Interview (version 7)

This is the base of a semi-structure interview whose objective is to collect the

information from students whose English proficiency is higher than that of the
average students of the UTTEC. This information will allow examining what
hobbies have a positive influence on motivation for learning English. The questions
of are in italic fonts followed by an explanation why they were asked.
Part 1 Identification
What is your first name? In order to keep anonymity and confidentiality, students
will be asked just their first name and for statistical purpose of gender.
What is group? In order to confirm they are UTTEC students and identify what
major they study.
How old are you? For statistical purpose.
Part 2 English learning background
The purpose of this section is to discover what English language learning
experience the participants have like language courses and stays in Englishspeaking countries, which affects their language proficiency.
Besides English language classes at University, have you taken other English
language classes? Where? How long? For detecting whether participants have
taken extracurricular courses or not, and if they, where they have studied.
What level did you achieve?/ what level have you achieved? To identify what
English proficiency they acquired in those courses.
Have you ever been in an English speaking country? Where? How long? To detect
if the participants have been to a English-speaking country since this situation
affects language proficiency although they have not taken language classes.
Part 3 Hobbies
This section has the aim to discover the participants hobbies, and how they are
connected to English. It, also, tries to how they influence on their motivation to
learn English. It is divided in subsections which focus on specific hobbies.
What are you hobbies? To identify what hobbies the participants have, whether
these activities have connection to English or not.
Part 3.1 Reading

As languages are needed for reading, this section has the objectives to identify if
the participants read in English, if they do, what they read, how frequent, why they
read, and whether they feel this hobby affects their motivation to learn English.
Do you like reading? To detect if the participants have this hobby, if they do, the
interview continues in this section.
Do you read in English? To detect if the participants read in English, if they do, the
interview continues in this section.
What do you read in English (books, comics, comic strips, magazines,
newspapers, web sites)? How often? To identify what material they are exposed to.
Why do you do it? To identify the reasons why the participants read in English
(obligation, pleasure, or other).
Do you think reading has helped you increase your language proficiency? How do
you feel it? To examine the participants perception of how reading in English
affects their proficiency.
When you read in English, do you apply what you learn in class? How? To observe
whether the participants connect what they have learned in English language
classes to reading.
To what extent reading
Part 3.2 Video games
Nowadays videogames tell stories of characters and adventures, give instructions
about how to play them, and provide games with opportunities for interacting with
other people. Although many videogames can be set in several languages, many
gamers still keep English as the configuration of their games. This section has the
objectives to identify if the participants play videogames in English, if they do, what
they play, how frequent, why they play in English, and whether they feel this hobby
affects their motivation to learn English.
Do you like playing video games? To detect if the participants have this hobby, if
they do, the interview continues in this section.
What kind of video games do you play? To identify what genre of videogames the
participants play since in some games, English is more needed than in other
genres, for example in role-playing games players need to understand the story
and the puzzles in order to advance in the games whereas platform games, like
Mario Bros do not need it so much.

Do you set the game in English? Why/ why not? To examine whether the
participants are willing to play the game in English, and their reason to do so.
Do you set Spanish subtitles? English subtitles? Why? To examine whether the
participants need support by using subtitles.
Do you like playing online? To learn whether the participants play online or not
since this way of playing may offer the opportunity to be in contact with other
players from other countries.
When online, who do you play with? Are they native speakers of English? If not,
what language do they speak? Do you use English to communicate in online
games? These questions have the purpose to examine what languages the
participants use during their interaction with other players.
Do you think playing videogames has helped you increase your language
proficiency? How? To examine the participants perception of how playing
videogames in English affects their proficiency.
When you play videogames in English, do you apply what you learn in class?
How? To observe whether the participants connect what they have learned in
English language classes to playing videogames.
Part 3.3 Social media
It is said that the Internet has been the cornerstone of globalization because with
this tool people are able to communicate with other people who live in the other
end of the world. This means that several languages are used in this interactions
being English the most used. This section has the objectives to identify if the
participants use social networks in English, if they do, how they use them, how
frequent, why they use English in the activities relating to social networking, and
whether they feel this hobby affects their motivation to learn English.
Do you like using social networks (facebook, hi5, twitter, etc)? To detect if the
participants like and do this activity, if they do, the interview continues in this
section.
Do you have a social media account? Do you set it/them in English? Why? To
detect if the participants set their social network account in English and the
reasons for doing that.
Do you have any English speaker contact? To examine if the participants need to
use English because they have contacts who communicate in English.

