Quy nhon university undergraduate non english majaors perceptions of motivational factors in learning english as a foreign language

ABSTRACT This study drew on Gardner 1985’s motivation theory as the main theoretical framework to explore the perceptions of the Natural Sciences Faculty and the Sciences & Humanities F

MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING

QUY NHON UNIVERSITY

LE HOANG HA VY

QUY NHON UNIVERSITY UNDERGRADUATE

NON-ENGLISH MAJORS' PERCEPTIONS OF

MOTIVATIONAL FACTORS IN LEARNING ENGLISH

BỘ GIÁO DỤC VÀ ĐÀO TẠO

TRƯỜNG ĐẠI HỌC QUY NHƠN

LÊ HOÀNG HẠ VỸ

NHẬN THỨC CỦA SINH VIÊN KHÔNG CHUYÊN NGỮ TRƯỜNG ĐẠI HỌC QUY NHƠN VỀ CÁC NHÂN TỐ ĐỘNG LỰC TRONG VIỆC HỌC TIẾNG ANH

Ngành: Lý Luận và Phương Pháp dạy học bộ môn Tiếng Anh

Mã số: 8140111

Người hướng dẫn: PGS.TS NGUYỄN THỊ THU HIỀN

STATEMENT OF AUTHORSHIP

I totally assure that the thesis ―Quy Nhon University undergraduate English majors' perceptions of motivational factors in learning English as a foreign language‖ is my own work for the purpose of graduating the MA course of English Linguistics

non-The content of this thesis has not been published or written by any other authors except for some references which are used in this thesis

The thesis has not been submitted for any degree or diploma in any university

Binh Dinh, July, 2022

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The total completion of this scientific research project is the result of not only my efforts but also the precious assistance of those to whom I would like

to express my sincere gratitude

First of all, I would like to express the most special appreciation and the deepest thanks to my supervisor, Assoc Prof Dr Nguyen Thi Thu Hien, for her useful advice, aspiring guidance, invaluably constructive criticisms, and especially for her endless patience and warm encouragement during my whole study

Secondly, my deep indebtedness comes to Quy Nhon University, the Department of Foreign Languages, the Natural Sciences Faculty, and the Social Sciences & Humanities Faculty for permitting me to conduct this research

Thirdly, I am extremely thankful to 200 EFL students from the Natural Sciences Faculty and the Social Sciences & Humanities Faculty at Quy Nhon University who were willing to share their sympathy support with the tremendous assistance and provide valuable information with the friendliest cooperation for my research project

Last but not least, I owe an unpaid debt to all the generous support, love, and care from my beloved families and friends, which has given me more strength, belief, and motivation to overcome all the troubles in the whole process of this research

ABSTRACT

This study drew on Gardner (1985)’s motivation theory as the main theoretical framework to explore the perceptions of the Natural Sciences Faculty and the Sciences & Humanities Faculty students about motivational factors affecting their English learning process This mixed-method study was conducted to address two key objectives To achieve the objectives, all research participants completed a 20-item questionnaire reflecting their instrumental and integrative motivations for studying English SPSS version

26 was used to analyze the questionnaire data Moreover, semi-structured interviews were carried out to confirm the quantitative results The findings of this study showed that non-English majors possessed both instrumental and integrative motivation for their English learning, and instrumental motivational factors were more common among them The findings also revealed a slight difference in instrumental factors between non-English majors from the two faculties In contrast, they reported having the same moderate integrative motivation for learning English as a foreign language

TABLE OF CONTENTS

STATEMENT OF AUTHORSHIP i

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ii

ABSTRACT v

TABLE OF CONTENTS vi

ABBREVIATIONS x

LIST OF TABLES xi

LIST OF FIGURES xii

CHAPTER 1 1

INTRODUCTION 1

1.1 Rationale 1

1.2 Aim and objectives 3

1.2.1 Aim 3

1.2.2 Objectives 3

1.3 Research questions 3

1.4 Scope of the study 4

1.5 Significance of the study 4

1.6 Organization of the study 5

CHAPTER 2 7

LITERATURE REVIEW 7

2.1 Definition of motivation 7

2.2 Gardner’s motivation theory 11

2.3 Dörnyei’s (1994) model of L2 motivation 14

2.4 The Self-determination theory 16

2.5 Main types of motivation 17

2.5.1 Orientation and Motivation 18

2.5.2 Intrinsic and Extrinsic Motivation 18

2.5.2.1 Intrinsic motivation 18

2.5.2.2 Extrinsic motivation 19

2.5.2 Instrumental and Integrative Motivation 21

2.5.2.1 Integrative motivation 21

2.5.2.2 Instrumental motivation 22

2.6 Motivation in English learning 23

CHAPTER 3 29

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 29

3.1 Research design 29

3.2 Research setting 30

3.3 Research participants 31

3.4 Research instruments 32

3.4.1 Questionnaire 33

3.4.2 Semi-structured interviews 35

3.5 Research procedure 36

3.6 Data analysis 37

3.7 Research reliability and validity 38

3.8 Legal and ethical considerations 39

CHAPTER 4 41

FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION 41

4.1 Motivational factors among students of the Natural Sciences Faculty (NSF) and the Social Sciences & Humanities Faculty (SSF) from their perspectives 41

