Factors demotivating electronics-major students to learn ESP at Sao Do University yếu tố gây nên sự mất hứng thú đối với sinh viên ngành điện tử trong giờ học

VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY-HANOI
UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES & INTERNATIONAL STUDIES
FACULTY OF POST – GRADUATE STUDIES
-----  -----

VŨ THỊ THỮ

FACTORS DEMOTIVATING ELECTRONICS-MAJOR
STUDENTS TO LEARN ESP AT SAO DO UNIVERSITY
NGHIÊN CỨU CÁC YẾU TỐ GÂY NÊN SỰ MẤT HỨNG THÚ ĐỐI
VỚI SINH VIÊN NGÀNH ĐIỆN TỬ TRONG GIỜ HỌC TIẾNG ANH
CHUYÊN NGÀNH Ở TRƯỜNG ĐẠI HỌC SAO ĐỎ

M.A. MINOR THESIS

Field: English Teaching Methodology
Code: 60. 14. 10

Hanoi – 2012


VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY-HANOI
UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES & INTERNATIONAL STUDIES
FACULTY OF POST – GRADUATE STUDIES
-----  -----

VŨ THỊ THỮ

FACTORS DEMOTIVATING ELECTRONICS-MAJOR
STUDENTS TO LEARN ESP AT SAO DO UNIVERSITY
NGHIÊN CỨU CÁC YẾU TỐ GÂY NÊN SỰ MẤT HỨNG THÚ ĐỐI

VỚI SINH VIÊN NGÀNH ĐIỆN TỬ TRONG GIỜ HỌC TIẾNG ANH
CHUYÊN NGÀNH Ở TRƯỜNG ĐẠI HỌC SAO ĐỎ

M.A. MINOR THESIS

Field: English Teaching Methodology
Code: 60. 14. 10
Supervisor: Dr. Tô Thị Thu Hương

Hanoi – 2012


TABLE OF CONTENT
Declaration ................................................................................................................... i
Acknowledgements .....................................................................................................ii
Abstract ..................................................................................................................... iii
Table of content .......................................................................................................... iv
List of abbreviations ..................................................................................................vii
List of tables ............................................................................................................ viii
PART A: INTRODUCTION .................................................................................... 1
1. Rationale ................................................................................................................ 1
2. Aims of the study ................................................................................................... 1
3. Research questions .................................................................................................. 2
4. Significance of the study ......................................................................................... 2
5. Scope of the study ................................................................................................... 2
6. Method of the study ................................................................................................ 3
7. Organization of the study ........................................................................................ 3
PART B: DEVELOPMENT..................................................................................... 4
CHAPTER 1: LITERATURE REVIEW ................................................................ 4
1.1. Motivation ........................................................................................................... 4

1.1.1. Conceptions of motivation ................................................................................ 4
1.1.2. Classification of motivation in language teaching – learning ........................... 4
1.2. Demotivation ....................................................................................................... 5
1.2.1. Conceptions of demotivation ............................................................................ 5
1.2.2. Student demotivating factors in foreign language teaching – learning............. 6
1.2.2.1. Student-related factors .................................................................................. 7
1.2.2.2. Teacher-related factors ................................................................................... 9
1.2.2.3. Teaching and learning conditions ................................................................ 10
1.2.2.4. Course books ................................................................................................ 11
1.3. Related issues of ESP ....................................................................................... 11
1.3.1. Definitions of ESP........................................................................................... 11

iv


1.3.2. Classification of ESP....................................................................................... 12
1.3.3. ESP teachers .................................................................................................... 13
1.3.4. ESP learners .................................................................................................... 14
1.3.5. ESP materials ................................................................................................. 15
1.3.6. Assessment ...................................................................................................... 17
1.4. Overview of study on demotivation ................................................................ 17
CHAPTER 2: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY ................................................ 20
2.0 Research questions and design ......................................................................... 20
2.1. Situation analysis .............................................................................................. 20
2.1.1. Setting of the study.......................................................................................... 20
2.1.2. Subjects ........................................................................................................... 23
2.2. Data collection .................................................................................................. 23
2.2.1. Questionnaire for students............................................................................... 23
2.2.2. Interview for students ...................................................................................... 24
2.2.3. Interview for teachers ...................................................................................... 24

