An Investigation into the Demotivating Factors in Learning English of English-Majored Sophomores at Tay Do University

Dang Thi Hanh¹, Do Trong Dai²

^1,2 Tay Do University, Vietnam

ABSTRACT: Demotivating factors seem to be rarely mentioned when discussing students’ learning, but the influence of demotivating factors on students’ learning outcomes is undeniable, especially for students who are learning English. Therefore, the aim of this study is to find out the factors that contribute to demotivating English-majored sophomores at Tay Do University. As a part of the study, 82 students from the English course 16 were selected as participants. During the study process, these participants were given questionnaires, which consisted of several statements related to the demotivating factors and an interview to get more information. The collected data from the two instruments mentioned above were all analyzed afterward. The results of the study showed that students were affected by demotivating factors in many aspects. These accounted for learner-related, subject-related, learning context-related, parent-related, and teacher-related demotivating factors. Based on the results of the study, some implications and recommendations were offered in order to help students and teachers in the learning and teaching process get better results.

KEYWORDS: Demotivating factors, learner-related, subject-related, English-majored sophomores.

1. INTRODUCTION

This chapter consists of the rationale, research aims, the significance and the organization of the study.

1.1 Rationale

English is now regarded as the most widely spoken language on earth in the context of globalization, and as a result of the advantages it offers, more and more individuals are choosing to learn the language. In order to foster positive interpersonal relationships, English serves a crucial role in bringing people from different corners of the globe together. In numerous domains, including the business, culture, society, entertainment, etc., it is also a powerful communication instrument. A person who is proficient in English has more opportunities to acquire a secure work with a high wage as well as to study more effortlessly.

Therefore, everyone, especially students who are enrolled in universities, must equip themselves with fluent English skills in order to have a solid foundation on the path of career development in the context of modernization. This is the quality that the majority of employers and companies demand in a candidate. Due to its significance and necessity, English is now regarded as a compulsory subject for most majors and many students in Vietnam choose to major in this language in college.

However, many students find it challenging to acquire English, particularly those who do not specialize in English. To be able to learn English effectively, they must determine the essential goal of doing so; in other words, they must find motivation to learn the language because motivation is really necessary. The process of learning English benefits greatly from it. Strong motivation enables students to overcome challenges in the English learning process, sustain positive learning outcomes, and advance their English language abilities. Students who lack motivation, on the other hand, are more likely to feel worn out, bored, and unsuccessful when trying to learn English. Demotivating factors, in complete contrast to motivating factors, have received little attention, but they have a significant impact on students’ English acquisition. Demotivation is a condition or state that prevents someone from exerting all of their effort toward achieving a particular goal (here language learning). A demotivated student, according to this definition, was formerly motivated but has since lost interest in studying English for many reasons.. Numerous studies on students’ motivation for learning English have been conducted in the past. Demotivation, however, is still a poorly researched subject in the field of education. It is crucial to understand what makes students less motivated to study, especially those majoring in English. Therefore, instead of focusing too much on finding motivation, students also need to figure out what demotivates them so that they can investigate the right direction to avoid these demotivating factors.

For all above reasons, this study was conducted to investigate the factors that demotivate English-majored sophomores at Tay Do University in their English learning process, and suggest some solutions to solve these problems in order to help students learn more effectively.

1.2 The significance of the study

The aim of this study is to identify some factors that lower second-year English majors at Tay Do University’s motivation to learn English. Thanks to the findings of this study, students may be more aware of the factors that lead to motivational decline, which has a detrimental impact on students’ ability to learn English. Following that, they will take action to reduce the detrimental elements affecting their English learning in general and their motivation to learn English in particular. Additionally, educators will gain a better understanding of their students and take appropriate actions to improve the quality of teaching and learning.

1.3 The organization of the study

The study includes five chapters.

Chapter one introduces the rationale, research aims, the research question, the significance of the study, and the organization of the study.

Chapter two presents the literature review. This chapter includes the definition of motivation, the importance of motivation, classifications of motivation, the definition of demotivation, negative effects of demotivation, some demotivating factors in learning English, and several previous studies related to this research.

Chapter three is about research methodology. This chapter consists of research design, participants, instruments, and procedure.

Chapter four reports the results of the study to identify participants’ demotivating factors in learning English.

Chapter five shows the conclusion, implications, limitations and recommendations.

2. LITERATURE REVIEW

This chapter presents the definitions of motivation and its importance, the definitions of demotivation and its negative effects, classification of motivation, demotivating factors in learning English and related studies.

2.1 Definitions of motivation

Motivation is a multifaceted concept that has been defined by various researchers in many different fields. However, there have been no accurate definitions of motivation. It has been used as a general term, which includes a number of general concepts, some of which are mentioned below.

First of all, the definition of motivation is simply anything that makes you want to do something. Motivation is believed to be a necessary factor to motivate people in the process of achieving their goals. Motivation is seen as a key factor in determining whether students succeed in their English learning process, according to Hayikaleng, Nair, and Krishnasamy (2016). According to Ozen (2017), motivation is “a state where the individual displays various attitudes voluntarily in order to achieve a particular goal.” In other words, motivation is the degree to which you decide which goals to pursue and how much work you are willing to put out in achieving those goals, according to Brown (2001).

According to Parsons, Hinson, and Brown (2001), motivation is a key element or factor in the learning process. Oxford Learner’s Dictionaries Online defines motivation as “the reason why somebody does something or behaves in a particular way” or “the feeling of wanting to do something, especially something that involves hard work and effort.” Similarly, Gardner, R. C. (1985) said that motivation for learning a second language is related to how much a person works to learn the language because they want to learn it, how much effort they put into it, and the satisfaction they experience in doing so.

Motivation, specifically, was defined by Wlodwoski (1985) as “the processes that can arouse and instigate behavior, give direction or purpose to behavior, continue to allow behavior to persist, and lead to choosing or preferring a particular behavior.” According to Arno (2001), motivation is the state that can start, direct, and sustain our behaviors up until a goal is achieved or a reaction is prevented. The National Research Council (2001) added the following statement to bolster the thesis: “Motivation is a condition that activates and sustains behavior toward a goal. In both casual and formal learning situations, it is essential to learning and success over the lifespan.

