The Affective Factors and English Language Attainment of Arab EFL Learners

Sadiq Midraj, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor of Curriculum & Instruction-English Director for Zayed Professional Education Center Zayed University

Jessica Midraj, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor of English Education Zayed University

Gary ONeill, M.A.

Acting Director of University English Center Zayed University

Abdellatif Sellami, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor of Applied Linguistics Zayed University

Abstract: The intent of the study was to investigate the motivational effects on English learning for English as a foreign language (EFL) grade 12 students in public schools in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). To achieve this intent, 363 students scores on the Common English Proficiency Assessment (CEPA) were related to the students state of satisfaction, willingness to communicate with people from other cultures, integrative orientation, instrumental orientation, extrinsic motivation, intrinsic motivation, and willingness to spend time learning English as measured by a selfreport questionnaire. The study showed that there were significant positive correlations (p<.05) between English language achievement and willingness to communicate with people from other cultures, integrative orientation, intrinsic motivation, and willingness to spend time on learning English. However, there was a significant negative correlation (p<.05) between language attainment and extrinsic motivation.

Introduction Some language learners are more successful in learning a foreign language than others even if they are given the same opportunities. For years, researchers have investigated various factors that may contribute to this phenomenon including methods of instruction, age, aptitude, intelligence, learning strategy use, and affective variables with varied results. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of affective factors on English learning for prospective college students in grade 12 in United Arab Emirates (UAE) public schools. This study was motivated by a desire to understand the attitudinal and motivational variables of Emirati students studying EFL as the ability to effectively use English is becoming paramount for college study in the UAE. The Study Explored the Following Research Question To what degree does the state of satisfaction, willingness to communicate

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with people from other cultures, integrative orientation, instrumental orientation, extrinsic motivation, intrinsic motivation, and willingness to spend time on learning English affect prospective UAE college students English language acquisition? This study further explores various assumptions about the effects of attitudinal variables on EFL learners and enriches the body of knowledge by investigating these variables on Emirati EFL students on which little, if any, research has been done. The results of this study can assist language instructors in understanding what attitudes to foster to help learners better achieve language attainment. In addition, the study provides essential information to curriculum developers and educational administrators about vital social and psychological aspects of language learning to be included in materials, classrooms, and programs. Previous Research A considerable amount of research demonstrated connections between attitudes, motivation and English language proficiency. Gardner and Lambert (1972) and much of Gardners later work (1985; Tremblay & Gardner, 1995; Masgoret and Gardner, 2003; Gardner et al., 2004) focused on the importance of attitudes toward the target language community and orientation, a class of reasons for learning a second language (1985), which, when combined with motivation, the intensity of ones impetus to learn (Brown, 2001) can lead to successful language learning outcomes. Working mainly in North American contexts, particularly Canada, Gardner identified integrative orientation (learning a language because one strongly identifies with or wishes to become part of its associated culture) as being an important predictor of language attainment.

Much of Gardners work in Canadian and other contexts support the importance of integrative orientation. However, Gardner and Lambert (1972) acknowledged that other orientations may be important in different socio-cultural contexts. In fact, they found instrumental orientation (learning a language for its practical value, such as getting a well-paid job) to be significant in explaining differences among English learners in the Philippines. Other researchers had similar findings (Kachru, 1977; Wong, 1982). Lukmani (1972) found instrumental orientation to be significant among nonwesternized female high school students in Mumbai. Similarly, Midrajs study involving ESL international students in Indiana (1998; 2003) found that more successful language learners reported instrumental, rather than integrative orientation. Gardner and Lambert (1972) explained these contradictory findings by suggesting that each ethno-linguistic group has its own unique profile of sociopsychological factors which may impact learners attitudes and motivational orientations. Oller, Baca et al. (1977) argued that the link between attitudes and attainment might be stronger for learners in a second language setting, where the target language is spoken in the surrounding social milieu, than for learners in a foreign language setting, where the target language is not spoken by the people in the surrounding community (p. 174). In a prior study, they found strong links between attitudes and attainment among Chinese learners of English as a second language in New Mexico, USA, and compared these with studies among English learners in Japan, a foreign language setting, where the link was relatively weak. The main focus of the study (1977) was a group of female Hispanic vocational college students, also based in New Mexico. In this second language setting, a strong link between