2.3. Data analysis ..................................................................................................... 25
CHAPTER 3: RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS .................................................. 26
3.1. Results ............................................................................................................... 26
3.1.1. Data analysis of students’ survey questionnaire and interview for students .. 26
3.1.1.1. Personal information of the students taking part in the survey .................... 26
3.1.1.2. Student-related demotivating factors ........................................................... 26
3.1.1.3. Teacher-related demotivating factors........................................................... 29
3.1.1.4. Teaching and learning conditions ................................................................ 30
3.1.1.5. The course book ........................................................................................... 31
3.1.1.6. Solutions to help students overcome their demotivation ............................. 32
3.1. 2. Data analysis of the interview for teachers .................................................... 32
3.2. Discussions of findings on factors that demotivate students to study ESP at
SDU ........................................................................................................................... 36
3.2.1. Student-related factors .................................................................................... 36

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3.2.2. Teacher-related factors .................................................................................... 37
3.2.3. The course book .............................................................................................. 38
3.2.4. The teachers’ perception of the demotivators in ESP classes ......................... 38
PART C: CONCLUSION...................................................................................... 40
1. Conclusion............................................................................................................. 40
2. Pedagogical implications ...................................................................................... 40
3. Limitations of the study ........................................................................................ 41
4. Directions for further research .............................................................................. 42
REFERENCES ........................................................................................................ 43
APPENDIX 1 .......................................................................................................... IX
APPENDIX 2 ......................................................................................................... XII
APPENDIX 3 ......................................................................................................... XV

APPENDIX 4 ...................................................................................................... XVII

vi


LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS
ESP: English for Specific Purposes
EOP: English for Occupational Purposes
GE:

General English

L2:

Second Language

SDU: Sao Do University
TEFL: Teaching English as a Foreign Language

vii


LIST OF TABLES

Page
Table 1: Students’ profiles (Total number of students: 89)

26

Table 2: Student-related demotivating factors

27

Table 3: Teacher-related demotivating factors

29

Table 4: Teaching and learning conditions

30

Table 5: The course book

31

viii


PART A: INTRODUCTION
1. Rationale
Motivation is one of the crucial learner factors affecting foreign language
teaching - learning and therefore has been abundantly explored in the field of
English as a Foreign Language teaching and learning. Many researchers have also
examined motivation and its negative side, demotivation in teaching and learning
general English in universities. However, few researchers have directed their
attention to demotivation students tend to carry in the course of learning English for
Specific Purposes (ESP) although English continues to dominate as the lingua
franca of business, technology, medicine, media, education and research. As a result,
the demand of ESP is growing rapidly in many countries including Vietnam which
has become a member of WTO and has witnessed unprecedented growth in

communications with other countries. In response to the great demand of English in
academic, vocational and professional contexts, more and more universities in
Vietnam are offering ESP courses to meet the global trend as well as to meet
students’ future career needs. Sao Do University is not an exception. All students at
Sao Do University must pass examinations in ESP to graduate, but many are failing
to study it successfully.
Based on my experience of teaching ESP, English for Electronics, for 3 years,
I have found that many Electronics-major students do not seem ever to have
developed any interest in learning ESP or if they have, they seem to have lost that
interest for some reasons, that is, they have become demotivated in ESP classes. In
both cases, their achievement in ESP classes has been negatively affected. For this
reason, I decided to study factors demotivating the Electronics-major students in
ESP classes at Sao Do University, so that effective solutions can be found to help
my students get better results in learning ESP.
2. Aims of the study
The study was carried out with an aim to help my students get better results in
learning ESP. It, therefore, was designed to meet the following objectives:

1


- to identify factors that demotivate Electronics-major students in ESP classes
at Sao Do University.
- to give suggestions and recommendations to ESP teachers/students at Sao Do
University, on the basis of the findings, for even better ESP teaching - learning.
3. Research questions
In order to achieve the above-mentioned objectives, the following research
questions were asked in the study:
Question 1: What are the factors that demotivate Electronics-major students in
ESP classes at Sao Do University?

