The longitudinal change of English learning motivation among English learners in South Korea: An analysis of critical reflective essay

Abstract

This paper presents the results of Korean EFL students’ critical reflective essays of English learning experiences for the past ten years mainly from elementary 3rd grade to high school 3rd grade. A total of 142 undergraduate students studying English-related majors participated in the study, and they submitted reflective essays as well as ‘motigraph’, which presents the annual changes of the degree of English-learning motivation for the past 10 years. These data were systematically analyzed based on Grounded Theory. The findings show that Korean English learners’ motivation decreased when they advanced to a higher school from elementary to middle school and middle to high school. In particular, the standard deviation from middle school third-year to high school first-year showed a significant increase. These changes found in motigraph analysis were closely compared with the participants’ critical reflective essays. Common motivational factors were the pleasant experience of using and learning English and assistance from their family, friends, and teachers. Common factors of demotivation included difficulties in English classes and excessive competition among peers. It was found that each participant perceived the factors of motivation and demotivation differently despite the external similarities among these factors. Such inconsistencies are explained from the concept of cognitive appraisal.