Abstract
This study is a two-part investigation. The first part focuses on ESL learners' attitudes and motivations for reading in the target language. The second part deals with ESL teachers' beliefs about motivating L2 learners to read. The study involved 100 ESL learners ( N =100) and 30 teachers ( N =30) from rural schools in Mindanao, the Philippines. All the participants were recruited through convenience sampling. In other words, participants were selected based on their convenient accessibility and proximity. The current study is a mixed-methods project. Both quantitative and qualitative methods were employed to collect different types of data. The instruments used were: a L2 reading attitude survey, a questionnaire dealing with motivations for L2 reading, a survey on beliefs about motivating L2 learners to read in English, a semi-structured interview and a L2-reading-lesson observation. The quantitative data were statistically analysed. Whenever appropriate, the data were presented in tables and on graphs. The qualitative data were analysed through thematic coding and used to support the quantitative data. The findings show that students have both positive and negative attitudes towards various aspects of L2 reading. They also have different levels of motivation for reading in English, with female participants having higher scores than male participants. The teachers, on the other hand, hold diverse beliefs about motivating learners to read in English. No significant correlation was found between teacher beliefs and students' motivations for reading in English. After the findings have been described, implications for teacher education and instructional practice are offered.
Highlights
For the last several years there has been an ongoing discussion concerning the learning and teaching of reading skills in a second language (L2)
The first two questions focus on ESL students: (1) What are the attitudes of Filipino ESL students towards reading in English as a second language? and (2) What different aspects of reading motivation can be identified among Filipino ESL students? The literature review emphasised that L2 learner attitudes and motivations are affected by teacher beliefs
For the sake of clarity, the discussion, following the structure of the data analysis, is presented in three sections. The focus of these sections is as follows: (1) Filipino student attitudes towards L2 reading (2) Filipino student L2 reading motivation and (3) Filipino teacher beliefs about motivating ESL learners to read in the target language
Summary
For the last several years there has been an ongoing discussion concerning the learning and teaching of reading skills in a second language (L2). Both processes have been described as difficult tasks. ESL (English as a Second Language) learners are expected to read large numbers of print and digital texts for different purposes. Teachers wishing to offer interesting reading experiences in the classroom should keep in mind that learning to read is highly dependent upon student attitudes and motivations. ESL teachers should be aware that their own beliefs about the reading process and how it should be taught influence student attitudes and motivations for L2 reading
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