4.1.1 Instrumental motivation 42

4.1.1.1 English is an instrument to pass exams and graduate 44

4.1.1.2 English is a significant instrument in students’ majors and in professional development 45

4.1.1.3 English is a useful instrument to get well-paid jobs and high promotion in the future careers 46

4.1.1.4 English is an instrument to get respect from peers and other

people 49

4.1.2 Integrative motivation 50

4.1.2.1 Learning English to read English materials or to understand English films 52

4.1.2.2 Learning English to communicate and make friends with English-speaking people 53

4.1.2.3 Learning English to understand English-speaking communities’ cultures, arts and life styles 55

4.1.2.4 Learning English to travel globally 56

4.1.2.5 Learning English to satisfy the enjoyment of this language 57

4.2 A comparison of motivational factors among students from the Natural Sciences Faculty (NSF) and those from the Social Sciences & Humanities Faculty (SSF) 60

4.2.1 A comparison of instrumental motivation among students from NSF and those from SSF 60

4.2.2 A comparison of integrative motivation among students from NSF and those from SSF 62

CHAPTER 5 66

CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATIONS 66

5.1 A summary of the study 66

5.2 Implications of the study 68

5.2.1 Theoretical Implications 68

5.2.2 Pedagogical Implications 69

5.3 Limitations of the study 70

5.4 Suggestions for future studies 71

REFERENCE 73

APPENDIX A 81

APPENDIX B 87 APPENDIX C 88

- ELT: English language teaching

- AMTB: Gardner's Attitude/Motivation Test Battery

- NSF: The Natural Sciences Faculty

- SSF: The Social Sciences & Humanities Faculty

- vs: Versus

- &: And

LIST OF TABLES

Table 3.1 Number of students by faculty and gender 32

Table 3.2 Process of Conducting the Survey 35

Table 3.3 Mean Range for Motivation Level 38

Table 3.4 Reliability Statistics 39

Table 4.1 Students’ instrumental motivation for learning English 42

Table 4.2 Students’ integrative motivation for learning English 50

Table 4.3 Instrumental motivation of students from NSF and those from SSF 61

Table 4.4 Independent Sample T-Test 61

Table 4.5 Integrative motivation of students from NSF and those

from SSF 63

Table 4.6 Independent Sample T-test 63

LIST OF FIGURES

Figure 2.1 Gardner's socio-educational model (Gardner & Lalonde, 985) 12

Figure 2.2 The Socio-Educational Model (Gardner, 2005, p 6) 13

Figure 2.3 Dörnyei’s (1994) framework of L2 learning motivation 14

Figure 2.4 The self-determination continuum (Ryan & Deci, 2000, p 72) 16

CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION

This chapter aims to set the context for this study The chapter is organized into six sections It begins with presenting the reason motivating the researcher to initiate a study on Vietnamese undergraduate non-English majors' motivation to learn the English language The research aims, objectives, and research questions are followed Finally, it outlines the structure of this thesis

1.1 Rationale

For decades, English has been the most popular language in the world, especially in the current period of modernization and globalization Learning English is like holding in your hand a universal key to open the door to the desired future As a result, English has been one of the compulsory subjects

in the educational program for students in most countries Grasping the development trend of the world and the importance of English, Vietnam's education system has made English a compulsory and essential subject in schools from primary to tertiary education

Numerous studies and theories on teaching and learning English show that some factors, such as teachers, students, educational curriculum, pedagogy, teaching materials, and learning environment, impact on English teaching and learning Among the mentioned factors, students are considered the most important and have the most influence on the results, and the success of learning English is based on their learning motivation Indeed, the role of learners’ motivation in learning has drawn great concern and has been examined by many scholars According to Gardner (1985), the motivation for foreign language learning includes a clear learning goal, efforts to master

English, a desire to achieve the set goal, and an attitude

English learners need have a positive attitude toward English to learn and produce this language better It is undeniable that motivation has been regarded as a crucial factor affecting the whole second language (L2) learning and teaching process It has also been considered one of the key factors determining success in developing the L2 language (Koiso, 2003) According to Dörnyei (1994, p 273), motivation is defined as "one of the main determinants of second/foreign language achievement" For decades, motivation in teaching and learning L2 and FL has been the global concern Therefore, the construct of motivation has been widely studied (e.g., Garner

& Lambert, 1972 (cited in Ngo et al., 2017); Deci & Ryan, 1985 (cited in Phan, 2011); Oxford and Shearin, 1994 (cited in Phan, 2011); William, 1994; Noel et al., 1999; Dörnyei, 1998, 2001; Dörnyei & Ottó, 1998; Dörnyei & Ushioda, 2011)

In Vietnam, teaching and learning English is brought up as a top concern, especially in the current period of world integration Therefore, English has been included in the national education curriculum and has become a compulsory subject in schools from primary school to university level In addition, motivation in learning English has received the wide attention of Vietnamese English teachers and scholars (Phan, 2011; Tran & Baldauf Jr., 2011; Nguyen, 2015; Truong, 2016; Ngo et al., 2017; Van & Habók, 2021)