Brown (1994) claimed, “Motivation is the choices people make as to what experiences or goals they will approach or avoid and the degree of effort they will exert in that respect.” Motivation is the power and desire within a person that can motivates them to do an action or achieve a certain goal.

After all discussions above, motivation can be briefly defined as a person’s internal state to guide and direct human behavior towards satisfaction, which is a set of needs, inclinations, desires, stimuli and causes the person to perform a behavior in the most positive way.

2.2 The importance of motivation

It is clear that motivation is rarely brought up when talking about students’ learning, despite the fact that its impact on outcomes is indisputable, particularly for students studying English. Hulleman, C.S. & Hulleman, T. (2018) regarded “Motivation is not only important in and of itself; it is also an important predictor of learning and achievement” to underline the significance of motivation. Students who are more driven to learn do better in class and on standardized tests, endure longer, and put up higher-quality effort.

Undoubtedly, motivation plays an important role in promoting students’ ability to learn English as well as making the learning process more effective and the learning outcomes will also become better. However, it is not easy to find a source of motivation that can motivate students to obtain the achievements in the process of learning English. On the other hand, students can be affected by many negative aspects such as demotivating factors, the things that make students feel less interested and motivated to learn new things.

According to several studies, we have a tendency to give up easily when faced with a task when we feel unable to exert control, for instance (Peterson, Maier, & Seligman, 1993). Others have demonstrated that when we are forced, we are deprived of our internal sources of drive (Deci & Ryan, 1995). Students that are more driven than their counterparts are more likely to learn material fast (Spolsky, 1990). Students that are less motivated are more prone to losing focus, misbehaving, and generating discipline issues in a given learning scenario. Students who are more highly motivated, on the other hand, will participate actively and pay greater attention to a specific learning assignment or activity in order to improve and enhance their English skills.

Furthermore, motivation is the major incentive for starting to learn the second language (L2) and later the driving force for continuing to learn the L2; indeed, all of the other components involved in L2 acquisition presuppose motivation to some extent (Dörnyei, 1998). Research indicates that motivation has a direct impact on how frequently students use L2 learning strategies, how much they interact with native speakers, and for how long they persevere and maintain L2 skills after language study is finished (Oxford & Shearin, 1994). Motivation determines the level of active, personal involvement in L2 learning. Individuals with extraordinary ability, on the other hand, cannot achieve long-term goals without significant desire, and appropriate curriculum and effective instruction are insufficient on their own to ensure students achievement (Dörnyei & Csizér, 1998). Undoubtedly, the key element influencing learning activity is motivation. Learning objectives are difficult to attain without motivation since students’ effort and desire have an impact on their ability to do so. Students that are motivated will be more engaged in their learning, which will push them to understand English properly (Pumama et al., 2019).

Generally, whether studying any field or working anywhere motivation is always one of the most important factors determining the success of each individual. Therefore, students should soon realize their own motivation to get good learning results as well as be effective in all work.

2.3 Classification of motivation

Many researchers including Deci & Ryan (1985) classified motivation into two types as intrinsic and extrinsic. In other words, intrinsic motivations are internal factors and extrinsic motivations are external factors. Both of them are extremely important in learning English.

2.3.1 Intrinsic motivation

When a person engages in a behavior because they find it pleasant, this is referred to as having intrinsic motivation (Calhudson, 2022). Instead of doing something because you want to receive an award from someone else, you are doing it for its own reason. “Intrinsic motivation refers to behavior that is motivated by internal rewards,” according to Kendra (2019). In other words, an action is motivated by a person’s own drive to engage in it because it naturally makes them feel good.

According to Hayikaleng, Nair and Krishnasamy (2016), intrinsic motivation in language acquisition refers to the desire to engage in a task because doing so is fun and fascinating. A person may be inspired by the learning activity’s satisfaction or desire to improve one’s own feelings. The students in this situation are motivated by their intrinsic motivation to learn English. If a student is passionate in learning English and follows it, he or she is probably a person who is intrinsically motivated towards that particular subject. It is a drive to learn that originates from inside, such as a desire to learn a new language or to advance one’s general personal growth. Examples of intrinsic incentives include a personal interest in learning English and the necessity to achieve a goal, such as getting the job of your dreams or having amazing prospects. The advantages of intrinsic motivation in learning English are that it can be self-sustaining and long-lasting as it drives out the sensation of delight and has a higher tendency to use approaches that are more demanding and difficult. Higher learning achievement is not excluded.

2.3.2 Extrinsic motivation

The opposite of intrinsic motivation is extrinsic motivation (Calhudson, 2022). The desire to act in a way that advances the accomplishment of an external goal or satisfies an externally imposed constraint is known as extrinsic motivation. According to Hayikaleng, Nair, and Krishnasamy (2016), extrinsic motivation refers to behavior that a person exhibits in order to receive a reward, such as higher grades or a higher income, or alternatively to stay out of trouble. In this instance, the students’ external zeal for things like job searching, test taking, and other activities motivates them to learn English.

English language learners are prone to altering external motivators to get them to perform something. Extrinsic motivation is frequently utilized to motivate people through praise, receiving a trophy, winning an award, or other external inspiration. Extrinsic motivation may be stimulated by a variety of social-environmental elements, such as expected reward, expected assessment, competition, monitoring, time pressure, and significant influence over task involvement (Amabile, 1996; Deci and Ryan, 1985). Extrinsic motivation, or external motivation, is when we act in a certain way or engage in a certain activity because we desire to receive a reward or avoid punishment.

Extrinsic motivation in English learning will also encourage students to set goals since they believe they will be rewarded for doing so. When learning English as a second language, defining educational goals is essential to improving performance and receiving good marks.

Despite their different classifications, it is undeniable that both types have a great influence on everyone in general and English learners in particular.

2.4 Definitions of demotivation

The concept of demotivation is comparatively new and has not been absolutely adopted within the field of L2 learning and analysis. The relationship between motivation, which is the desire to attain a goal or result, and demotivation is inverse. For that reason, demotivation could be considered to be the opposite of motivation. Demotivate could be considered to be the opposite of motivate in a similar way (Muhonen, J., 2004).