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attitudes and attainment was demonstrated. However, the findings contrasted markedly with those for the Chinese group. While instrumental motivation was important for both groups, the Chinese learners also tended to have fairly positive integrative attitudes towards the Anglo-American majority, whereas the Hispanic group tended to be anti-integratively motivated towards the Anglo-American majority (p. 173). The authors explained this by contrasting the socio-economic position of the two groups in U.S. society. Interestingly, however, Midraj (1998; 2003) found little integrative orientation among the international students who participated in his study. Clearly, the relationship between attitudes, motivation and proficiency is complex, and very much grounded in the socio-cultural milieu and the learners position within it. Gardner and Lamberts socio-educational model, which dominated the field of L2 motivation research for twenty years, continues to provide a valuable macro perspective (Dornyei, 2003) on these relationships. One purpose of this study is to apply aspects of the socio-educational model to the UAE context. In addition to focusing on integrative and instrumental orientations, this study looks at the role of extrinsic and intrinsic motivation. These terms have long been used in educational motivation research, but gained momentum in the field of language learning in the 1990s, during what Dornyei (2003; 2001) refers to as the paradigm shift in L2 motivational research. Brown (2001) defines intrinsic/extrinsic motivation as: a continuum of possibilities of intensity of feeling or drive, ranging from deeply internal, self-generated rewards to strong, externally administered rewards from beyond oneself (p. 75). Dornyei (2001) cites Deci and Ryan (1985), whose self-

determination theory also views intrinsic/extrinsic motivation as a continuum, from intrinsic (IM), which is motivation to engage in an activity because that activity is enjoyable and satisfying to do, to extrinsic (EM), which is behavior carried out to achieve some instrumental end, such as earning a reward or avoiding a punishment (pp. 38-39). Noels, Pelletier et al. (2000) claim that the IM-EM distinction can assist in predicting learning outcomes in L2. They cite Ehrmann (1996), who reported that there was a positive correlation between IM and proficiency in end-of-training reading and speaking. They also cite Ramages (1990) study of motivational persistence, which showed that continuing students in a language program were more likely to be intrinsically motivated, whereas discontinuing students tended to be extrinsically motivated, studying the language for other goals, such as academic credit. Similar findings were reported by Vallerand and Bissonette (1992), whose study of students in a Junior College language program found that students who persisted with their language study tended to be intrinsicallymotivated at the start of the program. In contrast, externallyregulated forms of EM were found by Noels, Clement et al. (1999) to be less strongly associated with motivational intensity and with learners self-evaluations of competence. However, in this study, there was no significant difference in actual attainment. Research studies clearly indicate that the use of the target language plays a crucial role in successful second language learning (Seliger, 1977; Skehan, 1989; Swain & Lapkin, 1995, Swain, 1998). While the use of the target language remains an indicator of and a necessary prerequisite for successful second language learning, recent research demonstrates a shift of focus to the intent

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and willingness to use the target language (MacIntyre, 1994). The willingness to communicate (WTC), an addition to affective measures in second language learning, has recently emerged as a concept utilized to account for an individuals use of a second language for functional purposes (McCroskey & Baer, 1985; McCroskey, 1992; MacIntyre, 1994). WTC was originally employed in the context of first language communication and was later borrowed into the field of language learning. In effect, WTC is now viewed as a prime objective of second language teaching and at the same time a facilitator of language learning (MacIntyre, 2003). Willingness to communicate is defined as the possibility that an individual will decide to communicate, mainly through speaking, when an opportunity arises for that, inside or outside the classroom setting (MacIntyre & Charos, 1996; MacIntyre et al., 2003). Evidence from the literature also suggests that WTC embodies a conscious predisposition to communicate and as such is at the interface of communication apprehension, perceived competence, social norms, attitudes, motivation, and other related factors (Beatty, 1987; McCroskey & Richmond, 1990; MacIntyre, 1994). In a study postulating that WTC is based on a combination of greater perceived communicative competence and a lower level of communication apprehension, Macintyre (1994) developed a model which argues that anxiety impacts the perception of competence. Another investigation by Macintyre and Charos (1996) utilized a hybrid of the socio-educational model (Gardner, 1985) and the WTC model (Macintyre, 1994) to test the frequency of using the second language in the daily interactions of a sample of Anglophone students enrolled in introductory level conversational French at adult evening