Although motivation in English learning has been extensively studied among students in Vietnamese universities and high schools, research on motivational factors among undergraduate non-English majors at Quy Nhon University in the context of Central Vietnam has not been done in order to gain a more comprehensive understanding of teaching and learning English

yet Hence, I conducted a study with the topic "Quy Nhon University undergraduate non-English majors' perceptions of motivational factors in learning English as a foreign language" for my master's thesis to explore students’ perceptions of motivation from two faculties—the Natural Sciences Faculty (NSF) and the Social Sciences & Humanities Faculty (SSF) Although there are many types of motivation affecting EFL learners’ English learning, this study will only focus on instrumental and integrative motivation Hopefully, the outcome of the study will contribute more to the effective teaching and learning of English

1.2 Aim and objectives

1.2.1 Aim

This study aims to explore what instrumental and integrative factors students coming from two different faculties (NSF versus SSF) at Quy Nhon University perceive as motivation for their learning English

 To investigate if there is any difference in the perception of NSF students and SSF ones about these types of motivation

1.3 Research questions

The study aims to answers two following research questions:

1 What instrumental and integrative motivational factors affect the

English learning process from NSF and SSF students’ perspectives?

2 What are similarities and differences in the motivation to learn English among non-English major students from NSF students and SSF ones?

1.4 Scope of the study

There are many types of motivational factors However, the study only focuses on two main types: instrumental and integrative

The participants are 200 first-year non-English majors from two faculties – the Natural Sciences Faculty (NSF) and the Social Sciences & Humanities Faculty (SSF) – who have almost completed two Basic English courses (English 1 and 2) at Quy Nhon University The time for collecting the data was three weeks, in which the participants were asked to complete the questionnaire individually on paper or Google form, and then 12 participants would be invited to a direct or online interview on their mobile phones

1.5 Significance of the study

The current study investigating instrumental and integrative motivation affecting the English learning process of non-English majors in higher education in Vietnam is significant at theoretical and practical levels

At a theoretical level, this research strengthens the existing literature on L2 motivation as it complements the gaps in this area This study has provided insight into what motivates non-English majors from two opposite faculties (NSF vs SSF) in higher education to learn English, and how different these non-English majors are in their motivations to learn the English language in a tertiary context Furthermore, the findings of this research have contributed to the motivation theory of Gardner regarding its applicability in researching motivation within the Vietnamese tertiary context

At a practical level, this research has identified the most popular type of motivation non-English major students reported in learning English and the differences in the motivational factors to learn English among non-English majors from the two faculties These findings may help EFL lecturers look for possible methods to improve students’ motivation to learn English and enhance the quality of teaching and learning English at the tertiary level in Vietnam

1.6 Organization of the study

The study consists of five chapters

Chapter 1, “Introduction”, presents the rationale, aims and objectives,

research questions, the scope of the study, the significance of the study, and the organization of the study

Chapter 2, “Literature Review”, briefly reviews the literature of

previous studies related to this study This chapter also provides the theoretical background of motivation in learning English

Chapter 3, “Research Methods and Procedures”, deals with the

research methods, the description of the data, data analysis, and research procedures This chapter also presents the reliability and validity of the data

Chapter 4, “Findings and Discussions”, focuses on describing,

analyzing, and discussing the data to answer two research questions, which are:

1 What instrumental and integrative motivational factors affect the English learning process from NSF and SSF students’ perspectives?

2 What are similarities and differences in the motivation to learn English among non-English major students from NSF students and SSF ones?

Chapter 5, “Conclusion and Implications”, provides a summary of

the results of the study It also offers implications for making students from different majors more motivated and interested in their English learning and mentions the limitations of the study and the suggestions for further research

To sum up, this chapter has described the reason for the researcher's conducting the present study It also describes the research aims, objectives, the research questions, and the structure of this thesis The next chapter - Chapter 2 will present the theoretical framework that this study is based on

relevant studies related to motivation in language learning

2.1 Definition of motivation

According to Alizadeh (2016), motivation plays an important role in achieving success in learning English as a foreign or second language Nuridin (2019) also agreed with Alizadeh (2016) that motivation is a crucial factor in second or foreign language learning Positive motivation can enable them to enhance their performance, but negative motivation can decrease their output Motivation in English language learning is considered the main factor

in the success of EFL learners’ English learning and plays a crucial role in improving the effectiveness of EFL teachers’ English teaching In other words, motivation directly influences EFL teachers' and learners’ success or failure in EFL instructing and acquiring processes According to Ushioda (2008), the high achievers of this world or good learners have motivation Depending on the desired goal, everyone can have different views on motivation and make their own definition For decades, numerous scholars have conducted various studies to gain a deep understanding of the motivation

to create a model framework to assist teachers who have always had a strong desire to motivate learners to achieve their goals and succeed in L2 learning Despite the numerous explanations, there is no agreement among researchers

on the meaning of motivation (Svobodova, 2015) or "viewing it as no more than an absolute umbrella that hosts a wide range of concepts that do not have much in common" (Dörnyei, 2001, p 7) Moreover, Dörnyei (1998, p.7) states that the term "motivation" has been mostly in the research and educational fields However, there has been no consensus on the exact definition of this word