According to Cambridge Dictionary, demotivation is the lack of interest and enthusiasm about your work. Kaivanpanah and Ghasemi (2011) stated that “any failure to learn a second language may be largely due to the existence of demotivating factors on the part of learners.” Obviously, any factor or element that contributes to a decrease in the learner’s motivation is considered a demotivating factor. It can be easily understood that a student is demotivated as they lose their motivation and no longer feel interested in learning English for some reasons. Dörnyei (2001) has made an effort to define it. Consequently, demotivation refers to “specific external forces that reduce or diminish the motivational basis of a behavioural intention or an ongoing action.” However, when defining demotivation, several researchers (e.g., Sakai and Kikuchi, 2009; Clare et al., 2019, p. 66) did not agree with Dörnyei’s definition and considered both internal and external influences such as a learner’s lack of self-confidence and negative attitudes of the learners.

Moreover, demotivation can be defined as a situation or set of circumstances that prevent someone from giving their all to achieve a particular goal (Soureshjani & Riahipour, 2012). As remarked by Dornyei and Ushioda (2011), demotivation does not signify complete loss of motivation. Instead, it indicates that there are elements that limit or negatively impact a learner’s regular degree of motivation. Depending on the point of view, everyone’s opinion about demotivation will be different. For example, students’ and teachers’ perspectives on the reasons that demotivate students were not the same, according to Chambers (1993). Teachers frequently blame student’s characteristics like lack of effort, lack of confidence, lack of curiosity, etc. for their low motivation. Students, on the other hand, are accused their teachers of employing outdated teaching methods, failing to provide detailed guidelines, and criticizing students.

Similar to motivation, demotivation may be the result of both internal and external influences, including teacher’s competence and their teaching methods, learning environments, and learner’s attitude toward English. In brief, raising students’ understanding of demotivation can assist them lessen its effects. Students’ learning outcomes will surprisingly improve if they can identify what causes their lack of motivation and take steps to correct it.

2.5 Negative effects of demotivation

There are many factors that affect demotivation. These factors come from both inside and outside. First of all, external factors such as society, family and friends, the learning environment. According to Dörnyei and Ushioda (2011), certain learning-related incidents or experiences include things like performance anxiety, public humiliation, demanding work schedules, bad test results, and elements of the social learning environment like the teacher’s personality and attitude or classroom countercultures and peer pressure. These factors also have a negative influence on students’ English learning process and motivation to learn.

Chambers (1993) is the first author in the field of SLA to address the problem of demotivation. In his study, the teachers noted that demotivated children exhibit laziness, lack of effort, lack of interest in learning, and a lack of self-confidence. On the other hand, demotivation is the decrease of a learner’s enthusiasm or interest in their study. Employees that lack motivation are frequently disinterested in their work and may avoid completing assignments, participating in activities or interacting with others.

According to Falout et al (2009) “demotivation can negatively influence the learner’s attitude and behaviors, degrade classroom group dynamics and teacher’s motivation, and result in long- term and widespread negative learning outcomes” The second are internal factors such as self-perception, self-consciousness and life perspective, these factors depend on whether you have a lot of positive thoughts or not, your opinion must always be thoughtful and thoughtful, partly to improve your achievement in learning. In reality, when students are demotivated and no longer feel interested in learning English, second language learning becomes more difficult and unpleasant, making it difficult to achieve learning objectives. Furthermore, demotivation in students might result in disorientation in learning or a complete absence of motivation.

2.6 Demotivating factors in learning

2.6.1 Learner-related demotivating factors

Students’ attitudes have a big impact on their learning results (Weinburgh, 1998). As a

result, there is a significant relationship between students’ attitudes toward learning languages and how well they are learning English. Since interest is the primary component that motivates students to achieve anything, a lack of interest is one of the causes of demotivation. Thang (2011) asserts that students who exhibit a good attitude and high levels of motivation will perform better than those who exhibit a negative attitude and low levels of drive. It can be stated that students who lack motivation will not be able to succeed in their learning process.

Numerous elements, such as motivation, family background, teachers, surroundings, and friends, have an impact on students’ enthusiasm in learning English. The question of interest and attitudes in learning English has been the subject of numerous studies to date. Ikeno (2002) conducted research on the internal causes of demotivation. The findings indicated that internal factors, such as a lack of control over what one is learning and feelings of inferiority regarding one’s English ability, were the main demotivating factors. According to Krashen (1998), student confidence enhances academic success. However, low self-esteem is common among students, which can cause other problems like a lack of interaction with peers and teachers. Apparently, lack of confidence is one of the most worrying problems for English learners not only in Vietnam but also all over the world. Nevertheless, according to Tsuda’s research from 2003, two-thirds of a group of students despise studying English since they don’t feel like they are learning anything. Additionally, a lack of curiosity lessens students’ enthusiasm for studying English, which causes them to lose interest and enthusiasm as they approach the English-learning environment. Besides, most researchers concluded that setting goals is crucial for success in the learning process (Anderman, 2011). Additionally, it promotes students’ self-improvement in various learning areas because it is a crucial part of decision-making, which is connected to the mental processes that lead to the choice of appropriate actions to achieve goals. According to Dörnyei (2001), the significance of orientation is to increase motivation and lead it toward a particular set of targets, either with a steady interpersonal quality (integrative orientation) or a strong, practical quality (instrumental orientation).

2.6.2 Teacher-related demotivating factors

The teacher has been the most significant of all the elements that have influenced the social environment in which students are educated (Smith, Neisworth, & Greer, 1978). If a teacher exhibits good competence and performance, they may be referred to as competent teachers. It is so because teachers need both of them to carry out effective classroom instruction (Brown, 2001).

