Reading English for academic purposes – What situational factors may motivate learners to read?

Abstract

This study, situated in an English as a Foreign Language (EFL) context where non-English major college learners are usually required to read content-area textbooks in English, tried to determine what motivates students to engage in English for Academic Purposes (EAP) reading activities. Three student informants were invited to reflect on their own EAP reading experiences and discuss pedagogical situations in which they were more willing to read. Then a questionnaire containing 18 statements describing various situations was constructed based on interviews with the student informants and data were collected from 212 college business majors. Descriptive statistics showed that learners were most willing to read under three circumstances: when (1) teachers were available to answer questions, (2) key points were highlighted clearly in textbooks, and (3) reading skills were taught. Factor analysis results presented three distinct clusters of variables, namely EFL teacher facilitation, reading requirements, and text facilitation. The three clusters of factors explained a total of 59% variance. Through learners’ indications of why they preferred specific content areas in EAP reading, background schema was also found to be an important factor influencing situational EAP reading motivation.