There are challenges in using simple terms to define motivation due to the variety of motivation theories However, they have a common idea when explaining motivation, which generally indicates someone's stimulation, choice, and determination in performing the behaviors, or which is considered

a personal want or desire to stimulate someone to do something Indeed, according to Dörnyei (2001), "motivation" is a powerful source or force to drive somebody’s actions related to his/her desires to do something Williams and Burden (2000) also similarly defined motivation as a term that might be related to mental and emotional incitement, which rouses conscious determination and the sustained intellectual and physical effort to achieve the set goal Furthermore, Hall (2011) emphasized that motivation was an important factor for language learners to complete or achieve the previously set goal

Naiman et al (1977, as cited in Ur, 1991 and Alotaibi, 2020) conducted a study of successful language learning and found the typical characteristics of successful students that are closely related to motivation, including a) they are willing to do challenging tasks, b) they are determined to succeed to maintain a positive self-image, c) they are ambitious, d) they set goals, e) they are positive

and not discouraged by failure, f) if they find a task ambiguous, they try very hard to understand it, and g) they overcome difficulties to succeed

The Oxford Dictionary defines motivation as "the reason why somebody does something or behaves in a particular way, or the feeling of wanting to do something, especially something that involves hard work and effort." In the Collins Dictionary, motivation is described as "the act or an instance of motivating desire to do; interest or drive; incentive or inducement (and in terms of psychology), the process that arouses, sustains and regulates human and animal behavior." Similarly, the online Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English defines motivation as "the eagerness and willingness

to do something without needing to be told or forced to do it." In the mentioned dictionaries, motivation is the condition or activity that stimulates

a person’s desire to behave in a certain way

Keller (1983) claimed that motivation is the decisions that people make

to deal with or evade their goals and situations, and how they afford to in this respect

Motivation in Gardner et al (1983, p 39) is ―the level to which the individual works or endeavors to gain proficiency with the language as a result of a longing to do as such and the fulfillment experienced in the movement‖ Gardner (1985, p 10) stated that motivation is ―the extent to which the individual works or strives to learn the language because of a desire

to do so and the satisfaction experienced in the activity.‖ The other researchers indicate essential and indispensable aspects in learning a foreign language like learners’ effort, desire, and attitudes are Richards and Schmidt (2010) In their research, they noticed motivation as ―a combination of the learner’s attitudes, desires, and willingness to expend effort to learn the second language‖ (p 377)

The motivation was a problematic notion containing many psychological perspectives (Gardner, 2006) Dejnozka and Kapel (1991) defined motivation

as a mental term identified with the human attitude that views the willingness

to get positive results by doing some actions Belmechi and Hummel (1998) explained that motivation was a composite of power and direction that individually relates to the objective of the exertion and the learner The motivation was thought of as the assumption for an award, and the learners’ motivation might define the learners’ success in learning a foreign language (Brown, 2000)

Oxford and Shearin (1994) suggested that motivation determines the level of active participation of individuals in second language learning

Harmer (2007, p 98) defines motivation as ―the dynamically changing cumulative arousal or internal drive in a person that initiates, directs, coordinates amplify, terminates, and evaluates the cognitive and motor processes whereby initial wishes and desires are selected, prioritized, operationalized and successfully or unsuccessfully acted out‖

All in all, despite the diversity in the definition of the term dynamics, these different versions of the concept of "motivation" all share one thing in common: "motivation" is the personal desire and interest to motivate individuals to do and afford to achieve their goals Therefore, I adopted the idea of Gardner (1985) cited in Gardner (2001) about "motivation" that includes effort (the effort to learn the language), desire (wanting to achieve a goal), and positive affect (enjoying the learning language tasks) That view of motivation also indicates that an individual who strikes for his/her learning and makes an effort to achieve the goals is a motivated learner

2.2 Gardner’s motivation theory

There is an abundance of L2 learning or SLA motivation theories, one of which is profoundly influential in L2 learning or SLA is Gardner’s motivation theory According to Gardner (1985), desire, effort, and behavioral and affective elements in learning a second language are the factors closely related to the concept of motivation (Gardner, 1985) Gardner (2001) also confirmed that effort (the effort to learn the language), desire (wanting to achieve a goal), and positive affect (enjoying the learning language tasks) are three elements included

in motivation That is, an EFL learner regarded as a motivated learner is an individual who strikes for his/her learning and makes an effort to achieve the goals There are two kinds of motivation orientations: (1) integrative orientation (integrative motivation-the enjoyment of learning a second language due to sincere interest and a desire to engage with and penetrate the culture of the target community or even become a member of that community.), and (2) instrumental orientation (instrumental motivation-learning an L2 for practical reasons, such as graduating or getting a better job with a higher salary based on language ability) that Gardner refers to as a "goal" to stimulate motivation to achieve a predetermined goal (Gardner, 1985)