There are excellent chances that students will become motivated to learn when teachers assist them in gaining an internal sense of control as well as feelings of effectiveness in their ability to complete tasks (C. Fen Ng and P. Kiat Ng, 2015). People assume that lecturers truly possess in-depth knowledge and expertise in a particular subject of science, according to Turnuklu & Yesildere (2007). But their knowledge and abilities are insufficient to enable them to deliver effective instruction. They must possess both an effective teaching style and good teaching abilities. For instance, Sakai and Kikuchi (2009) examined the demotivating factors that affect students in Japanese high schools and found that teachers’ skill and techniques of instruction were one of the two major demotivators. It is clear that a teacher’s lack of preparation, organization, approachability, and self-centeredness, as well as stylistic differences with the student, might impair the motivation of the learner to acquire languages (Gorham & Christophel, 1992). In reality, a poor instructor can hinder students learning and make them bored to the point that they are unable to retain what they have learnt in class. Additionally, a lack of innovation in the courses and an unscientific teaching approach both contribute to students feeling unattractive and uninterested.

2.6.3 Learning context-related demotivating factors

It is undeniable that learning environment has a big influence to the motivation of students in terms of facilities and atmosphere. Students’ motivation to learn is greatly impacted by the quality of the physical classroom environment and facilities are decisive for the quality of teaching. One of the motivating elements that significantly raise learning performance in the educational system is the availability of physical facilities (Basit, 2005).

The amenities at schools and in classrooms, however, are still inadequate and out-of-date. According to Alavinia and Sehat (2012), the most important demotivating factor among Iranian EFL high school learners is the learning environment, which includes improper class programming and a lack of teaching aids and equipment. Additionally, it has been demonstrated in some earlier studies that having poor facilities lowers test results and decreases learners’ motivation in learning. Additionally, a lack of facilities prohibits students from having easy access to technologies that enhance learning. Effective teaching and learning cannot be ensured without these facilities. In classrooms that have been well-equipped, students often learn more from their teachers and perform well. In contrast, if the classroom environment is unfavorable and the students feel insecure there, they may pay split-attention or distracted attention to the lesson. Poor school facilities, according to Lyons (2001), have a harmful influence on both student and teacher performance.

It is necessary to clarify that a positive learning environment is more than just a well-equipped classroom which is a space in which students feel safe and supported in their pursuit of knowledge, as well as inspired by their surroundings.  According to Walberg’s (1971) model, environments can predict learning outcomes when combined with students’ aptitudes and the type of instruction they receive. Walberg argued that only a small portion of the variation in student performance could be attributed to other factors, with the majority being explained by the aptitude of students and their learning environments. Waldman (2016) stated that students must feel safe, both physically and mentally, before they can succeed academically, and that in order to have a safe learning environment, students must feel welcomed, supported, and respected by teachers, classmates, administrators, family, and community members.

Having a sense of community, trusting others, and being inspired to take on challenges, take chances, and ask questions are all signs of a great learning environment for students (Bucholz & Sheffler, 2009). However, a negative learning environment will lower students interest in learning. In spite of all the wonderful aspects, classmates can also have negative effects, which is one of many factors that lower students’ motivation in the classroom. For example, some of the classmates exhibit a bad attitude in class and fail to pay attention to the subject. The lack of connections between students makes the learning environment ineffective. Another major factor contributing to the reduction in student motivation is the stressful atmosphere and lack of interaction.

It has been shown that students value the opportunity to study in a setting with roomy facilities and a welcoming atmosphere. They will progressively become accustomed to the contemporary, normative, and excellent surroundings. Over time, expectations for both the quality of living and the nature of the work will rise as a result.  Consequently, they will have particular standards for themselves regardless of the industry they work in or the job they perform, which will create a strong desire for capacity development.

2.6.4 Subject-related demotivating factors

It is obvious that English is now the most important language in all fields, conquering this language is a necessity. However, English is not simple and easy to learn. According to Wikipedia, learning a language involves understanding language skills and language systems. Language skills include speaking, listening, reading, and writing. Language systems include vocabulary, grammar, pronunciation, and discourse. Those are the factors that make up a good English skill. However, it is not easy to learn these skills effectively. Students have difficulties with pronunciation, grammar, and vocabulary, as has been extensively studied before, such as in Lukitasari (2008) & Hosni (2014).

Furthermore, previous studies have also found that unattractive and outdated textbooks and too many assigned readers as sources of diminishing students’ interest (e.g. Dörnyei, as cited in Dörnyei & Ushioda, 2011). A demotivating factor may be learning material from the course book. It is obvious that some course books used in language classes, such as those with challenging grammar rules or vocabulary words, inappropriate or uninteresting materials will decrease learners’ motivation (Dornyei, 2001). It is quite clear that boring lesson content will definitely make students feel uninterested in learning. Besides, a good knowledge of grammar is an indispensable thing for an English learner. However, too much emphasis on this will make learning more difficult because of its difficulty and complex nature. For example, lessons are too focused on grammatical structures without developing other skills such as vocabulary and English communication.

2.6.5 Parent-related demotivating factors

The family role is crucial to developing learners’ sense of learning since it has a significant impact on them in motivation and education. According to Butler (2014), “Parents have gotten considerable consideration in general education as a noteworthy social-relevant element impacting kids’ inspiration and the accomplishment.” Parental influence is undoubtedly one of the most significant factors that motivates students to put their all into learning English. It is undeniable that parents are the students’ first teachers and are in charge of all of their activities and expenses during the learning process.

Additionally, Tomul, E., and Savasci, H. S. (2012) shown that students from families with greater socioeconomic position outperform those from families with lower resources in terms of academic performance.

This also partly confirms that the financial aspect also has a strong influence on students’ motivation. Additionally, parents’ positive attitudes, education, and awareness of unique needs and requirements give their children ongoing support and encouragement. Nevertheless, not every impact a parent has on their children is good, it could also be that they impose their desire on them and make them do something they do not really want. Not all parents listen to their children’s thoughts, likes, and passions when choosing their aspirations. For those reasons, many students no longer feel comfortable pursuing their English learning and gradually lose their motivation.

2.7 Related studies

Previously, many researchers conducted studies on demotivating factors in English learning. However, the topic, purpose and context are not exactly similar, and the participants may be from different countries and levels. A review of some significant research studies will be discussed below.