classes. The findings revealed a replication of all of the paths derived from the Gardner and Macintyre models. The results also demonstrated that students with greater motivation to learn language use the language more frequently and that students who are more willing to communicate are more likely to do so. The researchers tested the variables underlying WTC, i.e. language anxiety and perceived competence. The results indicated that both influenced WTC, and the hypothesized effect of anxiety on perceived communicative competence was also proven. The researcher concluded that perceived communicative competence had a strong impact on the frequency of communication in the second language. Anomie is another affective factor that may influence students language learning. The state of dissatisfaction or alienation and living without a purpose or a goal in life caused by feelings of oppression and erosion of positive values in the society is another predictor of unsuccessful language attainment (Gonzales, 1976). Midraj maintains that the state of satisfaction in general significantly correlates with successful language learning (2003, 1998). This study was undertaken to gain an understanding of the attitudinal and motivational variables that influence English language learning of prospective Emirati college students so that teachers, educational administrators, curriculum developers, and material writers can use this knowledge to better facilitate language learning. General Hypotheses The hypotheses investigated in this study are as follows: 1. There is a positive correlation between EFL students state of satisfaction and their language achievement.

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2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

There is a positive correlation between EFL students willingness to communicate with people from other cultures and their language achievement. There is no correlation between EFL students integrative orientation and their language achievement. There is a positive correlation between EFL students instrumental orientation and their language achievement. There is a positive correlation between EFL students extrinsic motivation and their language achievement. There is a positive correlation between EFL students intrinsic motivation and their language achievement. There is a positive correlation between EFL students willingness to spend time on learning English and their language achievement.

UAE. The students' names were number coded to ensure anonymity. The Research Instruments: Validity and Reliability The research study utilized two instruments: a researcher developed questionnaire to measure the independent variables and the CEPA Test, which was created by NAPO, to measure the dependent variable (language proficiency). The research questionnaire collected demographic, attitudinal, and motivational information and students scores on the CEPA Test. There were 35 attitudinal and motivational items on the questionnaire. Five questions were asked to measure each of the seven variables: state of satisfaction, willingness to communicate, integrative orientation, instrumental orientation, extrinsic motivation, intrinsic motivation, and willingness to spend time on learning English. There were positive and negative statements and the items were evenly distributed throughout the questionnaire. Students responded to each item on a 5point Likert scale. The questionnaire was developed in English and then translated into and administered in Arabic. The instrument was adjusted based on reviews from Arabic-English and native English language teachers and supervisors and from information gained from piloting the instrument to first year university students. The CEPA is administered to grade 12 UAE national students who applied for admission to government funded institutions of higher education in UAE. The CEPA tests language structures and functions, lexis, and reading skills. The majority of test items come from the Waystage and Threshold levels of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages. CEPA scores are scaled on a three parameter model. In theory, there is no top or bottom score. However, in 2004, the highest score

Research Method and Participants The purpose of the correlational design of this study was to determine whether, and to what degree, a relationship exists between students attained language proficiency and attitudinal and motivational factors. The correlation coefficient determines the degree and the direction of the relationship between the research variables. To carry out the intent of the study, 363 grade 12 prospective university students from the UAE participated in the research and filled out a self-report questionnaire. Participants comprised 109 males and 254 females from 19 government funded schools representing six of the seven Emirates. The researchers used a simple random sampling procedure to select the participants. The researchers collected the participants scores on the CEPA test from the National Admission and Placement Office (NAPO) in the