When discussing Gardner’s motivation theory, it is necessary to mention the most important and influential model—the socio-educational model—that was initially introduced by Gardner and Smythe (1975, as cited in Gardner, 2010) This model has had several versions over the years For example, Gardner, 1985; Gardner & MacIntyre, 1993; Gardner, 2000; Gardner, 2005; Ellis, 2008; Cook, 2008 The model developed by Gardner (1985) (Figure 2.1) consists of four components influencing the L2 learning process: (1) cultural beliefs, (2) individual differences, (3) language acquisition contexts, and (4) linguistic and nonlinguistic outcomes, which contribute to L2 learning

in classroom settings despite being regarded as natural settings In other words, this model is thought of as a method for investigating the role of motivation in L2 learning

Figure 2.1 Gardner's socio-educational model (Gardner & Lalonde, 1985)

The socio-educational model indicated that while language aptitude determines language proficiency, both motivation and attitudes are towards the L2 learning situation and the L2 cultural beliefs This model also shows that there is probably a relationship between motivation and attitudes and language proficiency

However, this model has made numerous researchers confused with the various terms related to the integrative dimension, such as integrative motivation, integrative motive, integrativeness, and integrative orientation (Dörnyei, 1994) Furthermore, Gardner (2001, p.1) also points out that the

term has "slightly different meanings to many different individuals"

There is a new version of the socio-educational model (see Figure 2.2) to solve the confusing problem in the initial version of this model (Gardner, 2005) There are two main variables—integrativeness and attitudes toward learning situations—that are linked to L2 individuals' motivation to learn and achieve achievement in the language learning environment As Gardner claims, "We never meant integrativeness (or integrative orientation, or integrative motive) to mean one wanted to become a member of the other cultural community, but rather an individual’s openness to taking on characteristics of another cultural/linguistic group." (Gardner, 2005, p 7) In addition, instrumentality, referring to learning a language for practical reasons, is another variable that influences language achievement According

to Gardner (2005), Integrativeness, Attitudes to Learning Situations, and Instrumentality are not opposite but correlated with each other

Figure 2.2 The Socio-Educational Model (Gardner, 2005, p 6)

Although Gardner’s socio-educational model has been considered the most well-known and influential motivation model in L2 learning, this has been critiqued by some scholars because of its over-emphasis on

integrativeness (see, for example, McClelland, 2000; Lamb, 2004; Dörnyei,

2005, 2009; Dörnyei, Csizér, & Németh, 2006; Dörnyei & Ushioda, 2011)

2.3 Dörnyei’s (1994) model of L2 motivation

Dörnyei (1994) has presented a framework of L2 learning motivation based on three levels related to L2 learning (see Figure 2.3)

Instrumental Motivational Subsystem

• Course-specific Motivational

Interest

Interest (in the course) Relevance (of the course to one’s needs)

Expectancy (of success) Satisfaction (one has in the outcome)

Figure 2.3 Dörnyei’s (1994) framework of L2 learning motivation

In his framework, Dörnyei has divided L2 motivation into three distinct levels that coincide with the three basic constituents of the L2 learning

process (the L2, the L2 learner, and the L2 learning environment): language, learner, and learning situation levels, and he has introduced affecting factors such as the social dimension, the personal dimension, and the educational subject matter dimension relevant to these three levels

At the first level of the construct—the language level—Dörnyei includes both integrative and instrumental motivation that concentrates on learners’ attitudes towards the target language The social, cultural, and ethnolinguistic components and the interest in foreign languages that directly affect L2 learners' direction are included in the integrative motivational subsystem The practical reasons, such as academic and career achievement, represent the instrumental motivational subsystem

Dörnyei focuses on the individual’s attitudes towards the language and the learning situation at the second element – the learner level It consists of the need for achievement and self-confidence combined with language anxiety, perceived L2 competence, attributions about past experiences, and self-efficacy, which indicate a complex of influences and cognizance to form L2 learners' character

The learning situation at the third level is constructed by intrinsic and extrinsic motivation with specific motivational elements closely related to L2 learners: the course, the teacher, and the group that contains motivational components concerning three areas (1) Course-specific motivational components are made up of the syllabus, the teaching materials, the teaching method, and the learning tasks (2) Teacher-specific motivational components include the affiliative drive to please the teacher, authority type, and direct socialization of student motivation (modeling, task presentation, and feedback) (3) Group-specific motivational components involve goal-orientedness, norm and reward system, group cohesion, and classroom goal structure

2.4 The Self-determination theory

Self-determination is a crucial notion that indicates an individual’s ability to control his/ her choices and life Although the concept of self-determination has been more applied to many areas including work, exercise, and health Research suggests that having high self-determination can foster success in many different domains of life, it is strongly associated with education or L2 motivation in different ways Self-Determination Theory - intrinsic and extrinsic motivation, plays an important role in education (Ryan

& Deci, 2000) According to Deci & Ryan (1985), in Self-Determination Theory, there are amotivation, extrinsic motivation, and intrinsic motivation which are three types of motivation controlling individuals’ attitudes (see Figure 2.4)

Figure 2.4 The self-determination continuum (Ryan & Deci, 2000, p 72)