Question 2: What should be done to minimize these factors and help students
overcome their demotivation?
4. Significance of the study
The study is the first investigation of demotivators in learning English for
Electronics at Sao Do University. The proposed study provides students, of English
for Electronics in particular, at Sao Do University with solutions to overcome their
demotivation in ESP classes. In addition, the proposed study will help ESP teachers
at Sao Do University to have a deeper understanding of their students in ESP
classes. Thus, they will be able to make suitable changes and adjustments in their
teaching English for Electronics to motivate their students for even better results.
The proposed study will benefit and help future researchers specializing in
ESP and motivation with meaningful insights from the findings.
5. Scope of the study
The study is limited in scope of finding out factors that demotivate the
Electronics-major students in ESP classes at Sao Do University. The subjects
chosen for this study were 89 Electronic-major students at Sao Do University who
have just finished ESP. Thus, it cannot be said that the results of this study are
generalized to the demotivation of other non-English-major students in ESP classes
at Sao Do University as well as in other universities in Vietnam.

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6. Method of the study
The study used mixed methods for data collection and analysis. Survey
questionnaire for students and semi-structured interviews were used. The
questionnaire for students and semi- structured interviews were used to get students’
opinions on their demotivation factors in learning ESP. Semi-structured interviews
for teachers were also used to find out their ideas about factors demotivating their
students in ESP classes.

7. Organization of the study
The study consists of three parts.
Part A, INTRODUCTION, presents the rationale, aim of the study,
significance of the study, scoG55
pe of the study, method of the study and organization of the study.
Part B, DEVELOPMENT, includes three main chapters:
Chapter 1, LITERATURE REVIEW, presents theoretical background on
motivation, and demotivation in language learning. The main issues related to ESP
are also presented in this chapter.
Chapter 2, RESEARCH METHODOLOGY, presents the methodology used in
the study.
Chapter 3, RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS, gives a detailed presentation of
data and detailed description of data analysis. The implications of the study are also
given in this chapter.
Part C, CONCLUSION, is a review of the study. Furthermore, this part also
points out the limitations of the study and provides some directions for further
studies.

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PART B: DEVELOPMENT
CHAPTER 1: LITERATURE REVIEW
1.1. Motivation
1.1.1. Conceptions of motivation
It is strongly believed that motivation plays a critical role in academic learning
in general and in specific it is true of the “sustained process of mastering an L2”
(Dornyei, 2005, p.616).
Motivation, according to the Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary is “…the
reason why somebody does something or behaves in a particular way”. Dornyei

(2001:613) defined motivation as “a general ways of referring to the antecedents i.e.
the causes and the origins”. He also stated that “motivation explains why people
decide to do something, how hard they are going to pursue it and how long they are
willing to sustain the activities” (2001:7).
Motivation related to learning English, could be then defined as the purpose
for doing things that will lead to learning a foreign language. According to Gardner
(1985), to be motivated, the learner needs to have something to look forward to, a
purpose related to goal or objective. This objective would be learning a foreign
language. There must be something that the learner wishes to accomplish or gain,
being the target language the vehicle to attain it. The learner’s reasons for another
language could vary from achieving a sense of success, fulfill other’s expectations
or being able to buy a new car through getting a better job due to command of the
target language.
From the above, it can be deduced that motivation is the way learners set up
goals and spend effort to pursue them.
1.1.2. Classification of motivation in language teaching – learning
In terms of motivation types, different researchers give out different reasons
why people learn a language, therefore, there different kinds of motivation for
language learning. However, motivation is often classified as intrinsic or extrinsic.
The first kind is when something external and independent of the activity is what

4


provides a sense fulfillment; the second one is when the activity per se is what gives
a sense of accomplishment. (Pintrich and Schunk, 2002). Deci and Ryan (1985)
consider these two types of motivation, although they do not consider them as
opposites, but as part of a continuum which goes from motivation to external
compliance to Self-commitment. They also proposed that intrinsic motivation
emerged from three psychological needs: need for competence (being able to do