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recorded was 250 and the lowest was 44. Feedback from three tertiary institutions indicated that students with CEPA scores less than 140 are unlikely to complete the Foundation Program successfully. Students scoring more than 180 will likely to be able to proceed directly to their program without a Foundations Program in English (N. Marsden, Personal Communication, Feb. 23, 2005). For face and predictive validity, the CEPA has a multiple-choice format that is recognizable to most test takers. The test items were reviewed for cultural sensitivity and included local and foreign names and references. The CEPA results correlated at .70** Pearson with the proficiency assessment at the end of the Foundations Program at Higher Colleges of Technology (HCT). That may highlight the underlying construct validity of the CEPA test. The reliability statistics for CEPA average of the 2003 and 2004 versions was 0.95 (Alpha coefficient) (N. Marsden, Personal Communication, February 23, 2005). Research Results The results of the statistical analyses showed significant positive correlations between students language attainment and their willingness to communicate with other people (.18, p<.01), integrative orientation (.19, p<.01), intrinsic motivation (.18, p<.01), and willingness to spend time on learning (.28, p<.01).

There was a significant negative correlation between extrinsic motivation (-.18, p<.01) and students language attainment, see the Pearson Correlation Coefficient in Table (1). The standard linear regression in Table (2) reports the Ordinary Least Squares output of the CEPA results as the dependent variable and willingness to spend time learning, extrinsic motivation and the general state of satisfaction as independent variables. Starting first with a general model which included all seven variables listed above and then tested down for significance, the results indicated that all independent variables were significant at the (p<0.00) level. The results also indicated a positive relationship between willingness to spend time learning and students CEPA scores. However, there was a negative relationship between the two variables, extrinsic motivation and the state of dissatisfaction, and students CEPA scores. In addition, the F-test confirmed the significance of all the variables taken together at the (p<0.00) level. The average responses on the affective variables in Table 3 show that the participants rated integrative orientation and intrinsic motivation highest, and extrinsic motivation and the state of satisfaction received the lowest rating on the 5-point Likert Scale (See Table 3).

Table (1): Pearson Correlation Coefficient

Willingness to Communicate Integrative Orientation Intrinsic Motivation Willingness to Spend Time Extrinsic Motivation Satisfaction Scale Instrumental Orientation CEPA .18 ** .19 ** .18 ** .28 ** -.18 ** .01 .02

**Correlation is significant at the 0.01 level (1-tailed). N= 363

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Table (2): The Standard Linear Regression

Model 1 (Constant) Satisf ExtrM WillST Unstandardized Coefficients B Std. Error 151.662 4.184 -1.717 .944 -2.677 .638 5.457 .659 t 36.247 -1.818 -4.195 8.284 Sig. .000 .070 .000 .000

Table (3): Average Responses on the Affective Variables

5.00 3.99 4.00 3.08 3.00 2.00 1.00 Satisf WillC IntegO InstO ExtrM IntrM WillST 3.61 3.85 3.00 3.89 3.45

Discussion The findings show that motivation makes a substantial difference in language proficiency test scores. Prospective Emirati university students who were internally motivated, (who wanted to become familiar with the societies who speak English, who were willing to communicate with other people and who made time for learning) had higher English language attainment than students who learned the language for utilitarian reasons and were extrinsically motivated. The findings of this research support the ideas of Lambert, Gardner, and others that there is a significant and substantial relationship between attitudes and motivation and attained levels of proficiency in a second language. Moreover, these results support Lambert and Gardner's theories that integratively motivated learners tend to be higher achievers than instrumentally motivated

ones. However, these results are not consistent with the findings of Midrajs (2003, 1998) study of ESL international students which investigated motivational and attitudinal variables on college-level ESL students in the state of Indiana in the United States where students were instrumentally orientated. Thus, this study supports the notion that each sociocultural context has its own unique motivators that must be studied and understood so that the English programs and teachers can better address the factors that contribute to better language learning. Better understanding of students motivational factors may assist ESL/EFL curriculum and instruction designers to devise language teaching programs that generate the attitudes and motivation most conducive to the production of more successful ESL/EFL learners (Midraj, 2003, 1998; Gardner and Lambert, 1972). Additionally, it can help material writers

