The Relationship between EFL Learners’ Level of Language Awareness and Their Motivation and Achievement

Year 2019, Volume: 9 Issue: 2, 37 - 48, 30.06.2019

Alireza Amjadiparvar Golestan Zarrin

Abstract

The present study aimed at examining the relationship between EFL
learners’ level of language awareness with their motivation and achievement.
Moreover, the relationship between gender, language awareness, motivation and
achievement was also investigated. The participants included 120 male and
female EFL learners from different language institutes in Kurdistan province
selected based on convenient sampling. The learners were then asked to complete
the language learning motivation and language awareness questionnaire. The
learners were requested to respond to all the items. Finally, the
questionnaires were scored and along with the final exam scores as achievement
scores of the learners were analyzed to address the research questions. The
results of statistical analyses indicated that there was a positive and
significant relationship between EFL learners’ level of language awareness and
motivation. Moreover, there was a significant and positive relationship between
the EFL learners’ level of language awareness and their achievement. It was
also found that there was a significant relationship between gender, language
awareness, motivation and achievement of Iranian EFL learners with female
participants outperforming the male learners.

Keywords

Achievement, Language Awareness, Language Learning

References

• Atkinson, J. W., & Raynor, J. O. (1974). Motivation and achievement. Washington, DC: Winston & Sons. Barany, L. K. (2016). Language awareness, intercultural awareness and communicative language teaching: Towards language education. International Journal of Humanities and Cultural Studies (IJHCS),2(4), 257-282.Berry, R. (2014). Investigating language awareness: The role of terminology. In A. Lyda & K. Szczesniak (Eds.), Awareness in action: The role of consciousness in language acquisition (pp. 21-33). Cham, Switzerland: Springer.Brown, H. D. (2000). Principles of language learning and teaching (4th ed.). New York: Longman.Byram, M (2006) Languages and identities .Council of Europe. Strasbourg. Retrieved 02.15.2010 from www.coe.int/lang .Crookes, G., & Schmidt, R. W. (1991). Motivation: reopening the research agenda. Language Learning, 41(5), 469-51.Csizer, K., & Dornyei, Z. (2005). The internal structure of language learning motivation and its relationship with language choice and learning effort. The Modern Language Journal, 89(1), 19-36.Danilewicz, T. (2011). Language awareness and second language teacher. Gdańsk: Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Gdańskiego.Del Pozo, M. Á. M. (2017). An approach to CLIL teacher language awareness using the Language Triptychh. PULSO. Revista de Educación, 39, 141-157.Dörnyei, Z. (1994). Motivation and motivating in the foreign language classroom. The Modern Language Journal, 78(2), 273-284.Dörnyei, Z. (1998). Demotivation in foreign language learning. Paper presented at the TESOL ’98 Congress, Seattle, WA. March.Dörnyei, Z. (2001a). New themes and approaches in second language motivation research. Annual Review of Applied Linguistics, 21(1), 43-59.Dörnyei, Z. (2001b). Teaching and researching motivation. London: Longman.Dornyei, Z., & Otto, I. (1998). Motivation in action: A process model of L2 motivation. Working Papers in Applied Linguistics, 4(1), 43-69.Dörnyei, Z., & Ushioda, E. (2010). Teaching and researching motivation (2nd ed.). Harlow, England: Pearson Longman.Dornyei, Z., Csizer, K., & Nemeth, N. (2006). Motivation, language attitudes, and globalisation: A Hungarian perspective. Clevedon, England: Multilingual Matters.Dörnyei. Z. (2010). Motivation in second and foreign language learning, language teaching. Cambridge University Press, 31(2), 117-135.Eagly AH & Karau S. (2002). Role congruity theory of prejudice toward female leaders. Psychological Bulletin, 109(3), 573-598.Ellis, E. M. (2012). Language awareness and its relevance to TESOL. University of Sydney Papers in TESOL, 7.Ely, C. M. (1986). An analysis of discomfort, risk taking, sociability, and motivation in the L2 classroom. Language Learning, 36(1), 1-25.Falout, J., Elwood, J., & Hood, M. (2009). Demotivation: Affective states and learning outcomes. System, 37(3), 403–417.Gardner, R. C., Lalonde, R. N., Moorcroft, R., & Evers, F. T. (1985). Second language attrition: The role of motivation and use. London, Ontario: University of Western Ontario, Department of Psychology. Garrett, P., & Cots, J. (2017). The Routledge handbook of language awareness. Form-Focused Instruction, 11, 39-56.Green, J. M. &Oxford, R. L. (1995). A closer look at learning strategies, L2 proficiency, and gender. TESOL Quarterly, 29(2), 261-297.Hall, G. (2011). Exploring English language teaching: Language in action. London: Routledge.Helena Araújo e Sá, M., & Melo, S. (2007). Online plurilingual interaction in the development of language awareness. Language Awareness, 16(1), 7-14.Hu, R. (2011). The relationship between demotivation and EFL learners' English language proficiency. English Language Teaching, 4(4), 88-96.Kikuchi, K. (2009). Listening to our learners’ voices: What demotivates Japanese high school students? Language Teaching Research, 13(4), 453–471.Kim, K. J. (2009). Demotivating factors in secondary English education. English Teaching, 64(4), 249-267.Lankiewicz, H., Wąsikiewicz-Firlej, E., & Szczepaniak-Kozak, A. (2016). Insights into teacher language awareness with reference to the concept of self-marginalization and empowerment in the use of a foreign language. porta linguarum, 25, 147-161.Larsen-Freeman, D., & Long, M. (1991). An introduction to second language acquisition research. London: Longman.Liu, M. (2007). Chinese students’ motivation to learn English at the tertiary level. Asian EFL Journal, 9(1), 126-146.Lo, Y. Y., & Lin, A. M. Y. (2014). Designing assessment tasks with language awareness: Balancing cognitive and linguistic demands. Assessment and Learning, 3(3), 97-119.Morawski, M., & Budke, A. (2017). Language awareness in geography education–an analysis of the potential of bilingual geography education for teaching geography to language learners. European Journal of Geography, 7(5), 61-84.Noels, K. A., Clement, R., & Pelletier, L. G. (2001). Intrinsic, extrinsic, and integrative orientations of French Canadian learners of English. Canadian Modern Language Review, 57(5), 424-442.Noels, K., Clement, R., & Pelletier, L. (1999). Perceptions of teachers’ communicative style and students’ intrinsic and extrinsic motivation. The Modern Language Journal, 83(1), 23 – 34.Oxford, R., & Shearin, J. (1994). Language learning motivation: Expanding the theoretical framework. Modern Language Journal, 78(1), 12–28.Pae, T. (2008). Second language orientation and self-determination theory: A structural analysis of the factors affecting second language achievement. Journal of Language and Social Psychology, 27(1), 5 – 27. Ramage, K. (1990). Motivational factors and persistence in foreign language study. Language Learning, 40(2), 189 – 219.Sakai, H., & Kikuchi, K. (2009). An analysis of demotivators in the EFL classroom. System, 37(1), 57-69.Scarcella, R., & Oxford, R. L. (1992). The tapestry of language learning: The individual in the communicative classroom. Boston: Heinle & Heinle.Spolsky, B. (1989). Conditions for second language learning. Oxford: Oxford University Press.Sunderland, J. (2000). Issues of gender representations in textbooks: A state of the art studies. Language Teaching 33(4), 203-22.Svalberg, A. M. (2007). Language awareness and language learning. Language Teaching, 40(4), 287-308.Szczepaniak-Kozak, A. (2016). Interlanguage pragmatics of EFL advanced learners: Insights from a longitudinal study into the development of the speech act of request in the Polish context. In A. Skweres. Classroom-oriented research (pp. 197-212). Springer, Cham.Taguchi, T., Magid, M., & Papi, M. (2009). The L2 motivational self-system among Japanese, Chinese and Iranian learners of English: A comparative study. In Z. Dörnyei & E. Ushioda (Eds.), Motivation, language identity and the L2 self (pp. 66-97). Bristol, United Kingdom: Multilingual Matters.Tanaka, T. (2005). Teacher influence on learner motivation. Osaka Female Junior College, Retrieved in the EFL classroom. System, 37(1), 57-69. Warden, C. A., & Lin, H. J. (2000). Existence of integrative motivation in an Asian EFL setting. Foreign language annals, 33(5), 535-547.