VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF POST-GRADUATE STUDIES TRẦN THỊ THANH BÌNH A STUDY ON FACTORS DEMOTIVATING NON-MAJOR STUDENTS IN LEARNING ESP AT NAM DINH INDUSTRIAL COLLEGE (Nghiên cứu những nhân tố gây nên sự mất hứng thú đối với sinh viên không chuyên trong việc học tiếng Anh chuyên ngành tại trường Cao đẳng Công nghiệp Nam Định) M. MINOR PROGRAMME THESIS Field: English Teaching Methodology Code: 8140231.01 Hanoi - 2018 LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF POST-GRADUATE STUDIES TRẦN THỊ THANH BÌNH A STUDY ON FACTORS DEMOTIVATING NON-MAJOR STUDENTS IN LEARNING ESP AT NAM DINH INDUSTRIAL COLLEGE (Nghiên cứu những nhân tố gây nên sự mất hứng thú đối với sinh viên không chuyên trong việc học tiếng Anh chuyên ngành tại trường Cao đẳng Công nghiệp Nam Định) M. MINOR PROGRAMME THESIS Field: English Teaching Methodology Code: 8140231. Hoàng Văn Vân Hanoi - 2018 LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com DECLARATION I certify that the minor thesis entitled “A Study on Factors Demotivating Non-major Students in Learning ESP at Nam Dinh Industrial College” is the result of my own work and has not been submitted in any form for another degree or diploma at any universities or other institutions.
Tran Thi Thanh Binh Hanoi, 2018 i LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to acknowledge my truthful gratitude to my supervisor, Prof. Hoang Van Van for his thorough reading, critical comments, invaluable guidance and precious corrections of the thesis. It was his acute guidance that has enabled me to find the right way to complete this study. I also would like to express my sincere thanks to my colleagues at Nam Dinh Industrial College, who have been willing to complete my survey questionnaire and have given me invaluable suggestions for the research.
I appreciate the assistance and cooperation of the students in classes from three Faculties at Nam Dinh Industrial College. My special words of thanks are sent to my family, especially my husband who has given me constant encouragement and support throughout my research work. Hanoi, 2018 ii LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com ABSTRACT This study is an attempt to investigate factors demotivating the non-major students in learning ESP at Nam Dinh Industrial College. The main purposes of the study are to find out the main demotivating factors affecting students‟ motivation in ESP lessons and to offer some solutions to help students overcome their demotivation.
The study data were collected by means of questionnaire for students, informal interviews with both teachers and students. The results indicated that five demotivating factors were found in this study: (1) learning material (course book), (2) students‟ low intrinsic motivation (3) limited class time leading to the teachers‟ fast teaching speed and hindering the teacher‟s effective exploitation of teaching techniques and activities, (4) teachers‟ strictness and inflexibility and (5) unfavorable teaching and learning environment. However, there still existed the gap between teachers‟ perception and students‟ perception as a source of demotivation. Some suggestions were provided with the aim to minimize demotivating factors of students in ESP lessons.
Hopefully, this study will some help teachers and students to better teaching and learning ESP at Nam Dinh Industrial College. iii LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com TABLE OF CONTENTS Contents pages DECLARATION. iii TABLE OF CONTENTS. iv LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS .vii LIST OF TABLES .vii LIST OF CHARTS .vii PART A: INTRODUCTION.
Aim and objective of the study. Significance of the study. Scope of the study. Method of the study.
Organization of the study. 5 CHAPTER 1: REVIEW OF LITERATURE .2 English for specific purposes (ESP) .1 Definition of ESP .2 Classification of ESP .1 Definitions of motivation .2 Motivation in learning foreign language .3 ESP Learner and Motivation .1 Definitions of demotivation .2 Overview of previous studies related to student demotivating factors.3 Demotivating factors in foreign language teaching and learning .18 CHAPTER 2: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY .19 iv LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.1 Description of the ESP course and its objectives at NICOL .2 Description of the students at NICOL .3 Description of English teachers at NICOL .4 Description of teaching facilities at NICOL .5 Description of testing and assessment at NICOL .5 Data collection instruments .1 Questionnaire for students.2 Interviews for students and teachers .6 Data collection procedures .7 Data analysis method .24 CHAPTER 3: DATA ANALYSIS AND FINDINGS .2 Data analysis and discussion of students’ survey questionnaire and interview .1 Students‟ personal information .2 Students-related demotivating factors .3 Teachers' competence and teaching styles demotivating factors .4 Teacher-student rapport .5 Learning contents and materials .6 Teaching and learning environment .7 Test score and examination .8 Students‟ suggested solutions to motivating them in learning ESP .3 Data analysis and discussion of teachers’ interview .1 Students‟ attitudes toward ESP from the teachers‟ view .2 Teachers‟ opinion on factors demotivating students in learning ESP .3 Teachers‟ opinion to the ESP course book .39 v LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.4 Teaching techniques and activities employed by teachers in teaching ESP .5 Teachers‟ opinions on strategies and techniques to help students overcome their motivation .4 Findings and discussion .1 Students‟ perspective on demotivating factors .2 Teachers‟ perspective on demotivating factors .3 Solutions suggested by the teachers to overcome demotivation in ESP lessons. Limitations of the study. Suggestions for the further research .IX vi LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS NICOL: Nam Dinh Industrial College L2: Second language ESP: English for Special Purpose EGP: English for General Purpose LIST OF TABLES Table 1: Students' profiles Table 2: Student-related demotivating factors Table 3: Teachers' competence and teaching styles related to demotivating factors Table 4: Demotivating factors related to teacher-student rapport Table 5: Demotivating factors related to learning contents and materials Table 6: Demotivating factors related to teaching and learning environment Table 7: Demotivating factors related to test score and examination LIST OF CHARTS Chart 1: Student- related demotivating factors Chart 2: Demotivating factors related to teacher-student rapport Chart 3: Demotivating factors related to learning contents and materials Chart 4: Demotivating factors related to teaching and learning environment Chart 5: Demotivating factors related to test score and examination vii LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com PART A: INTRODUCTION 1.