With 20 Irish French learners, Ushioda (1998) performed a two-stage interview. They were questioned about what made their L2 learning experiences unmotivating. These learners plainly attribute successful L2 outcomes to personal talent or other internal causes, while unsuccessful L2 outcomes or failure are assigned to external factors. According to the researchers, rather than addressing personal factors like failing grades or low self-perceptions of competence, their replies “overwhelmingly addressed unfavorable components of the institutionalized learning framework.” Ushioda, who praised the discovery, asserted that by doing this, students will be better prepared to develop self-motivation and learning autonomy, offering a innovative viewpoint on motivation.

“Demotivating factors in learning English: The case of Iran” is the title of yet another study by Meshkat and Hassani (2012). To 421 Iranian students, they gave out 421 questionnaires. The results showed that Iranian students perceived a lack of school facilities, an emphasis on grammar that was too strict, lengthy passages, and the need that students use English that was grammatically perfect in class as key sources of demotivation. Learning content and materials, as well as teachers’ abilities and teaching methods, were also mildly demotivating factors.

Similarly, the research of Trang and Baldauf (2007) with the topic “Demotivation: Understanding resistance to English language learning – the case of Vietnamese students” employed a similar type of reflection procedure in their study on the motivation of Vietnamese students to learn English, asking them to recall their educational experiences and compose a three-part essay. They identified 14 demotivating factors in the writings of students, and they categorized them. They concluded that 64% of the demotivation among students was linked coming from external elements. The primary cause of demotivation among the contributing elements was teacher-related factors. Additionally, they looked into the process by which students recover from demotivation and discovered that internal factors, such as understanding of the importance of English, individual motivations, self-improvement, self-determination, and positive thoughts toward English, were primarily responsible for helping students recover from demotivation.

Following Trang and Baldauf Jr’s research, Hirvonen (2010) investigated demotivating influences and examined the breadth and character of both external and internal demotivation. The teacher, learning materials and course contents, learning environment, and simultaneous language learning were shown to be the four main external demotivating factors experienced by participants in this study. The three themes that best describe the internal demotivating factors – bad influences that are directly tied to the participants themselves – are failure experiences, lack of success, and attitudes toward English. The results of this study showed that the participant’s experience learning English was frequently influenced most by the teacher.

In 2021, the study “English Language Learning Demotivating Factors for Saudi High School EFL Students” was carried out by Raneem Alyousif & Zainab Alsuhaibani. The goal of this study was to investigate the factors that high school EFL students found to be demotivating when learning English language. The study looked into what discourages EFL students in high school from learning a language. From the viewpoint of teachers, it also examined the educational implications and suggestions for encouraging the motivation of EFL students. 18 secondary English language teachers from six public schools in Saudi Arabia and 365 EFL students in high school all took part in the study. Using a questionnaire and semi-structured interviews with students and teachers, two research tools were used to gather the study’s data. For Saudi high school EFL students, the results showed that teacher- and subject-related demotivating factors were the most commonly noted. The findings also indicated that the factors most likely to demotivate EFL students from learning English were a lack of engaging subject matter, a lack of opportunities for English-language practice, an emphasis on grammar that was too strong, and ineffective teachers. The use of technology, extrinsic motivation and encouragement, competitive and collaborative work, and other ideas have also been suggested by teachers as ways to increase students’ motivation.

For all the previous studies, it was relatively obvious that factors such as teachers’ competence and teaching styles, attitudes toward English, and the lack of school facilities had a significant impact on students’ motivation. In order to know what factors affect students’ process of mastering English, the study entitled “An investigation into the demotivating factors in learning English of English-majored sophomores at Tay Do University” was conducted.

3. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

This chapter shows the research question, research design, the participants, the instrument and the procedures

3.1 Research aim

The main purpose of this research is to investigate the demotivating factors in learning English of English-majored sophomores at Tay Do University. Additionally, this study is expected to be useful in helping students improve their awareness of demotivating factors and achieve better results in the process of conquering English.

3.2 Research questions

The purpose of this study was to address the following question:

What are the demotivating factors in learning English of English-majored sophomores at Tay Do University?

3.3 Research design

The research was carried out to find out the demotivating factors that the sophomores at Tay Do University faced in learning English. Therefore, second-year students majoring in English at Tay Do University were determined as participants of the study. The instruments used to collect information about sophomores’ demotivating factors in learning English were questionnaire and the interview. The research participants would be delivered the questionnaire to get the necessary information about their demotivating factors. Also, 10 students from these sophomores were randomly selected in order to answer the interview questions to build the preciseness and objectiveness for the research. Moreover, 5 teachers were invited to participate in a paper interview. As a result, this study was a combination of quantitative and qualitative research.

3.4 Research participants

In this study, the participants were 82 English-majored sophomores from two classes of English Linguistics 16A and 16B at Tay Do University. This study included 27 males and 55 females. They ranged in age from 19 to 21. They were all Vietnamese native speakers with English as a second language. The majority comes from rural area and they have been learning English for 10 to 13 years. In addition, they have studied with many lecturers who used various teaching methods. They have also used a variety of facilities to aid their studies, engaged in faculty or school events, and learned about academic policies at university. Most of them were university students who want to improve their English skills but suffer from a number of factors that reduce their motivation. They were given questionnaires and interview in order to get information about the demotivating factors in learning English. This helped to provide the evidence that made this research more reliable and found out “the demotivating factors in learning English” of English- majored sophomores at Tay Do University.

3.5 Instruments

To collect the information from participants in the most effective way, the questionnaire and the interview were utilized as two indispensable instruments. These instruments were highly useful in getting important information from students, and the research instrument was entirely built on data from theories associated with the problems in chapter two. The questionnaire was used to find out the demotivating factors in learning English of English- majored sophomores because it provided the researcher with a relatively quick, easy, and effective way to collect a lot of data from a large sample of people. In addition, the interview served as a useful tool for obtaining additional detailed information. The factors that discourage students from learning English could perhaps be identified by employing two research tools.