As seen in Figure 2.4, the Continuum of Motivation (Self-Determination Theory) ranges from amotivation (far left) to extrinsic motivation (in the middle) and intrinsic motivation (far right) Amotivation is on the far left expresses the unwillingness or lack of motivation to do an activity In terms

of education or L2 learning, amotivated learners probably produce negative results (Vallerand et al., 1993) In the middle of the continuum is Extrinsic Motivation, referring to behavior that is driven by external rewards as stated

by Ryan & Deci (2000, p 71), "the performance of an activity in order to attain some separable outcome" There are four different subtypes of Extrinsic motivation: external regulation (to obtain rewards or avoid punishment); Introjection (or Introjected Regulation-to avoid anxiety or to improve pride); Identification (or Identified Regulation-occurs when individuals find something valuable for their behaviors (Ryan & Deci, 2009); and Integration (or Integrated Regulation-occurs when individuals identify the regulations suit their needs (Ryan and Deci, 2000) On the far right is intrinsic motivation, which represents the engagement of an individual in an activity due to his/ her reward to satisfy himself or herself without any obvious external rewards In other words, he/she does it because it’s enjoyable and interesting, rather than because of an outside incentive or pressure to do it, such as a reward or deadline

2.5 Main types of motivation

Deci and Ryan (1985) classified motivation into two main kinds, which are "intrinsic motivation" and "extrinsic motivation," while Gardner and Lambert (1959, as cited in Lei, 2012) distinguished two types of motivation that could be related to L2 learning: (1) integrative motivation and (2) instrumental motivation Moreover, Dörnyei (2000) discovered

"amotivation"—a new type of motivation concerning the absence of any kind

of motivation In the motivation theory of Gardner (1985), he categorized motivations into 3 groups: (1) Orientation and Motivation; (2) Intrinsic and Extrinsic Motivation; and (3) Integrative and Instrumental Motivation

2.5.1 Orientation and Motivation

In the motivation theory of Gardner (1985), "motivation" and

"orientation" are related to the goals of foreign and second-language learners Ryan & Deci (2000, p.54) explain why actions were taken based on learning goals and learners’ attitudes correlated to the orientation of motivation

As also stated by Crookes and Schmidt (1991), the goal of FL/L2 learning and the attitudes toward FL/L2 learning decide the learner’s motivation and orientation Belmechri and Hummel (1998) found that motivation was predicted and determined by orientations despite no agreement about the relationship between orientation and motivation Indeed, when mentioning the motivation of someone, it refers to the reasons embodied by the orientation to take action (Ely, 1986) Spolsky (1989, p.160) also claimed that everyone always had reasons when they decided to choose and learn a new language, and these reasons would assist them to increase their determination, effort, and expenses for their language learning In the L2 literature, there is an exchange of orientations and motivations (Dörnyei, 1994, p.518)

2.5.2 Intrinsic and Extrinsic Motivation

Motivation in the Self-Determination Theory of Deci and Ryan (1985)

has two types: (1) intrinsic motivation (motivation is more inside a person) and (2) extrinsic motivation (motivation is more outside a person)

2.5.2.1 Intrinsic motivation

Ryan & Deci (2000) claim that intrinsic motivation refers to "the doing

of an activity for its inherent satisfactions rather than for some separable

consequence" (p 56), while extrinsic motivation is defined as "a construct that pertains whenever an activity is done in order to attain some separable outcome" (p 60) The self-determined learning, perceived competence, and interest in L2 learning of L2 learners are used to measure and enhance intrinsic motivation (Ryan & Deci, 2000) As claimed by Baker (2004), intrinsic motivation could reduce the tension and pressure on learning and reinforce self-regulated learning

Deci (1980, p 34, as cited in Deci & Ryan, 2013) states that intrinsic motivation is the motivation that prompts people to take part in activities because of their personal enjoyment or internal urge without regard to external rewards Woolfolk (1998) also defines intrinsic motivation as

"motivation that stems from factors such as interest or curiosity" (p.374) According to Paul and Kauchak (2005, p.398), "Intrinsic motivation is the motivation to be involved in an activity for its own sake." In other words, intrinsic motivation aims to bring about the feeling of competence and self-determination

2.5.2.2 Extrinsic motivation

Extrinsic motivation, on the other hand, is beyond the self and related closely to outside rewards such as getting praise, positive feedback, good grades, well-paid jobs, money, and avoiding punishment Extrinsic motivation

is thought to account for short-term achievement rather than long-term success, which is believed to belong to intrinsic motivation Santrock (2004) also argues that "extrinsic motivation involves doing something to obtain something else (a means to an end)" (p 418) In L2 learning, the student is extrinsically motivated to strive to receive a reward, such as passing their tests and exams, avoiding failing, getting good qualifications, or graduating

Generally speaking, both kinds of motivation play an important role in

learning, and lack of motivation can cause procrastination because motivation

is the driving force that makes people act In other words, the presence of motivation can increase learning behavior Teachers need to know the type of motivation and its sources to meet the students’ particular needs

According to Harmer (1994), motivation is divided into the same two kinds as Deci & Ryan (1985) He claims that intrinsic motivation is linked with factors inside the classroom and personal features like attitude, belief, and needs, whereas the outside of the classroom elements such as receiving financial prizes, passing exams with high scores, or getting high-salary jobs in the future

Although there have been many arguments about the importance of two kinds of mentioned motivation, which one is more powerful in the success of the L2 learning of each student, Susan Harter (1981) states that both types of motivation affect each other Therefore, both kinds of motivation are crucial

in learning because motivation can increase learning behavior and control when to act

