Exploring instrumental and integrative motivation in ESL learners of primary schools in Abu Dhabi, UAE

Abstract

ESL learners are often motivated to learn English as a second language either through integrative or instrumental motivation. The purpose of this paper was to explore the type of motivation (instrumental or integrative) that impacted English language learning as well as the factors that impacted learners’ motivation. The qualitative method was adopted to conduct this research at a private school in Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates. Data were collected via semi-structured interviews with 12 students aged eight to 10 years old backed up by naturalistic observations. The questions of the interviews used Gardner’s Attitude/Motivation Test Battery (AMTB). SPSS software was used to analyze the collected data. The main findings showed that students were highly motivated to learn English as a second language. Students’ sense of responsibility and student-teacher relationships played the most crucial role in impacting students’ motivation. The study identified its limitations and implications for future research and recommended to study the effect of technology integration on the level of motivation.