Exploration of EFL Male and Female University Students’ Stand Points on Demotivation: A Case Study of Albaha University, KSA

Abstract

The present study explores Saudi EFL male and female university students’ standpoints on language learning demotivation which can reduce their motivation to foreign language learning. It also attempts to identify the most and least demotivating dimensions/factors of EFL Saudi male and female university students and to find out if there are statistically significant differences between male and female students in EFL demotivation dimensions/factors or not. To that end, a modified version of Sakai and Kikuchi (2008) Questionnaire of Demotivation of English Language Learners (DQELL) was administered to randomly selected 30 male EFL students and 30 females from third year Foreign Languages Department at Faculty of Arts and Humanities of Albaha University, KSA in the academic year 2021/2022. Results indicate that male students consider Learning contents and materials and Inadequate college facilities as their most EFL demotivating factors and the least ones were Teachers’ competence and teaching styles, Lack of intrinsic motivation and Test scores. On the other hand, female students consider Inadequate college facilities the most demotivating factor, while Learning contents and materials, Teachers’ competence and teaching styles and Test scores were their least demotivating ones. In addition, T-test results showed that there are statistically significant differences between male and female students on EFL demotivation factors Learning contents and materials and Teachers’ competence and teaching styles in favor of females. There are not significant differences between males and females on Inadequate college facilities, while there are significant differences between them on Lack of intrinsic motivation and Test scores in favor of female university students. Finally, statistical results were discussed and implications for ELT were suggested.