In terms of gaining achievement and provoking development in L2/FL language learning, there are differences between learners with intrinsic motivation and those with extrinsic one For example, Lei (2010) claims that learners with extrinsic motivation might have more challenges in achieving their learning goals, while intrinsically motivated learners are better in their learning performance and find it easier to achieve a high level Therefore, despite having a personal awareness of the value of the tasks, learners who have extrinsic motivation are not willing to take action or resentfully and hesitantly perform the tasks As stated by William and Burden (1997), intrinsic and extrinsic motivation are two key factors in arousing language learning performance, and they are certainly connected In addition, Hall

(2011) emphasizes that L2 teachers should help L2 learners prompt intrinsic and extrinsic motivation in their learning to gain more achievement

2.5.2 Instrumental and Integrative Motivation

While extrinsic and intrinsic motivations have been used to measure motivation in L1 learning, instrumental and integrative motivations are two major based notions of motivation present in L2 learning studies (Gardner & Lambert, 1972, 1959; Gardner, 1985; Gardner & Maclntyre, 1993; Tremblay

& Gardner, 1995)

In a social psychological framework, Gardner & Lambert (1959) distinguish two types of motivations that could be related to L2 learning: (1) integrative motivation and (2) instrumental motivation These two types of motivation represent the learners' general disposition towards studying a language

2.5.2.1 Integrative motivation

According to Gardner (1985), integrative motivation refers to L2 learners’ positive attitudes towards the L2 community; therefore, integrative motivation would decide learners’ final proficiency and the learners stimulated by integrative motivation would make more effort in learning L2

to actively gain success in their second language learning

As identified by Ellis (2008) based on Dörnyei’s (1994) clarification, there are three subcomponents of integrative motivation: (1) integrativeness (including integrative orientations, interest in foreign languages, and attitudes towards the second language community); (2) Attitude towards the learning situation (i.e., attitudes towards the teacher and the second language course), and (3) Motivation (i.e., the effort, desire, and attitude towards L2 learning (Ellis 2008))

Brown (1994) defines integrative motivation as the desire of learners to

be members in the target language community to penetrate the culture of that society Integrative motivation reflects learners’ enjoyment in L2 learning because they want to communicate or socialize with the target language group (Gardner, 1982) Integrative motivation refers to ―an openness to identify at least in part with another language community‖ (Gardner & Masgoret, 2003, p.126) Moreover, learners have integrative motivation when wishing to learn the target language in order to have a better comprehension of the way to communicate with native target language speakers and their culture (Rehman,

et al., 2014) It is also characterized by a positive attitude toward L2 and the ambition to integrate into that community (Norris-Holt, 2001)

2.5.2.2 Instrumental motivation

Instrumental motivation is the condition where an individual learns a language to get into college/university, graduate with a good qualification, or get a bonus in the salary In other words, instrumental motivation helps people get social and financial rewards such as promoting a career or job through acquiring a language (Gardner & Lambert, 1992) Instrumental motivation expresses the desire to achieve goals something practical as better careers, further education, or reading technical texts from the study of a second language (Saville, 2006) In other words, instrumental motivation refers to the desire to get pragmatic benefits from a second language learning process (Hudson, 1999)

Gardner (1985) suggests that integrative motivation is more powerful than instrumental motivation that enables learners’ positive attitude and certain goals, which are essential for getting success in the L2 learning process However, according to Dörnyei (2001) and Wan-er (2008), it is unnecessary for learners to choose either integrative or instrumental

motivation because both of them are important In addition, learners higher instrumentally motivated are more able to achieve the target language's proficiency at an intermediate level; nevertheless, these learners have to have the integrative motivation to attain the level higher than this level in their target language learning (Dörnyei, 1990) Thus, the current theory of L2 learning motivation in the research of Oxford and Shearin (1994) states that integrative and instrumental motivation have the same role to assist us to determine the reason and the method in L2 learning of L2 learners Additionally, the terminology of integrative and instrumental motivation is still controversial for researchers According to Brown (2007), these two elements are termed as orientations rather than defined as types of motivation, which are the desire depending on L2 learners’ orientation (instrumental orientation: academic performance or career achievement, and instrumental one: social influence or cultural interests) (ibid) Overall, both integrative and instrumental motivation plays an important role in L2 achievement, the L2 learners need to prompt both these two elements to get better success in L2 learning (Cook, 2001: 118)

There have been many studies related to identifying instrumental and integrative motivation The scholars are greatly impressed by the findings of these studies due to a positive relationship between these two types of motivation and success in L2 learning (Gardner, 1979; Gardner, 1980; Gardner, Lalonde, & Moorcroft, 1985; Gardner & Lambert, 1972; Gardner, Smythe, & Clement, 1979)

2.6 Motivation in English learning

For decades, motivation in teaching and learning L2/FL has been a popular concerned topic all over the world; therefore, there have been a number of researches conducted to investigate the motivational factors

affecting the learning English as a second/foreign language of EFL students in different academic levels mainly in non-native-speaking countries This part

of the review mentioned the studies on EFL students' motivational factors affecting their English learning

