Motivation and Grit Affects Undergraduate Students’ English Language Performance

Yun Tao Wu,Noryati Alias,Lydia Yoke Yean Foong

doi:10.12973/eu-jer.11.2.781

Abstract

<p style="text-align: justify;">This study aims to explore non-English speaking major student’s perceptions of Motivation and Grit and the relationship between these two factors and students’ English language performance at a public university in China. The research was conducted by quantitative research design to collect 624 non-English speaking Major students’ answers to multiple questionnaires at a public university in China. Data analysis is used by SPSS and AMOS. The study shows that Motivation and Grit all have a positive correlation with English language performance. One major conclusion of this study is Grit has the most significant effect on the English language performance of non-English speaking major students in multiple regression analysis and is also the best predictor of the relationship between these two factors and English language performance in the path analysis in Structure Equation Modeling (SEM) analysis. The finding also revealed that male students’ perception of motivation and grit is slightly stronger than that of female students. These findings highlight the need for English as a foreign language (EFL) teacher to understand students’ affective factors in learning English, and hence help them utilize different teaching methods to enhance students’ English learning and promote sustainable development of English learning in a public Chinese university.</p>

Highlights

English is perceived as the most important language across especially a globalization in the modern society and various fields ranging from politics to business, technology and education (Amoah & Yeboah, 2021; Schneider, 2020)
The findings of the study revealed that Motivation and Grit all has significant effect on English language performance of the non-English speaking Major students at a public Chinese university respectively
Grit is examined to be the best predictor in the relationship among motivation, grit and English language performance

Summary

Introduction

English is perceived as the most important language across especially a globalization in the modern society and various fields ranging from politics to business, technology and education (Amoah & Yeboah, 2021; Schneider, 2020). The rapid development of China’s reform and policy has led English language to be widely employed in various fields, such as education, international political meetings, entertainment, business, and even personal social interaction. Due to the challenge and difficulties of learning English, students have to spend most time and energy in improving English proficiency in China. Many studies have indicated that many students in China do not have deep interesting in English learning so that they are unsatisfied with their English language proficiency (Han et al, 2020; He, 2020; Luo, 2018). The pervasiveness of confusion students undergoing raises concerns about the sustainability of English learning development; this challenges traditional perceptive of learning and teaching method in pedagogy

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Discussion

Conclusion