EFL motivational orientations and proficiency: A survey of Cambodian University students in Phnom Penh

• Main Author: Lim, Sovannarith
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Animo Repository 2007
• Subjects: English language > Study and teaching > Cambodia; English language > Study and teaching > Social aspects > Cambodia; English language—Study and teaching > Cambodian students; Language and Literacy Education
• Online Access: https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/etd_masteral/3506; https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/context/etd_masteral/article/10344/viewcontent/CDTG004318_P.pdf
• Institution: De La Salle University

The study set out to address two primary questions: one, to investigate motivational orientation (including instrumental and integrative motivation) among a group of Cambodian EFL undergraduate students, and two, to scrutinize possible correlations between the subjects motivational orientation and English language proficiency. One motivation questionnaire which addressed both instrumental and integrative motivation was developed and distributed to sixty-eight Cambodian undergraduate students, twenty-one of whom were later interviewed. The results show that instrumental motivation was the major source for these students to learn English, due to the fact that English in Cambodia promises its learners pragmatic, utilitarian benefits or rewards. Interestingly, correlation between motivational orientation and English proficiency of these EFL students was not found significant, which can be accounted for by the fact that motivational orientation is only the motivation initiator in the first place that subsequently enhances motivational drive and that does not seem to have an on-line connection with L2 proficiency. Implications of the findings were provided pedagogically, regarding the development of EFL/ELT syllabus in Cambodia, and theoretically, regarding the reconsideration of motivation concepts. Future research is also called for, following recommendations provided.