Factors affecting undergraduate students’ motivation at a university in Tra Vinh

ABSTRACT: Motivation plays an important role in foreign language learning process. This study aimed toinvestigate student’s motivation patterns towards English language learning at a University in Tra Vinh, and factorsaffecting their motivation change toward English language learning of non-English-major students in the semester.The researcher used semi-structured interview at the first phase of choosing the participants and writing reflectionthrough the instrument called “My English Learning Motivation History” adapted from Sawyer (2007) to collectqualitative data within 15 weeks. The participants consisted of nine first year non-English-major students who learningGeneral English at pre-intermediate level. They were chosen and divided into three groups of three members each(high motivation group; average motivation group; and low motivation group). The results of the present studyidentified six visual motivation patterns of three groups of students with different motivation fluctuation, through theuse of cluster analysis. The study also indicated a diversity of factors affecting students’ motivation involving internalfactors as influencing factors (cognitive, psychology, and emotion) and external factors as social factors (instructor,peers, family, and learning environment) during English language learning in a period of 15 weeks. The findings ofthe study helped teacher understand relationship of motivation change and its influential factors. Furthermore, thefindings also inspired next research about motivation development in learning English process.

KEY WORDS: language learning motivation, motivation change, motivation patterns, influential factors, students’motivation.