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create and teachers select activities and tasks that tap students motivation. Materials for UAE students should be authentic and appeal to their integrative orientation in order to develop and increase their desire to spend time on learning outside the classroom. In other words, materials should be relevant to the students' needs and interests, and they should be naturally motivating to students, both in content and in form. Materials should not create an artificiality that is difficult to offset by making learning meaningless and difficult because this breeds low engagement in learning and lessens students intrinsic motivation (Hamayan, 1993). Teachers of UAE students need to encourage risk taking in the classroom and utilize communicative activities to assist learners in feeling less anxious and lower their inhibitions. This may also lead to learners forming a positive identification with speakers of the target language (Schulmann, 1975). Moreover, teachers should implement tasks and use a teaching pedagogy that promotes the development of intrinsic motivation while appealing to students integrative orientation and desire for communication. There are a variety of language tasks that can be used to stimulate intrinsic motivation, to encourage communication, and to tap students integrative desire while strengthening students' language skills. These activities can include, but are not limited to, interviews, discussion boards, blogging, web quests, story or text retelling, writing various genres, English language movies/cartoons, projects, demonstrations, constructed-response items, and portfolios. These are just a few suggestions of activities that can be used to enhance language learning in language classrooms. Language pedagogy focused on authentic tasks inherently addresses the needs of ESL/EFL students by allowing individual qualities to be a part of the

language learning process. Students who are engaged in authentic tasks are more likely to sustain the effort that learning requires (Newmann et al., 1995). Moreover, authentic tasks have the capability to elicit language learners' construction of knowledge and engage language learners. In this way, language learners can become energized and excited by learning (1995). Learning then becomes its own motivator and can result in a passion for lifelong learning. The conclusions of this study are promising as factors were identified that contribute to a greater or lesser extent to better language learning. Replication of the research and further related research suggested before generalizing the findings. In addition, it will be interesting to compare other populations learning English in UAE and in the region. Other variables that might prove worthy of study include socio-cultural factors and the effects of different language teaching methodologies on attitudinal variables in different populations. References Beatty, M. J. (1987). Communication apprehension as a determinant of avoidance, withdrawal and performance anxiety. Communication Quarterly, 35, 202217. Brown, H. D. (2001). Teaching by principles: An interactive approach to language pedagogy. White Plains, New York: Pearson Education. Clment, R., Gardner, R., & Smythe, P.C. (1977). Motivational variables in second language acquisition: a study of francophones learning English. Canadian Journal of Behavioural Science, 9, 123-33. Dornyei, Z. (1990). Motivation in second and foreign language learning, language teaching. The International Abstracting Journal for Language Teachers, 31 (3), 117-35.

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patterns and L2 competence. Language Learning, 27, 263-278. Skehan, P. (1989). Individual differences in second language learning. London: Edward Arnold. Swain, M. (1998). Focus on form through conscious reflection. In C. Doughty and J. Williams (Eds.), Focus on form in classroom second language acquisition (pp. 64-81). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Swain, M., & Lapkin, S. (1995). Problems in output and the cognitive processes they generate: A step towards second language learning. Applied Linguistics, 16 (3), 371-391. Tremblay, P. F., & Gardner, R. C. (1995). Expanding the motivation construct in language learning. The Modern Languages Journal, 79 (4), 505-18. Vallerand, R. J., & Bissonette, R. (1992). Intrinsic, extrinsic, and motivational styles as predictors of behavior: A prospective study. Journal of Personality, 60 (3), 599. Wong, M. (1982). The roles of attitudes and motivation in second language acquisition among adolescent native Chinese speakers in the United States. San Francisco: University of San Francisco.

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