things), need for autonomy (making his/her own choices) and need for relatedness
(connecting with others).
There are other ways to classify motivation; Gardner (1985) proposed that it is
necessary to understand the learner’s goal for learning a language in order to
understand what motivates them. He proposes two orientations for learning a
language: integrative and instrumental. The first one refers to having an interest not
only in the language, but also in the community who speaks the language, a desire
to assimilate the culture as well as the language. It involves being open and
respectful to other groups, lifestyles, ideas, etc., and the possibility of identification
with another culture (Dornyei, 2003). Instrumental motivation, on the other hand,
refers to the desire of learning the language to use it as a toll to obtain non
interpersonal purposes such as passing an exam, obtaining a job, etc.
1.2. Demotivation
1.2.1. Conceptions of demotivation
According to Dornyei (2001a), demotivation is defined as “specific external
forces that reduce or diminish the motivational basis of a behavioral intention or an
ongoing action” (p. 143). Thus demotivation could be regarded as the negative
counterpart of motivation. However, researchers do not all agree that demotivation
is solely external. Many researchers included not only external factors but also
internal factors such as lack of self-confidence and negative attitude within learners
themselves. Despite his definition of demotivation, even Dornyei listed reduced
self-confidence and negative attitude toward the foreign language as sources of
demotivation (Dornyei, 2001a). Therefore, Dornyei’s original definition may need

5


to be expanded to cover both internal and external factors (i.e., demotivators) which
reduce or diminish the demotivation to study English.
Dornyei (2001) defines a demotivated learner as “someone who was once

motivated but has lost his or her commitment/ interest for some reason” (p.142).
Loss of interest can derive from various sources of demotivation. For examples, a
teacher who cannot control the class or a boring textbook can act as demotivating
factor for the learner. However, the notion of demotivation cannot be related to
every reluctant learner. Dornyei (2001) has pointed out at least three negative
factors cannot be referred as demotivators. The first is an attractive alternative
action that serves as a powerful distraction (e.g., playing game instead of doing
one’s homework). Instead of reducing motivation, they distract learners by
presenting a more attractive alternative. Secondly, gradual loss of interest in a longlasting, on-going activity cannot be seen as a demotivator because demotivator is a
specific factor or incident that reduces motivation on a single event. Thirdly, the
sudden realization that the costs of pursuing a goal are too high is raised (e.g., when
someone recognizes that how demanding it is to attend a weekend course while
working on weekdays).
Furthermore, Dornyei (2001) makes a distinction between demotivation and
amotivation. Amotivation refers to a lack of motivation caused by the realization
that “there is no point…” or “it’s beyond me…(Deci and Ryan, 1985).” In other
words, a demotivating factor is some external force that reduces or decreases the
motivation that the learner already has; an amotivating factor is not so much an
external factor as something that is produced by the learner.
1.2.2. Student demotivating factors in foreign language teaching – learning
According to Dornyei (2001), demotivating factors consist of nine categories:
1) the teacher; 2) inadequate school facilities; 3) reduced self-confidence; 4)
negative attitude towards the L2; 5) compulsory nature of L2 study; 6) interference
of another foreign language being studied; 7) negative attitude towards L2
community; 8) attitude of group members; 9) course book.

6


Based on Dornyei’s study, factors affecting students’ demotivation can be

classified into student-related factors, teacher-related factors, and teaching and
learning conditions and course books used in the class.
1.2.2.1. Student-related factors
a. Intelligence
The term of intelligence refers to performance on certain kinds of tests
(Lightbrown and Spada, 1999). These tests help teachers classify successful or
unsuccessful students in the class performance. While some studies have showed
that there is a link between intelligence measured by intelligence quotient tests and
second language learning, some students, in fact, whose academic performance is
weak, are successful in L2 learning.
b. Personality
Lightbown & Spada (1999) discussed a number of personality characteristics
such as extroversion, inhibition, self-esteem, empathy, dominance, talkativeness,
responsiveness. Although several studies on personality and second language
learning have been carried out with different and contradictory results, many
researchers believe that personality factors are important predictors of success in
second language learning. “This relationship is a complex one, however, in that it is
probably not personality alone, but the way in which it combines with other factors,
that contributes to second language learning” (Lightbown & Spada, 1999:56).
c. Aptitude
Foreign language aptitude may be broadly defined as "language learning
ability" (Dörnyei 2005: 32). Factor analysis identified four components (Lightbown
& Spada):
“(1) The ability to identify and memorize new sounds; (2) the
ability to understand the function of particular words in sentences; (3)
the ability to figure out grammatical rules from language samples, and (4)
memory for new words”.