3.5.1 Questionaire

The questionnaire was the most useful tool in this investigation. The research process would have been very difficult without the help of this tool. The questionnaire includes five questions and 34 statements. The first section of the questionnaire had five questions (numbered one through five), which asked about the students’ backgrounds and attitudes toward motivation and the demotivating factors of learning English. The best suitable response had to be picked by the participants. Part two also included 34 statements (numbered from 6 to 39) that were displayed in a table with a 5-degree scale from strongly agree to strongly disagree. Students could check the box next to each statement in the appropriate column. The questionnaire was divided generally into the following sections:

3.5.2 Interview

The interview is a crucial part of the research process, along with the questionnaire. Two interview papers are used in this course: one is for 10 sophomores majoring in English, and the other is for 5 English teachers with extensive experience.

3.5.2.1 Student interview

The interview for students consisted of three questions that asked participants to discuss their thoughts about the demotivating factors in learning English. Specifically, in relation to the first question, the researcher wanted to know the participants’ perceptions about the effects of demotivating factors in learning English. Moreover, in order to highlight the major drawbacks participants have encountered while learning English, question 2 was developed. The last one was to investigate their view of the solution to limit the demotivating factors in learning English.

3.5.2.2 Teacher interview

Regarding the teacher interview, it consisted of three questions with the expectation that teachers would share their thoughts regarding the things that discourage students from learning English. The first question specifically asked for their opinions on the effects of the demotivating factors in learning English. Regarding the second question, the researcher was particularly interested in what teachers believed to be the main impact on their students’ motivation to learn English. The third interview question asked teachers to suggest some feasible measures that students could take to minimize the effect of the demotivating factors.

In conclusion, the questionnaire and the interview play an essential role in carrying out the research.  The findings from the study would be more reliable and helpful as a result of using both of these tools because all of the data was obtained and looked at both qualitatively and quantitatively.

3.6 Procedure

This research was conducted for approximately 14 weeks, and the process was divided into 4 steps as shown in the following table:

4. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

This chapter presents the results of the study based on the data gathered from the questionnaire and the interview. The research results provide statistical evidence that reveals students’ demotivating factors in learning English. Afterward, the discussion will follow to wrap up this chapter.

4.1 Results

After collecting all the necessary information and ideas from all the participants noted in the previous chapter, the data were analyzed. The findings were divided into two groups including the results of the questionnaire and the results from the interview.

4.1.1 Results from the questionnaire

Thanks to the questionnaire, the researcher received a lot of valuable and reliable information from participants. The results from the questionnaire were divided into two main parts, embracing students’ background and the demotivating factors in learning English.

4.1.1.1 Students’ background

In term of students’ background, the following chart shows the detailed information of students’ background.

Fig. 1 Students’ living environment(See in PDF File)

This chart reveals students’ living environment, which had a great impact on their motivation in the process of learning English. As can be seen from the chart, 73% (60/82) of English-majored sophomores at Tay Do University came from the countryside, and only 27% (22/82) of them were from the city. From the data, we can see that students had different living environments. It has been apparent that students from the city live in a modern environment and have more opportunities to access and develop English skills than students from rural areas. Therefore, students’ awareness of the importance of English as well as their motivation in learning English also depends largely on their living environment.

In term of English learning process, Figure 2 describes students’ English learning years.

Fig. 2 Students’ years of learning English (See in PDF File)

As it is presented, the percentage of students who have learned English for 13 years was the highest rate, accounting for 57% (47/82). It means that they have studied English since grade 1 in primary school and have approached the language for a long time before attending university. Besides, 27% (22/82) of participants have learned English for 10 years, indicating that they have studied English since secondary school. Finally, the percentage of students who have studied English for 11 and 12 years, respectively, is 9% (7/82) and 7% (6/82). Overall, all the participants have studied English for a long time. As a result, the majority of students has a lot of exposure of English and is aware of its importance.

In term of students’ thought about motivation in learning English, Figure 3 describes in detail.

Fig. 3 Students’ perception of motivation in learning English(See in PDF File)

It is easy to see that 71.95% (59/82) of students agreed motivation in learning English was “very important”. “Important” came the second with 21.95% (18/82). In addition, only 6.10% (5/82) of students stated that their attitude toward motivation in learning English was “normal”. Ultimately, none of the participants disagreed with the importance of motivation in learning English. As a whole, it could be concluded that the majority of participants approved the significance of motivation in learning English.

In aspect of students’ thought of being unmotivated in learning English, the detail is shown in Figure 4.

Fig. 4 Students’ frequency of being demotivated(See in PDF File)

The chart figures out the frequency with which students feel unmotivated in the process of learning English. The majority of them agreed that they were demotivated in learning English. This is also quite understandable because English is not an easy language to learn, so it is inevitable to feel bored in the process of improving skills in this language. As can be observed from Figure 4, 51% (42/82) of participants shared that they sometimes feel unmotivated to improve their English skills. The number of students affirmed that they often feel unmotivated accounting for 26% (21/82). Meanwhile, the percentage of participants assumed that they “always” and “rarely” demotivated accounting for 12% (10/82) and 10% (8/82), respectively. Finally, only 1 of 82 students (1%) said that she was not affected by demotivating factors, with the answer “never”.

In aspect of students’ evaluation of the necessity of recognizing the demotivating factors in learning English, the following chart shows the information.

Fig. 5 Students’ evaluation of the necessity of recognizing the demotivating factors(See in PDF File)

It can be seen that there were 81.70% of students agreed the necessity of recognizing the demotivating factors was important and very important. Meanwhile, only 18.29% (15/82) of the English-majored sophomores evaluated that the role of recognizing the demotivating factors in learning English was “normal”. Additionally, none of the participants considered demotivating factors to be “not important” or “not important at all”. As a result, the majority of students agreed that it was important to understand what discouraged them from learning English.

4.1.1.2 Demotivating factors in learning English

This part of the study was extremely important because it was carried out to understand more about demotivating factors in learning English. This section was divided into five smaller sections that corresponded to the common elements listed in Chapter 2 that demotivated the participants in learning English. These elements were learner-related, teacher-related, learning context-related, subject-related, and parent-related demotivating factors.

