• English Language & Literature Teaching
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.75-94
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• 2009

This study was designed to assess demotivation factors and compare the factor between two secondary school student groups. It furthermore examined how the factors related to students' L2 proficiency. A 31-item questionnaire was completed by 407 junior (JH) and senior high school (SH) students. Five factors were extracted through the principal axis factoring: Teachers' competence and teaching styles, Dissatisfaction with English classes and grading system, Difficulty of learning English, Lack of motivation and interest in learning English, and Inadequate learning contents. Although both JH and SH students did not perceive their English teacher as a strong attribution of demotivation, Difficulty of learning English and Dissatisfaction with English classes and grading system were the two strongest demotivating factors. When compared the overall mean scores of each factor between JH and SH groups, significant differences were found in all factors except Factor 4, with SH students reporting stronger demotivation. JH students attributed their demotivation to Difficulty of learning English, while SH students attributed that to Dissatisfaction with English classes and grading system. Both groups tended to attribute their demotivation to external forces. The study also showed that several demotivation factors related negatively to L2 proficiency.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.19 no.12
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• pp.129-140
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• 2019

This study investigated cyber university students' motivation and demotivation in learning English. Data was collected from a survey of 498 students in a general English course at a cyber university located in Seoul. The survey inquired into participants' English learning motivation and demotivation. To analyze the data, frequency analysis, descriptive statistics, t-test, and ANOVA were used. The findings reveal that among the motivation factors ideal L2 self was the main cause of motivation followed by promotion-based instrumentality. Among the demotivation factors the anxiety factor was found to have the highest mean followed by negative investment value for learning English. The statistical analysis of English learning motivation and demotivation according to the participants' characteristics indicates that, in terms of English learning motivation factors, the male participants' ought-to L2 self was significantly higher than that of the females' and the promotion-based instrumentality of the students who are unemployed was higher than those who are employed. Moreover, the younger the students' age, the higher their competitive motivation and promotion-based instrumentality. In terms of English learning demotivation, the female respondents achieved higher scores in the factors of anxiety, passive learning style, and negative investment value for learning English than their male counterparts. In addition, employed students showed higher demotivation in negative investment value for learning English than those without employment. The findings of this research can be used in developing online English programs for cyber university students who possess diverse learning goals.