7

These two authors also suggested that teachers should know the aptitude
profile of their students to choose appropriate activities for their particular groups of
students in their classes.
d. Learning strategies
Learning strategies are defined as thoughts or activities that assist in
enhancing learning and student performance (Weinstein & Mayer, 1986, as cited in
Chamot & O'Malley, 1994). Another definition of learning strategies is: “Learning
strategies are the various operations that learners use in order to make sense of their
learning” (Wenden, 1987a, p. 7-8).
From the definitions coined by researchers in the area of learning strategies,
it would be appropriate to state that learning strategies, in essence, are actions taken
by the learner to assist in learning more effectively. Different learning strategies
work best for different learners when learning a second/foreign language.
e. Learner beliefs
Beliefs are defined as “psychologically held understandings, premises, or
propositions about the world that are felt to be true” (Richardson, 1996, p. 102). In
the context of second or foreign language learning, beliefs held by students can
relate to the nature of the language under study, its relative difficulty, the usefulness
of various learning strategies, the length of time it takes to acquire a foreign
language, the existence of language aptitude, the effects of age and gender on
second/foreign language acquisition, among others. Students' beliefs about language
learning have an impact on their performance in class.
f. Confidence, anxiety
Learners’ motivation can vary tremendously according to their confidence
and anxiety they have toward the language they are learning and the environment
they are in. Not only is anxiety related to motivation, but it is also related to
proficiency and more so to communication proficiency, as suggested by Clement,
Dornyei and Noels (1994).

8


g. Age of acquisition
Age is another characteristic of learners which affect learners’ success in
second language learning. It is often claimed that there is a critical period for second
language acquisition which ends around puberty or even earlier. However, the
Critical Period Hypothesis for second language acquisition has not been
conclusively proven by research, nor has it been completely disproved. Most
researches indicate that critical period hypothesis does not exist for all aspects of
second language acquisition, but there is “powerful evidence of a critical period for
accent.” (Brown 59) While there are many advantages to an early age for second
language acquisition, there is little evidence to support the idea that adults are
unable to successfully learn a second language.
1.2.2.2. Teacher-related factors
Based on Dornyei (2001), teachers' factors and appropriate teacher behaviors
are mentioned as follows: enthusiasm, commitment to and expectations for the
students' academic progress, good relationship with the students, acceptance, and
ability to listen and pay attention to students.
a. Enthusiasm
An American psychologist, Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi (1997) conducted a
survey into the question "Who have been your most influential teachers?” He found
that it is teachers' love, dedication and passion together with commitment toward
the subject matter that instills in students a willingness to pursue knowledge. Also,
teachers should clearly identify their reasons for loving and being interested in the
subject matter or L2, and then share these reasons with their students (Good &
Brophy, 1994).
b. Commitment to the students' progress
Teachers should show commitment towards their students' learning and
progress, at the same time they should care for what their students have learnt and

succeeded (Dornyei, 2001). Furthermore, if teachers treat their students "as if they

9


already are eager learners, they are likely to become eager learners" (Brophy, 1998:
170).
c. Teachers' expectations
In an experiment in educational psychology, an intelligence test to primary
school children, Rosenthal and Jacobson (1968) came to a conclusion that if
teachers had high expectations about how well students could study, their students
would probably be able to reach high level of achievement. Particularly, when the
teacher sets high expectations, they are likely to perform better at the subject matter
and even feel more competent (Good & Brophy, 1987).
d. Good relationship with the students
- Acceptance: three linchpins of the humanistic psychology; namely;
acceptance, empathy and congruence, are of great influence in the development of
student-centered teaching.
- Ability to listen and pay attention to students: listening to a person is the
single most powerful transaction that occurs between ourselves and another person
(Wlodkowski, 1986: 28).
It appears that these two attributes of a teacher, mentioned above, bring about
good relationships with his/her students.
1.2.2.3. Teaching and learning conditions
a. Physical conditions
Physical conditions of a classroom refer to the classroom size, chairs, desks,
tables, boards and even bulletin boards. Jeremy Harmer (1992) confirmed that such
physical conditions had great impact on students' learning as well as their attitude
towards the subject matter either positively or negatively.
L2 teachers should be reminded that the classroom is not only a psychological

but also physical environment. The decoration: posters, flowers, funny objects
influence strongly the atmosphere. More importantly, teachers should create the
ownership of the class among students. He stated "Personalizing the classroom can