Fig. 6 English-majored sophomores demotivating factors in learning English(See in PDF File)

The level of demotivating factors that the participants encountered while learning English was indicated in the table above. With 73.17% of respondents’ agreement, it is demonstrated that learner-related demotivating factors had the greatest effect on students. With 70.68%, “subject-related demotivating factors” took second place. The percentages of “learning context-related demotivating factors” and “parent-related demotivating factors” were 69.70% and 64.58%, respectively. Finally, the number of students who believed that teacher-related demotivating factors would have the impact on their ability to learn English was the lowest with only 59.57%. In conclusion, the factors related to learners, parents, learning context and subject account for main reasons demotivating learners; however, teachers also play a considerable factor in discouraging learners’ motivation.

a. Learner-related demotivating factors

Table 1. Learner-related demotivating factors

As can be seen from Table 1, there are a total of eight statements that described the learner-related demotivating factors.

Moving to the first statement, the percentage of students who strongly agreed with the idea “Although you study English, you are not really interested in this subject” was 24.39% (20/82) and 48.78% (40/82) of them agreed with the statement. Besides, 10 students, corresponding to 12.20% showed hesitation with the answer “neutral”. The number of participants giving disagreement and strong disagreement were equal with 6 students (7.32%) each answer. This indicated that many students lacked interest in learning English due to their dislike for the language. The reason for this could be that students chose the English language major randomly instead of the one they truly wanted to study.

In response to statement 7, 82.93% of students including 30.49% (25/82) and 52.44% (43/82) together subsequently demonstrated significant acceptance and acquiescence to the opinion that they gradually lose enthusiasm to learn English because their English ability is too poor. The rest of the population 8.54% (7/82), were caught in the middle. In addition, 5 students (6.10%) and 2 students (2.44%) raised objections to this claim. It showed that many students’ English was not good because the majority of them came from rural areas, so the conditions for developing English skills were limited.

For the statement 8, 27 students (32.93%) provided their complete approval, while 35/82 (42.68%) sophomores agreed that it made them feel depressed when their English abilities do not develop despite their best efforts. The remaining were made up of 9.76% (8/82), 8.54% (7/82), and just 6.10% (5/82) of students having no idea, disapproving, and strongly disapproving this statement, listed in succession. This was because many students did not have an effective and suitable learning strategy for themselves, which led to the fact that, despite a lot of effort, their English skills were not yet developed.

Regarding the results of statement 9, there were only six students (7.32%) who expressed disagreement and 13/82 students (15.85%) who had no opinions. In contrast, there were 26 individuals (31.71%) agreed and 37 participants (45.12%) strongly agreed with the statement. It demonstrated the fact that learning English was extremely challenging for the students and that English was not an easy language to learn.

There were 13 students who objected to the idea of statement 10, with 6/82 (7.32%) expressing disagreement and 7/82 (8.54%) strongly objecting. Additionally, the number of people remaining neutral reached 18.29% (15/82). Moreover, 18 students (21.95%) indicated their strong agreement, and 36 others (43.90%) revealed their agreement. The findings of this statement indicated that many students still do not comprehend the significance of studying English. Therefore, they did not attempt to conquer this language.

The results for statement 11 showed that more than two-third of the respondents approved. Specifically, 25.61% (21/82) indicated strong agreement, and 47.56% (39/82) indicated agreement. On the other hand, 12 students, or 14.63%, remained uncertain. The residual of disagreement and strong disagreement were 9.76% (8/82) and 2.44% (2/82), respectively. According to the results of this statement, students’ lack of confidence was one of the things that caused them to lose motivation in learning English. This meant students were afraid to make mistakes in front of friends and were uncomfortable in sharing their opinions.

In terms of statement 12, over 70% of the participants agreed with the hypothesis “You are not motivated to learn English because you do not set clear goals” when asked about it. The sum of 26.83% (22/82) was strong agreements and 45.12% (37/82) was agreements. Only three respondents (3.66%) strongly disagreed with the statement, while seven respondents (8.54%) disagreed and 15.85 percent of participants (13/82) exhibited hesitation. It can be seen from the results that, the majority of students were still vague about the purpose of learning their English, they did not have a clear goal in learning this language.

Last but not least, in statement 13, the percentage of participants who strongly agreed with the notion that they lack knowledge of efficient ways to study was 51.22% (42/82), followed by 32.93% (27/82) of students who agreed with the statement. Despite this, 8 out of 82 participants (9.76%) were in neutral state and only 5 students gave disagreement (6.10%). It can be inferred that the lack of an effective learning approach was also a factor that had a negative impact on the motivation of students in learning English.

As a whole, from these 8 statements’ findings, it could be inferred that factors derived from learners themselves were one of the most influential factors on their motivation to learn English, including their interest, self-confidence, and effective learning strategies.

b. Teacher-related demotivating factors

Table 2. Teacher-related demotivating factors

Table 2 including seven statements went on elaborating teacher-related demotivating factors. For the first statement in the table 2, there were a total 67.07% (55/82) of students who agreed that it was difficult for them to understand the teachers’ explanations. The remaining percentages were 14.63% (12/82) of hesitations, 13.41% (11/82) of disapproval, and 4.88% (4/82) of strong disapproval. It can be deduced that many students found it difficult to understand the lessons and explanations of the teachers, which may have been partly because many students did not really pay attention while the teacher was teaching, leading to difficulties in understanding the entire lecture.

Moving on to the next two statements in the table were statement 15 and 16. In the former, 15 students (18.30%) expressed disagreement with “You do not see the effectiveness of the teachers’ teaching method”. As opposed to this, 45 students (54.88%) gave agreement, 11 out of 82 (13.41%) strongly agreed, and the number of students who stayed neutral were also 13.41% (11/82). Through the findings of this statement, it led to the conclusion that the teacher’s teaching method had an impact on the students, and they felt lost motivation whenever there was an ineffective lesson.  Regarding the latter, the ones giving disagreement and strong disagreement were 10 students (12.20%); however, the ones having no ideas were 17.07% (14/82) of participants. Besides, 23 participants (28.05%) strongly agreed, and 35 remainders (42.68%) assented to the statement. That meant the majority of students assumed that they were not provided with useful learning materials during the course of study.

