The Role of Motivation in English Language Learning: An Evaluation of the Correlation between Student Motivation and Proficiency in English

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James Harrison
Clara Rodriguez

Abstract

The study seeks to test how student motivation interacts with English language skills among high school students. From the seminal models of motivation by Gardner's Socio-Educational Model to Dörnyei’s Process-Oriented Model, and from L2 Motivational Self System to the contemporary Dynamic Systems Theory, it has been critically postulated that language learning takes off from motivation. The total number of 450 students aged 16-18, then completing the modified form of the Attitude/Motivation Test Battery (AMTB), their level of proficiency in English defined on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). The result thus established a strong positive relationship between motivation and English proficiency (r = 0.68, p < 0.01), supporting the point that high motivation, in general, can indeed translate into better proficiency in a language. This study, therefore, as it provides even more strengthening of the need to promote motivation in English language teaching, avails great insights for educators and researchers within a continuously dynamic language-learning environment.

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How to Cite
Harrison, J., & Rodriguez, C. (2023). The Role of Motivation in English Language Learning: An Evaluation of the Correlation between Student Motivation and Proficiency in English. Research Studies in English Language Teaching and Learning, 1(3), 167–178. https://doi.org/10.62583/rseltl.v1i3.19
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