10


be seen as students exercising increasing control over their environment" (Dornyei,
2001: 42).
b. A pleasant and supportive atmosphere in the classroom
Language learning is considered one of the most face-threatening school
subjects. Language anxiety has been found to be a powerful factor that hinders L2
learning achievement (Maclntyre, Young, 1999). Thus, it is the teacher's task to
create a pleasant and supportive classroom atmosphere. A number of various
components contribute to make up the ideal classroom climate such as the teacher's
rapport with the students, the students' relationship with each other and the norm of
tolerance. It is very important to make students understand that mistakes are a
natural part of learning, and to ensure that they will not be criticized if they make
mistakes.
Moreover, humor is a very potent factor to improve the classroom atmosphere.
The use of humor helps students feel at ease without tension in the air.
1.2.2.4. Course books
A common element in the teaching of English as a second or foreign language
is the course book. Indeed, it has been argued that the course book is an almost
universal element of ELT teaching (Hutchinson and Torres, 1994) and the course
book may contribute greatly to the motivation to teach – learn the language.
1.3. Related issues of ESP
1.3.1. Definitions of ESP
Differences exist in how people interpret the meaning of ESP. Some described
ESP as simply being the teaching of English for any purpose that could be specified.

Others, however, were more precise describing it as the teaching of English used in
academic studies, or the teaching of English for vocational or professional purposes.
Strevens (1988) described it as English language teaching which is designed to
meet specified needs of the learner. Tony Dudley-Evans (1997), who is well aware
of the current confusion amongst the ESP community, gave an extended definition
in terms of 'absolute' and 'variable' characteristics:

11


Absolute Characteristics
1. ESP is defined to meet specific needs of the learners
2. ESP makes use of underlying methodology and activities of the discipline it
serves
3. ESP is centered on the language appropriate to these activities in terms of
grammar, lexis, register, study skills, discourse and genre.
Variable Characteristics
1. ESP may be related to or designed for specific disciplines
2. ESP may use, in specific teaching situations, a different methodology from that
of General English
3. ESP is likely to be designed for adult learners, either at a tertiary level institution
or in a professional work situation. It could, however, be for learners at secondary
school level
4. ESP is generally designed for intermediate or advanced students.
5. Most ESP courses assume some basic knowledge of the language systems
The definition Dudley-Evans offers is clearly influenced by that of Strevens
(1988), although he has improved it substantially by removing the absolute
characteristic that ESP is "in contrast with General English" (Johns et al., 1991:
298), and has revised and increased the number of variable characteristics. The
division of ESP into absolute and variable characteristics, in particular, is very

helpful in resolving arguments about what is and is not ESP. From the definition,
we can see that ESP can but is not necessarily concerned with a specific discipline,
nor does it have to be aimed at a certain age group or ability range. ESP should be
seen simple as an “approach” to teaching, or what Dudley-Evans describes as an
“attitude of mind”. Such a view echoes that of Hutchinson et al. (1987:19) who state,
“ESP is an approach to language teaching in which all decisions as to content and
method are based on the learner's reason for learning”.
1.3.2. Classification of ESP
According to Carter (1983), there are three types of ESP:

12


1. English as a restricted language: The language used by air traffic controllers
or by waiters are examples of English as a restricted language.
2. English for academic and occupational purposes: English for science and
technology, English for Business and Economics, English for social studies, English
for academic purposes, and English for occupational purposes (EOP).
3. English with specific topics: This type concerned with anticipated future
English needs of, for example scientists requiring English for postgraduate reading
studies, attending conferences or working in foreign institutions.
1.3.3. ESP teachers
An issue frequently raised with regard to ESP teachers is whether they need to
be experts in the subject area in question. The general assumption is that they are
primarily language teachers engaged in Teaching English as a Foreign Language
(TEFL) and should, above all, be experts in the language and language teaching,
and are not required to have specialized subject knowledge. Nevertheless, they do
need to have some understanding of the subject area, which is ideally accompanied
by a positive attitude towards it. ESP teachers should also have the ability to
actively integrate student knowledge about the subject matter or, as Ellis and