Do you post in English?/ Do you share any media in English?/ Do you read/see
any post in English? Why? How often? To examine whether the participants leave
messages or upload any media in English in their social network account.
Do you chat in English? Who? How often? To examine if the participants need to
communicate in English with some of their contacts
Do you think social media have helped you increase your language proficiency?
How? To examine the participants perception of how social media in English
affects their proficiency.
When you use social networks, do you apply what you learn in class? How? To
observe whether the participants connect what they have learned in English
language classes to social media.
Part 3.4 Internet
It is said that the Internet has made the world smaller because information, such as
researches, news, and rumors, travels across the globe in seconds. This section
has the objectives to identify if the participants use the Internet in English, if they
do, how they use it, how frequent, why they use it in English, and whether they feel
this hobby affects their motivation to learn English.
Do you surf on webpages in English? Why? To detect if the participants like and do
this activity, if they do, the interview continues in this section.
Where do you surf on? / What media (articles, blogs, videos, podcasts, images,
memes, etc.) in English are you exposed to? To examine what kind of English
webpages and media the participants are exposed to.
Do you create any media? What? Do you do it in English? Why? Who do you
share it with?/ Have you ever had a blog? Have you ever had a blog in English?
Why? What is it about? How often do you update it? To detect if the participants
create any media or blogs using English and the reason for doing that.
Do you think using the internet has helped you increase your language
proficiency? How? To examine the participants perception of how using the
Internet in English affects their proficiency.
When you use the Internet, do you apply what you learn in class? How? To
observe whether the participants connect what they have learned in English
language classes to the use of internet.
Part 3.5 TV and movies

In Mexico most of the most famous TV programs and movies come from the USA,
and many people like watching them in their original language, in this case English.
This section has the objectives to identify if the participants watch TV programs
and movies in English, if they do, how frequent, why they watch them in English,
and whether they feel this hobby affects their motivation to learn English.
Do you like watching movies and/or TV programs in English? To detect if the
participants like and do this activity, if they do, the interview continues in this
section.
What movies/TV programs do you watch? To identify what genres of TV programs
and movies the participants watch.
Do you watch them in Spanish? English audio with subtitles in Spanish? English
audio with subtitles in English? English audio only? Why? To examine whether the
participants set their TV programs and movies in English, or with subtitles either in
English or Spanish and their reason to do so.
When going to the cinema? Do you watch movies dubbed or with subtitles? Why?
To examine whether the participants set their TV programs and movies in English
when going to the cinema.
Do you think watching movies and/or TV programs have helped you increase your
language proficiency? How? To examine the participants perception of how
watching TV programs and movies in English affects their proficiency.
When you watch TV programs and movies do you apply what you learn in class?
How? To observe whether the participants connect what they have learned in
English language classes to watching TV programs and movies.
Part 3.6 Music
Do you like listening music in English? Why? To detect if the participants like and
do this activity, if they do, the interview continues in this section.
Do you understand what the lyrics say? Do you sing along the song? / If you do
not understand the song, do you read the lyrics? To identify if the participant like
the music only because of the rhythm or if they understand what the lyrics say, in
which English is needed.
Do you think listening to music in English has helped you increase your language
proficiency? How? To examine the participants perception of how music in English
affects their proficiency.

Do you apply what you learn in class doing this activity? How? To observe whether
the participants connect what they have learned in English language classes to
music.
3.7 Travel
Travel offers people the opportunity to be in a community where English is
necessary or/and meet English speakers. This section has the objectives to identify
if the participants like traveling, if they do, how frequent, how English is used, and
whether they feel this hobby affects their motivation to learn English.
Do you like traveling? To detect if the participants like and do this activity, if they do,
the interview continues in this section.
Have you traveled to an English-speaking country? Would you like? To examine if
they have the experience of being in a English Speaking community, if not, detect if
they have plan or desire of having this experience.
Have you used English in your trips? How? Why? To detect if participants have
used English in their trips, how and why it was used.
Do you think travel has helped you increase your language proficiency? How? To
examine the participants perception of how travel affects their proficiency.
When you travel, do you apply what you learn in class doing this activity? How? To
observe whether the participants connect what they have learned in English
language classes to travel.
Part 3.8 Others
There are other hobbies in in which English is necessary for carrying them out;
however, these leisure time activities are not popular, but they are worth
mentioning them if they influence on motivation and English learning.
What other hobbies do you have in which English has to be used? (table/board
games, learning, etc.) To detect if the participants have a hobby in which English is
needed, if they do, the interview continues in this section.
Why is English necessary in ___________? / How is English used in
___________? To identify why English is necessary and how it is used.
Do you think _______ has helped you increase your language proficiency? How?
To examine the participants perception of how these hobbies affect their
proficiency.

When doing ______ Do you apply what you learn in class? How? To observe
whether the participants connect what they have learned in English language
classes to these hobbies.
Part 4 Obligation
These two following sections, obligation and everyday activities/social life, have the
objective to find out how the participants use English as a necessity of their life
which may influence in their motivation and language proficiency.
Besides English language class, do you have to use English in other subject? / Do
you have any other subject in English? How? Why? How often? To examine if the
participants need to use English in other academic activities or just in English
language classes.
Do you apply what you learn in EL class in other classes? How? To examine if in
other subjects English skills are needed.
Do you work? To detect if the participants work, If they do, the interview continues
in this section.
Do you think your job has helped you increase your language proficiency? How?
To examine the participants perception of how their jobs affect their proficiency.
Do you have to use English in your work? Do you apply what you learn in EL class
at work? How? Why? How often? To observe whether the participants connect
what they have learned in English language classes to their jobs.
Part 5 everyday activities and social life
Do you need to use English in your normal life out of school and work? Why?
How? How often? To detect if the participants need English in their lives outside
school and work, if they do, the interview continues in this section.
Do you have family, relatives or friends who you need to use English to
communicate with? How often? To detect if the participants need English for
communicating with a relative or friend, if they do, the interview continues in this
section.