Helping students repack for remotivation and agency (2009)

This exploratory study invited 285 Japanese university students studying English as a foreign language (EFL) to reflect on what demotivated and remotivated them. Students charted the ups and downs of their English learning histories and then completed a questionnaire in which they explained the causes of their demotivation and the pathways, unintentional or intentional, by which they became remotivated. This data was analyzed in terms of the affective and attitudinal conditions which students brought with them into the classroom. Students with positive antecedent conditions were found to have experienced fewer periods of demotivation in the past and exhibited more dynamic use of a wide range of strategies in their attempts to remotivate themselves. There is evidence to suggest that these learners also had more exposure to such strategies in use. Based on this hypothesis, we compiled and returned the strategies they reported to seed their self-motivational practices.

Studies in Second Language Learning and Teaching

This paper is about four Japanese university students majoring in international studies, who participated in a two-year study examining changes in their motivation. Using monthly interviews and a 29-item questionnaire on Dörnyei’s (2005) L2 motivational self system that was administered alongside each interview, the trajectories of learner motivation were investigated, based on both quantitative and qualitative data. First, changes in the participants’ motivation were identified using quantitative data. Next, a variety of motivators and demotivators that learners experienced both inside and outside of their classrooms were analyzed using the qualitative data. With the data obtained, this study focuses on how four learners’ language learning motivation and contexts adapt to each other, and how the dynamics of the four learners’ motivation changes due to their learning experiences. Each learner was different in their trajectory of motivation and the kinds of motivators and demotivator...

The Journal of Asia TEFL, 2023

Although demotivation is as important as motivation to be investigated in second language acquisition, it has been scarcely explored and is a relatively new issue. Therefore, the present nationwide mixed methods study attempted to probe demotivating and remotivating factors among Iranian BA and MA students studying English. The participants included 226 students from different universities across the country. To collect the quantitative data, Sahragard and Ansaripour's (2014) questionnaire containing 40 items on a 5-point Likert scale was used to unpack the demotivating factors. To collect the qualitative data, the researchers ran semi-structured interviews with 10 BA and 10 MA students to examine their perceptions regarding demotivation in more detail. Also, semi-structured interviews with 20 BA and 20 MA students were run to examine their perceptions regarding remotivation. The results of the questionnaire revealed that for both BA and MA students, economic problems had the most influential effect on demotivating them. For MA students, encouraging students and boosting their self-confidence, and for BA students, improving teachers' behavior and attitudes was the most important remotivating factor of learning English. The findings can have implications for different stakeholders, including teachers, universities, researchers, educators, and policy-makers.

Conference: ACLL2019 Stream: Psychology of the learner, 2019

Motivation, both intrinsic and extrinsic, are no doubt essential components to successful language learning. Addressing these factors, English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teachers in Japan exhaust their resources-thinking and employing a variety of strategies and materials-to encourage Japanese students and keep them motivated. However, in spite of these efforts, problems regarding decreased motivation are still seen to arise. Demotivation has become particularly noticeable among Japanese learners who show hesitation in speaking and participating in English class discussions. As noted by Uchioda (2013:9), 'demotivation is obviously viewed as a significant phenomenon in English language education in Japan'. Hence, to identify the root cause of this problem, the current study focused on identifying the factors that demotivate and inhibit Japanese students' participation in their English classes. In this research, a descriptive survey research design was utilized. The data used in the study was from the responses of 246 Reading classes' students and 56 Communication Classes' students from three universities in Tohoku. Respondents, who were initially identified using the purposive sampling technique, gave responses voluntarily. Data analysis revealed that Japanese EFL students patently lack interest in English as a class subject itself. Analysis of individual respondent profiles versus a variety of demotivating factors also unveiled significant differences. Further studies are recommended to address students' lack of interest in English language learning and examine the sources of this problem.

2021

Concerning demotivation, the thesis draws in research studies investigating the demotivational factors experienced in different EFL contexts. The researchers in this field include Keita Kikuchi, Tae-Young Kim and Zoltán Dörnyei. Regarding remotivation, multiple studies investigating the remotivational factors helping overcome demotivation are presented. The researchers of this topic include Joseph Falout, Christopher Carpenter, Ema Ushioda, and others. The meta-analysis showed variance between factors causing demotivation in different learning environments and cultures. The most common demotivational factors were teacher variables, course contents and teaching materials, and negative attitudes toward learning English. Data showed strong demotivation until high school, but lower again in college. Most of the efficient remotivational strategies were internal to the learner, such as a change in perspective, although situation-specific and social factors were significant too. Some suggestions were made concerning the exact strategies EFL teachers could use to promote the learners' remotivation. Further research should investigate the efficiency of specific remotivational strategies to overcome demotivation among EFL learners. In addition, research should be conducted to examine the remotivational factors in Finland.