The similarities and differences in the results of studies about the effects

of motivational factors in non-English major students' English learning are demonstrated by following researchers

The first survey study conducted to explore the existence of different motivational groups of 442 non-English majors at the Chaoyang University of Technology in Taiwan by Warden and Lin (2000) shows that there is mostly the absence of an integration group and these university students are motivated strongly instrumentally with the high levels of required motivation that force students to learn English

In the same approach, Liu (2007) carried out a quantitative study to examined 202 Chinese third-year non-English majors’ attitudes and motivation in their learning English and their English proficiency This study reported that the students had a high level of motivation, which more focused

on instrumental motivation than integrative one, and positive attitudes toward learning English and the elements were positively correlated with their English proficiency

Similarly, another survey also was carried out by Al-Tamimi and Shuib (2009) to identify Petroleum Engineering students’ motivation and attitudes towards learning the English language in Yemen with 81 petroleum engineering students at Hadhramout University of Sciences and Technology (HUST), which indicated that the students had more instrumental reasons for learning the English language, whereas the integrative reasons had less impact

on students’ English language motivation

Additionally, Köseoğlu’s (2013) mixed-method research explored the motivation and orientations of first-year Turkish university students towards learning English The findings of this study showed that there were very high levels of instrumental motivation (e.g., the desire to meet the international labor markets’ requirements)

Although research subjects and research methods are diverse depending

on the context and scope of research, these studies all show that non-English major students are more instrumentally motivated than integratively

Despite a number of studies on the motivation of university students in the world, especially undergraduate non-English majors, there has been a limitation in the number of studies on the same area in Vietnamese contexts The first research mentioned in this part is the one of Trang & Baldauf (2007) The study explored that through their foreign language learning experiences, 100 non-English major university students from a University of Economics in central Vietnam do not have any interest in learning English Moreover, Phan (2011) carried out a qualitative case study (interviews and examinations of the students' weekly diaries) over the course of ten months to examine the motivation of seven Vietnamese technical English majors with the participant of eight of their teachers of English, this scholar found that despite mainly intrinsically motivated to learn English, most of the time their motivation in English learning was affected by extrinsic one

Another Vietnamese researcher, Nguyen (2015), investigated 60 English majors in Hanoi Pedagogical University 2 (HPU2) and 60 other students in Hanoi through a mixed method research design His finding shows that non-English students learn English mostly for the purpose of career opportunity

non-Likewise, Truong (2016) conducted used a mixed-method study (including surveys, focus group interviews, and individual interviews) to examine the motivation to study English of 1,207 first-year non-English majors and 9 their English teachers He found that the reason for students to learn English and achieve oral English competency is offered good jobs after graduation

In addition, Ngo et al (2017) designed a quantitative study to investigate the types of motivation and compare the motivation to learn English demonstrated by 180 English majors and 242 non-English major students The study revealed that both English majors and non-English majors had a high level of intrinsic motivation to learn English to prepare for getting desirable careers in the future

Last but not least, Van & Habók (2021) investigated Vietnamese English majors' motivation to learn English through their quantitative and qualitative study and found that the participants were more highly intrinsically motivated to learn English with the source of motivation such as future job opportunities, academic success, personal interest, hard desire to communicate with foreigners, and other people’s influence

non-Like the results of the mentioned foreign researchers, these studies all show that non-English major students have more instrumental motivation than integrative motivation in their English language learning

Although the previous studies indicated the motivation of higher education students when learning English, it is noticeable that there is a demand for more studies on motivation to learn English from different perspectives with an emphasis on non-major students who are not willing to learn English or who only take compulsory English courses Moreover, the mentioned researchers conducted their studies to identify the motivational

factors from only one non-English major or compare the variety of motivation

in English learning between English majors and non-English majors It seems reasonable to have more research to investigate motivation levels among students coming from different disciplinaries

From the findings of the above studies, it can be seen that the English learning progress of EFL learners is mainly affected by instrumental motivation and integrative motivation but instrumental one outweighs integrative one or the EFL learners are not integratively motivated This suggests that researching on Vietnamese non-English major students' perceptions of instrumental motivation and integrative motivation will hopefully provide new insights Therefore, this study applied the Motivation theory of Gardner (1985) to investigate motivational factors affecting English learning of non-English major freshmen from the Faculty of Social Sciences and the Humanities and the Faculty of Natural Sciences at Quy Nhon University

Gardner's theoretical framework of motivation has been used in studying the motivation of foreign language learning through the quantitative method utilizing research tools that can be based on Gardner's Attitude/Motivation Test Battery (AMTB) (Gardner, 2004) Nevertheless, to capture a more sincere sharing of perceptions of different students about their own English learning goals and motivational factors that impact their English learning, this study uses a supportive method which is a qualitative approach with interviews

The motivation theory of Gardner (1985) will be the main theoretical framework for this study to base on; nonetheless, other related theories of motivation discussed in this chapter will be mentioned to support this theory

to provide sufficient insights in terms of instrumental and integrative motivation when needed

In summary, this chapter has presented the theoretical framework of this study such as the definition of term ―motivation‖ and the theory of motivation that this study applied The following chapter - Chapter 3 will present the research methodology of the present study