Johnson (1994: 26) put it: “It is the learners who have the specific content
knowledge and who are able to bring that knowledge to the classroom”. Good ESP
teachers will thus above all be “experts in presenting and explaining the language,”
who also have the ability “to ask the right questions and make good use of the
answers” (Ellis and Johnson, 1994: 26). Other valuable sources of information for
ESP teachers are subject teachers and subject-matter textbooks.
To sum up, to make best use of the resources mentioned above when
designing a syllabus, selecting, and/or writing materials, as well as teaching the
course, ESP teachers should have at least some basic knowledge about the subject
matter in question, which is ideally supported by a genuine interest in it. It is even
more important that they act as facilitators and encourage pupils to share their own
knowledge about the subject matter with the class and to actively participate in the

13


learning process. This characteristic of effective teachers is beautifully articulated in
Kahlil Gibran's novel The Prophet: “If the teacher is indeed wise, he does not bid
you enter the house of his wisdom, but rather leads you to the threshold of your own
mind” (as cited in Harmer, 2007: 107).
1.3.4. ESP learners
Another important aspect in which ESP differs from GE is the target audience
and their goals, as well as their motivation to learn the language. When teaching
ESP at the university or higher education level, ESP teachers will most often teach
both pre-experience learners and job-experienced learners. Pre-experience learners
most often have just finished secondary school and rely mostly on their theoretical
knowledge, while job-experienced learners, in addition to having theoretical
knowledge, also have some practical experience of using a foreign language in
business life. Consequently, as Ellis and Johnson (1994: 5) point out, preexperience learner expectations of language learning are to a great extent based on
their former educational experience, while job-experienced learners will above all

focus on “their own shortcomings in terms of fluency, getting the message across,
and being able to understand the people from other countries that they have to deal
with”. Regardless of these differences between pre-experience and job-experienced
learners, the emphasis of ESP teaching/learning for both categories of learners
should be on performance or, as emphasized by Ellis and Johnson (1994: 35), they
should become “operationally effective”.
Motivation is of key importance for both pre-experience and job-experienced
learners. In the first situation, considering that most students have no or almost no
work experience, ESP teachers have to rely primarily on materials and activities
they have prepared for their learners. For this reason, materials used in the language
course should preferably relate to knowledge gained in other courses and learners'
future jobs. When teaching job-experienced learners, on the other hand, ESP
teachers can also focus on what learners do in their jobs and at least to some extent
relate the teaching/learning materials and course activities to that. The direct use of

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the learner's experience in the ESP teaching/learning process is thus important for
the motivation of both pre-experience and job-experienced learners, the most
important distinction being whether ESP teachers predominantly refer to knowledge
gained in other professional courses or the learner's practical experience gained onthe-job.
1.3.5. ESP materials
Materials selection, adaptation, or writing is an important area in ESP
teaching, representing a practical result of effective course development and
providing students with materials that will equip them with the knowledge they will
need in their future business life.
One of the most important issues regarding ESP materials selection and/or
writing is whether the materials selected should be solely or primarily subject
specific and what the most appropriate ratio of general materials to subject-specific

materials is. General materials focus on one's general ability to communicate more
effectively, while subject-specific materials focus on a particular job or industry
(Ellis and Johnson, 1994). When carefully selected, both general and subjectspecific materials will equip the students with the necessary skills and knowledge,
but subject-specific materials nevertheless better cater for ESP learners' specific
needs. Consequently, ESP learners will very often feel more affinity for materials
that they find relevant to their area of specialism. The use of subject-specific
textbooks is also more in line with the realization that students are individuals with
different needs, styles, and interests and with some central traits of cognitive theory.
There are two kinds of materials, namely: readily available textbooks and
tailor-made materials. The decision on whether to use readily available textbooks or
tailor-made materials is primarily based on the learners' subject area.
As Ellis and Johnson (1994: 115) emphasize, the choice of materials has a
major impact on what happens in the course. This impact is demonstrated on the
following three levels:
- It “determines what kind of language the learners will be exposed to and, as a