System, 2009

Demotivation can negatively influence the learner's attitudes and behaviors, degrade classroom group dynamics and teacher's motivation, and result in long-term and widespread negative learning outcomes. 900 university EFL learners were surveyed to investigate the demotivating factors in learning English as a foreign language (EFL) in Japan, and the relationship between past demotivating experiences and present proficiencies. Affective states and capacity to self-regulate learning were compared among learners with varying academic interests, experiences, and proficiencies. Demotivating factors were grouped into three categories: external conditions of the learning environment, internal conditions of the learner, and reactive behaviors to demotivating experiences. Internal and reactive factors were shown to correlate with long-term EFL learning outcomes. Findings from this study indicated that beginning, less-proficient learners in non-English majors were least likely to control their affective states to cope with demotivating experiences. Finally, this paper discusses steps that might prevent or minimize demotivation and facilitate remotivation.

In Japan, English is a significant part of everyday life. We see English advertising signs all around us, we use English loan-words in Japanese written and spoken communication, and many Japanese songs incorporate English into their lyrics (Aspinall, 2003). On the other hand, it is known to scholars that many Japanese students are de-motivated to study English. Hasegawa (2004) reports that 71% of junior high school students and 77% of senior high school students are not motivated to study English. Among the reasons for de-motivation are the lack of perceived relevance of English learning and the lack of confidence in capabilities. Thus, this present study focuses on the following four areas as tools to help de-motivated students become re-motivated and to enable them to sustain that motivation to study English throughout the 2016 academic year: (1) the four sources of self-efficacy beliefs (Bandura, 1977); (2) the establishment of concrete EFL study reasons for future careers; (3) the development of time management skills; and (4) the understanding of effective self-regulated learning. 210 Japanese college freshmen in four different proficiency groups participated in this study. It was found that when focus was placed on sources of self-efficacy, students in all the proficiency groups were able to significantly improve their English listening skills throughout the academic year, and that students in general were able to sustain relatively high self-efficacy beliefs about their English listening skills. However, a sharp decline was found in the number of students who were able to sustain that motivation during the two-month summer break. It is suggested that ample examples of concrete English study reasons that are associated with students' future careers as well as activities for visualization (Sampson, 2012) might need to be implemented into our pedagogic approach to help our freshmen put their acquired knowledge into action during the summer break.

This short paper considers the issue of demotivation of students in various language teaching contexts. It first explores demotivation in the literature and gives an outline of current theories in this emerging area of interest. Research that attempts to extract the factors that contribute to demotivation is analysed. In particular, Dörnyei"s seminal work in the area of demotivation is reviewed. Having presented the findings, the role of teachers in the area of demotivation is discussed with anecdotal evidence and observations. Finally, a research method is proposed. This paper is limited in scope, yet aims to introduce what the author feels is an important issue in post-secondary language education.

SAGE Open, 2021

Research into language learning demotivation has tended to focus on the identification of discrete factors resulting in demotivation. In this article, we report an investigation into the interrelationship among factors eventually leading to demotivation using a sequential exploratory mixed-methods design. In Study 1, 13 participants were interviewed about their demotivation experiences and what factors, they perceived, had led to demotivation over a period of 12 months. We then used these results to formulate a demotivation model. In Study 2, we tested the generalizability of this model on a larger sample (N = 2044). Using structural equation modeling, our results showed that the model fit the data, and most of its paths were statistically significant. This model showed that having a fixed mindset had one direct and two indirect paths to demotivation. The two indirect paths were through lowering the learner's ideal L2 self and through feeling disappointed by setbacks. We discuss the implication of our findings for language learning and teaching.

ijalel.org

Motivation is widely viewed as a key factor to language learning success. This study investigates motivation among English language majors who are unexpectedly considered by most of their teachers as generally not motivated. Using the model proposed by , the study classifies a sample of English male and female majors (n=365) into various levels of motivation. The study further examines the possible demotivational factors that may negatively influence the subjects' motivation. Overall, the findings suggest that the view that the studied sample lack motivation is not accurate. However, the responses to the demotivational factors questionnaire indicate some effective demotivating factors. This effect is particularly statistically significant in relation to the method of teaching. The study concludes by stressing the importance of integrating motivational strategies in any method of EFL classroom teaching even if the learners are expected to be genuinely motivated.