MOTIVATION IN ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNING

Summer FARRAJ

doi:10.24193/subbphilo.2018.3.16

Authors

Summer FARRAJ Haifa University in Haifa City, Israel. E-mail: summerma@walla.com

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.24193/subbphilo.2018.3.16

Keywords:

EFL, motivation, attitudes, ethnicity, Druze, Muslims, Christians.

Abstract

Motivation in English Language Learning. The current study aims at investigating the relationship between the learners- integrative and instrumental motivation and English language among Arab EFL learners. Motivation plays an important part in improving and developing the learners’ communicative ability. Attitudinal studies conducted on Arab students, such as those of Zughoul and Taminian (1984), Salih (1980) and Harrison et al. (1975), have consistently shown that Arab students are instrumentally motivated to learn English, and that they are well aware of the utility of knowing English. This means that the main stimulus for learning English is instrumental, to achieve a goal or a career. It is true that some learners are integrative motivated, but they are in a minority.

Rezumat. Motivație în învățarea limbii engleze. Acest studiu investighează relaţia dintre motivaţia integrativă sau instrumentală şi studiul limbii engleze la arabii din Israel. Motivaţia joacă un rol important în dezvoltarea şi perfecţionarea abilităţii comunicative a studenţilor. Studii atitudinale facute asupra studenţilor arabi (ca cele ale lui Yughoul şi Taminian, 1984, Salih, 1980 şi Harrison et al., 1975) au arătat convingător că studenţii arabi sunt motivaţi instrumental să înveţe limba engleză pentru că sunt perfect conştienţi de utilitatea stăpânirii limbii engleze în contextul din Israel. Acest lucru demonstrează că principalul stimul pentru învăţarea limbii engleze este instrumental, acela de a atinge un scop sau de a garanta o carieră. Este adevărat că unii studenţi sunt motivaţi integrativ, dar acestia formează o minoritate.

Cuvinte cheie: Engleza ca limbă străină, atitudine, etnicitate, Druzi, Musulmani, Creştini.

Author Biography

Summer FARRAJ, Haifa University in Haifa City, Israel. E-mail: summerma@walla.com

Summer Faraj is a teacher at Haifa University in Haifa City and in Maghar Comprehensive School" A" in Maghar Village, Israel. Her specialty is teaching English as a Foreign Languag, E-mail: summerma@walla.com

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