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consequence, the substance of what they will learn in terms of vocabulary,
structures, and functions”;
- It “has implications for the methods and techniques by which the learners will
learn”;
- Last but not least, “the subject of or content of the materials is an essential
component of the package from the point of view of relevance and motivation”.
The selection of ESP materials should thus above all depend on the needs of
the learners in relation to their future or present jobs: that is, materials should focus
on the appropriate topics and include “tasks and activities that practise the target
skills areas” (Ellis and Johnson, 1994: 115). Another important criterion that should
be taken into account when selecting materials is the level of language knowledge

students have already acquired and the target level they will need to communicate
successfully in their jobs.
ESP

is

predominantly

student-centered,

and

consequently

students’

considerations should be at the top of the list of selection criteria. According to
Lewis and Hill, students’ considerations include the following:
- Will the materials be useful to the students?
- Do they stimulate students’ curiosity?
- Are the materials relevant to the students and their needs?
- Are they fun to do?
- Will the students find the tasks and activities worth doing?
(Adapted from Lewis and Hill, 1993: 52-53)
To sum up, after analyzing learner needs and setting objectives for the course,
the ESP teacher has to select materials that will help the students achieve the course
objectives (Ellis and Johnson, 1994). These materials should also relate closely to
the learners’ specific skills and content needs, which is an important precondition
for full exploitation of the materials as well as the learners’ motivation.

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1.3.6. Assessment
Tony Dudley-Evans (1998) stated that the reasons for assessment can be
grouped under two main headings: for feedback to aid learning and for a
comparable measure of competence. Classroom assessment and formal testing are
both methods of assessment but the circumstances in which they take place are
often very different. Classroom assessment may be carried out by the teacher or the
learners (self-or peer assessment) and can be great source of feedback to aid
learning.
1.4. Overview of study of demotivation
Over the last twenty years, research on motivation for foreign language
learning has evolved considerably from focusing on describing what composes
student motivation to a detailed and elaborated list of suggestions that help teachers
initiate, and further promote student motivation. However, because of the novelty of
the term demotivation, not much research has been conducted on the subject. To put
it another way, despite the probable importance of demotivation in learning in
general, and L2 and FL learning in particular, to date few studies have focused on
student demotivation. This section deals with the previous studies on motivation
and demotivation.
Falouta, Elwoodband and Hood (2009) conducted a study on 900 university
EFL learners to investigate demotivating factors in learning EFL in Japan, and the
relationship between past demotivating experiences and present proficiencies. In
their study, 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.
Trang and Baldauf (2007) did an investigation on demotivation involving
Vietnamese students from a university of economics, with three main foci: (i) the

reasons (i.e. the demotives) underlying demotivation, (ii) the degree of influence of
different motives and (iii) student's experiences in overcoming demotivation.

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Dorniyei (2001) conducted a research on 50 secondary school pupils in
Budapest who were studying either English or German as their second language.
The data were collected through structured interview. He identified the teacher, lack
of self-confidence, negative attitudes toward L2, compulsory nature of L2 study,
interference of other languages, negative attitudes towards L2 community, attitudes
of group members, course book and inadequate school facilities as nine
demotivating factors.
Oxford (1998) took into account the time factor. She recognized that some of
demotivating factors include: the teacher, the textbook, negative classroom
activities, defective equipment, and inappropriate tasks.
Sun Yun-Fang (2008) in the PhD thesis at Indiana University titled
“Motivation to speak: Perception and attitude of non-English major students in
Taiwan” conducted a study on Taiwanese students motivation to speak English at a
university in northern Taiwan. Questionnaires on motivation and anxiety were used
to ask 115 non-English majors in two English conversation classes to give their
perceptions and attitudes toward English conversation class. Then follow-up
interviews were conducted with six volunteer students for deeper analysis of their
willingness to use English to communicate in the class, and what activities they
prefer in English conversation class. 56% of the surveyed students stated that
teachers have strong impact on their willingness to use English to participate in
class activities. They most preferred a class size of between 15-20 students. 81% of
the surveyed students preferred more interactive activities such as group discussion
on practical and interesting topics and a more relaxing learning environment. The
results implied that teachers need to be more flexible to meet students' needs such as

daily conversation skills, pragmatics, business communication skills and public
speaking skills.
Zhao Lei (2012), using questionnaires, studied learning motivation types and
the factors that influence sustaining motivation in learning English in the Chinese
context. The study investigated Chinese non-English majors' motivation in English

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