Korean University Students‟ Perceptions of Teacher Motivational Strategies

Abstract

ELT (English Language Teaching) is a significant component of the Korean Education system from elementary school to university. The ELT industry is comprised of two distinct types of teachers: Native English speakers and Native Korean speakers. While both groups share similar educational goals, there is often very little interaction between the two groups. Both groups spend considerable time with students and have considerable influence on students studying English in South Korea. The goal of this research was to see what students thought of the motivational strategies employed by each group, in hopes of being able to see how both groups could learn from each other. Motivation is one of the most important elements of language learning and this research hoped to find how each group of teachers motivated students. The focal point of this research was a survey focusing on a set of motivational strategies identified by Dornyei. This survey adapted Dornyei’s survey to focus on how the students perceived the strategies, rather than how teachers assessed their own motivational strategies. The survey was given to two groups, students in an undergraduate level Practical English course and to students in a graduate level interpretation and translation department to see how the students perceived the motivational strategies of each group. The survey revealed a few clear cut differences among each group. The surveys showed that Native English teachers provided instinct motivation through various tasks and by creating a positive classroom environment. Native Korean speakers excelled in creating extrinsic motivation, by providing realistic goals and by stressing the importance of English in the working world. https://doi.org/10.26803/ijlter.16.9.3