Investigating the Impact of Classroom Language on Moroccan High School Students’ Motivation in EFL Classes

Abstract

Classroom language constitutes a central feature in the success of the teaching-learning process. The way language is used by teachers contributes to either the motivation or demotivation of students. When teachers carefully select positive words while teaching, learners are more likely to feel engaged and active participants in the construction of knowledge. However, when instructors give no importance to their language, they unconsciously deprive their students of productive learning and decrease their level of motivation. The present study aims to investigate how language promoted by English language teachers affects Moroccan high school students’ motivation. This study is significant since it allows us to understand how language can play an essential role in the productivity of the teaching-learning process. To conduct this study, both quantitative and qualitative approaches were adopted through a questionnaire and an interview, respectively. This research was conducted in Moroccan high schools in the city of Guercif with both Moroccan high school teachers and students. The findings of the study revealed that the majority of the respondents hold positive attitudes toward the way language is used by their teachers. They also stated that they are pretty aware of the critical effect that their teachers’ words have on their motivation. The results obtained led us to consider many suggestions and recommendations, among which we find the necessity of carrying out continuous research to study students’ needs and be able to respond to their multiple twenty-first-century needs.