Abstract
The purpose of this study was to investigate Vietnamese non-English majors' motivation to learn English as a foreign language (EFL) based on the activity theory perspective. The participants included 1,565 students with at least one semester of university-level English, of whom 13 participated in the semi-structured interviews. The data was collected using the five-point Likert scale motivation and desire surveys with 16 items and individual face-to-face interviews. The results from the quantitative and qualitative strands indicated that the participants were highly motivated to learn English. The sources of such motivation included obtaining a good job in the future, achieving success in academic studies, maintaining effective communications with foreigners, having personal enjoyment, and being influenced by other people. In addition, they were not only more internally (rather than externally) motivated, but they also demonstrated strong motivational intensity to learn English and enhance their language competence. Moreover, there was a strong positive relationship between internal motivation and motivational intensity, whereas there was a weak positive correlation between external motivation and motivational intensity. Activity theory was used as a lens to elaborate on the discussion of learners’ motivation in this study. The findings of the current study can be used by stakeholders, such as EFL educators, decision-makers and curriculum developers, to understand more about their students in terms of psychological issues and to design appropriate programs that can increase their learning motivation.
Highlights
Since English has become the international communicative language, people throughout the world are more inclined to learn the language
This study investigated the motivation and desire to learn English among a sample of non-English-major students in Vietnam based on the activity theory perspective
The findings demonstrated that the students had higher IM than external motivation (EM), a strong desire to learn English, and a willingness to take opportunities to improve their English proficiency
Summary
Since English has become the international communicative language, people throughout the world are more inclined to learn the language In this regard, following the adoption of Doi Moi (i.e., open-door economic and social policies) in 1986, the Vietnamese government has actively promoted English language education and conducted various educational reforms. One such reform aimed to enhance the quality of English language teaching and learning in the national education system from 2008 to 2020 to foster a competitive economy with a competent labor force (Ministry of Education and Training, 2008). Based on the activity theory perspective, the purpose of this study is to examine the motivational orientation and intensity to learn English among a sample of non-English majors at seven public universities in Vietnam
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