Motivation of rural students in learning English language : a case study on Bangladeshi ESOL learners

Abstract

Motivation is a significant factor in learning a second language. Motivation and learning are interconnected with each other. Learners will succeed when they get the right motivation in the classroom. The rural students of Bangladesh face difficulties in learning English because they have less motivation to learn a second language. Research suggests that some factors affect the motivation of rural students in learning English language. To date, limited studies have been conducted on rural students’ motivation in an ESOL context such as Bangladesh. Thus, this study explored the factors that affect learners’ motivation in learning English as a second language and their perceptions. The researcher chose a qualitative, multiple case study approach where each of the students was considered as a case. The interviews were taken in a semi-structured method via telephone to collect the data from the participants. The findings revealed that some factors affect their motivation in English language learning. The factors are socio-economic background, learners’ personality and the learning situation, teacher influence, and teacher biased attitude, exam-oriented learning, suggestion-based learning, fear and anxiety in learning. This study has pedagogical and theoretical implications as well which is recommended for any teacher in a similar ESOL context.