Rationale Motivation is considered one of the key factors in second and foreign language teaching and learning. It explains why a person starts to learn a language and what keeps him or her interested in the long process of second language (L2) learning (Dornyei 2005: 65). Moreover, by referring to motivation we can answer questions such as why a person is making progress in learning a language simply by stating that this person is motivated without the need to go into details about the factors that have led to this commitment (Dornyei 2001a: 6). Due to the significance of motivation in L2 teaching and learning, many researchers have also examined motivation and its negative side, demotivation in teaching and learning general English in universities.
Just as motivation is important in second language acquisition research, demotivation constitutes an important factor. Despite the importance of demotivation in general, only a limited number of studies exist on demotivation students tend to carry in the course of learning English for Special Purpose (ESP) although English continues to dominate as the lingua franca of business, technology, medicine, media, education and research. Moreover, the demand of ESP is growing rapidly in many countries including Vietnam. In response to the great demand of English in academic, vocational and professional contexts, more and more universities and colleges in Vietnam are offering ESP courses to meet the global trend as well as to meet students' future career needs.
Nam Dinh Industrial College (NICOL) is not an exception. ESP is offered to non-major students as a compulsory subject. All the students are required to pass the examination in ESP to graduate. However, ESP teaching and learning have not been paid enough attention to because of many reasons such as course book, mixed-level students, large-scale class.
These factors have led to low learner motivation; in other words, it has brought about demotivated students in learning ESP. Thus, a critical look needs to be taken in defining and testing the underlying causes of demotivation to students‟ ESP learning at NICOL. The researcher has realized the negative impact of demotivation on ESP learning of students at NICOL and found that its existence and scope have not been adequately 1 LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail. This urges the researcher to carry out this investigation: “A Study on Factors Demotivating Non-major Students in Learning ESP at Nam Dinh Industrial College” in the hope of finding effective strategies and techniques to help students at NICOL overcome demotivation in learning ESP so that they will find learning ESP fun and enjoyable.
Also, the solutions offered in this study can help teachers at NICOL facilitate their students‟ motivation to better their ESP learning. Aim and objective of the study The overarching aim of this study is to help NICOL students get better results in learning ESP. It, therefore, is designed to meet the following objectives: - Investigating the factors that demotivate non-major students in learning ESP at NICOL. - Suggesting teaching strategies and techniques in order to assist students at NICOL to overcome demotivation in learning ESP.
Research questions In order to achieve the above mentioned aim and objectives, this study focuses on two research questions: (1) What are the main factors that demotivate non-major students in learning ESP at NICOL? (2) What strategies and techniques can be applied to assist students at NICOL to overcome demotivation? 4. Significance of the study The study highlights factors causing demotivation in learning ESP at NICOL. The proposed study provides students of three faculties at NICOL with solutions to overcome their demotivation in learning ESP. In addition, the results of the findings can be of great use for the teachers at NICOL to have deeper understanding of their students' demotivating factors in learning ESP.
Thus, they can adapt their teaching strategies and techniques to motivate their students in learning ESP for better results. Also, the recommendations of this study will benefit and help future researchers specializing in ESP and motivation with meaningful insights from the findings. 2 LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail. Scope of the study Due to the limitation of time and scale of a minor thesis, it is impossible to cover all aspects of demotivation in learning ESP in this study.
Thus, the study focuses on examining the factors that demotivate the non-major students in learning ESP at NICOL. It involves the participants of 3 teachers of English and 155 students in three faculties at NICOL. Method of the study The study primarily employs a survey questionnaire to find answers for the research questions. Data is collected through a survey questionnaire which is delivered to 155 students at NICOL.
Besides, informal interviews with teachers and students are carried out to collect more information and to reinforce the findings found from the survey questionnaire. Organization of the study The study consists of three parts. Part A, INTRODUCTION, presents the rationale, aim of the study, significance of the study, scope of the study, method of the study and organization of the study. Part B, DEVELOPMENT, includes three main chapters: Chapter 1, LITERATURE REVIEW, displays the theoretical background on motivation, and demotivation in language learning.
The main issues related to ESP are also covered in this chapter. Chapter 2, RESEARCH METHODOLOGY, presents the methodology performed in the study: the setting of the study, subjects of the study, the data collection method, instruments as well as process of data collection and data analysis. Chapter 3, DATA ANALYSIS AND FINDINGS, gives a detailed presentation of data and detailed description of data analysis.