were randomly selected from eight institutes in Tehran. The design of the study is a quantitative, non- experimental research utilizing a correlational approach. The data were gathered through an EQ questionnaire (namely EQ- i: S, designed by Bar- On), and speaking test (from ILETS samples of speaking tests in the form of individual interview). The value of Pearson correlation coefficient indicated that there was a significant relationship between emotional intelligence and speaking score of advanced EFL learners. The findings of the present study which denoted the role of EQ in speaking ability can be efficiently implemented in educational system through social- and- emotional- learning programs to improve students’ oral proficiency in language classroom. And it is the job of English teachers to exploit students’ full potential in order to facilitate language learning.


2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martin Biewen ◽  
Roland Happ ◽  
Susanne Schmidt ◽  
Olga Zlatkin-Troitschanskaia

In this study we examine the determinants of and the relationship among economic knowledge, epistemological beliefs, and extrinsic and intrinsic motivation over the course of undergraduate studies in a sample of students of business and economics at a university in Germany. We found economic knowledge increased over the course of studies, extrinsic and intrinsic motivation declined, and students became more skeptical in their epistemological beliefs about the objectivity of economic content being taught in their courses. The students’ level of economic knowledge was related to intrinsic motivation but unrelated to extrinsic motivation and epistemological beliefs. Furthermore, the students’ tendency to become more skeptical over the course of their studies was mitigated by high levels of extrinsic motivation. The use of internationally established assessments such as the Test of Economic Literacy, developed by the Council of Economics Education, enables implications for higher education business and economics programs at the international level to be drawn from our findings. 


2017 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. 185-214
Author(s):  
Hanna Kivistö-de Souza

Abstract: This study examined to what extent L1 Brazilian Portuguese (BP) EFL learners are aware of L2 phonotactics and whether there would be a relationship between L2 phonotactic awareness and L2 pronunciation accuracy. The language learners were tested regarding their awareness of L2 onset consonant clusters with a lexical decision task presenting nonword stimuli with legal and illegal onset clusters. L2 pronunciation was measured with a Foreign Accent Rating Task. The results showed that L1 BP participants showed a high awareness concerning L2 phonotactics, not differing from L1 English speakers, t(86)=.20, p =.83. Furthermore, high phonotactic awareness was found to be related to higher accuracy in L2 pronunciation (r= -.46, p <.001). The results suggest that phonotactics should be taught in foreign language classrooms since increasing learners’ awareness might be beneficial for the accuracy of their L2 pronunciation.


2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 306-319
Author(s):  
Heba Mostafa ◽  
Yongsun Lim

Advancing diversity and inclusion in the U.S. higher education requires a solid understanding of the dynamics of students’ mobility. This study investigated the intrinsic and extrinsic motivations that lead different international student groups to study in American universities, in connection with their resilience in overcoming the inevitable higher education challenges. An online survey was completed by 164 international students at three research universities. Pearson correlation coefficient analyses and independent t tests were conducted to examine the relationships among three variables—intrinsic motivation, extrinsic motivation, and resilience—along with the differences among groups. Results show a medium-sized positive significant relationship between international students’ intrinsic motivations and resilience, and significant differences among groups of students in relation to intrinsic and extrinsic motivations.


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