The number of students who objected to the following statement was fairly high, at 57.31% (47/82). This indicated that more than a half of sophomores did not support the notion. Only 4.88% (4/82) of the participants were strongly in agreement, compared to 17.07% (14/82) who were in agreement and 20.73% (17/82) were neutral. It can be concluded from the results that the majority of students were received thorough comments and corrections from the teachers. The percentage of students who agreed with statement 18 was 39.02% (32/82). There were 21 out of 82 students (25.61%) indicated high agreement. On the other hand, 17/82, or 20.73%, showed some indecision. The rest containing 12.20% (10/82), 2.44% (2/82) of students gave their disapproval and strong disapproval successively. This demonstrated that students tended to be more enthusiastic when their teacher assigns enjoyable tasks as opposed to uninteresting ones.

In statement 19, only three students (3.66%) strongly agreed with the statement; 13 students (15.85%) approved; and 17 students (20.73%) had no comments. Conversely, the majority of sophomores 43.90% (36/82) “disagree” and 15.85% (13/82) “strongly disagree”. Through the results of this statement, it can be concluded that the teacher had a thorough preparation for the lesson and this factor did not much affect the motivation of the students.

A total of 70.73% (58/82) of the participants agreed with the last statement in table 2 with the idea that “You cannot keep up with the lesson because the teacher’s teaching speed is too fast” (the combination of 37.80% (31/82) strong agreements and 32.93% (27/82) agreements). Only 3 students (3.66%) expressed strong disagreement with this concept, compared to the 9.76% (8/82) who disagreed and 15.85% (13/82) of the participants who indicated hesitation. It can be seen that the teacher’s speed of teaching was a factor that made it difficult for students to keep up with lessons.

Overall, based on the results from the table, it shows that factors causing demotivation related to teachers had an impact on students in the process of improving their English language skills.

c. Learning context-related demotivating factors

Table 3. Learning context-related demotivating factors

Continuing with students’ demotivating factors related to learning context. Table 3 was made up of ten statements as can be seen above.

The first statement in this table was statement 21, there were 32.93% (27/82) of students strongly agreed and 36.59% (30/82) agreed with the idea. In addition, there were 14 sophomores (17.07%) ticking on the column of “no idea”, 9.76% (8/82) of participants choosing “disagree”, and 3 remainders (3.66%) strongly disagreed. It can be inferred that internet in the classroom was a factor which hindered students’ access to study materials.

Moving to the next statement, 69.51% of participants chose “strongly agree” and “agree” in response to the statement “The technological equipment in classrooms is not used effectively.” 12 respondents, or 14.63 percent, were on the fence. Participants’ disapproval and strong disapproval rates for this statement were 13.41% (11/82) and 2.44% (2/82), respectively. The results showed that the underutilization of technological equipment in the classroom was also considered a demotivating factor in the process of learning English.

For statement 23, 76.83% of participants responded in favor of the notion that “You cannot hear clearly in the listening test due to poor sound quality” when asked about it. 14.63% of participants (12/82) expressed hesitation, and 8.54% (7/82) of them disagreed with the statement. It can be deduced that students had difficulties listening due to the sound quality of the speakers, possibly because the sound was not loud enough for the student to understand what the speakers were saying, which may be partly due to overcrowded classrooms and noisy environments affecting listening.

In statement 24, there were 26.83% (22/82) of the students who chose “strongly agree”, and 41.46% (34/82) of the students who indicated agreement. Along with them, 15 respondents (18.29%) had no opinions, and 11 (13.42%) expressed opposition. Accordingly, the majority of students found it challenging to access the materials they needed in the library to learn English, this problem is understandable given that many students rarely search for study materials there. With regard to the statement 25, it was determined that roughly 65.85% of students (14.63% (12/82) strongly agreed and 51.22% (42/82) agreed verified that the element described above had an impact on their motivation. Additionally, there were 13 remaining students (15.86%) who selected “disagree” and 15 sophomores who indicated a neutral state (18.29%). Through the results, it was visible that the lack of facilities reduced the interest of students in learning English at school. This demonstrated that the facilities directly affected the student’s academic motivation.

A total of 57 students (69.52%) indicated their agreement with the 26th notion. The majority of them believed that the negative atmosphere may make them uncomfortable when they were learning. In addition, 10 students (12.20%) were unable to respond to this question. In the meantime, 15 out of 82 students (18.30%) rejected the notion. It can be inferred that the negative atmosphere made students feel uncomfortable, which may have been due to a relationship problem between class members or a lack of enthusiasm in the classroom.

As for statement 27, more than two-third of participants 59/82 (71.95%) agreed with the idea “Noisy environments prevent you from receiving information from the teachers”. The remaining took account of 14.63% (12/82) of students choosing “neutral”, 9.76% (8/82) choosing “disagree” and only 3 of them (3.66%) strongly disagreed. Through the results of this statement, it can be concluded that the noisy environment prevented students from receiving information from teachers, possibly because some students were not focused but talked during class, which led to a decrease in concentration and academic efficiency. In statement 28, there were only 10.98% (9/82) of students strongly agreed and 57.32% (47/82) of them agreed. Meanwhile, the percentage of participants had no idea were 21.95% (18/82). The remaining consisted of 5 students (6.10%) disagreed and 3 of them (3.66%) gave strong disagreement. The findings indicated that the class activities were repetitive and boring, which meant sophomores rarely had the opportunity to participate in fascinating and innovative activities.

Now turning to the last two statements were statement 29 and
statement 30. In the former, 8 students (9.76%) expressed disagreement, and no one showed strong disagreement with the idea “There is not much interaction among class members”, while 15.85% (13/82) gave no idea. Moreover, 61 students (74.39%) agreed with the idea above. With the percentage of students with agreement, this proved that interaction among class members was a worrying problem for students’ motivation. The findings of this statement demonstrated that sophomores majoring in English at Tay Do University rarely interacted with one another, although communicating with each other to practice their English was a crucial activity, particularly for English students. With regard to the latter, 15 students (18.30%) expressed disagreement or strong disagreement, while 6 students (7.32%) had no opinions. Alternately, 46 individuals (56.10%) agreed, and 15 participants (18.29%) strongly agreed. It can be deduced that students did not have many opportunities to participate in extracurricular activities to practice English with foreigners.

In conclusion, based on the findings, it can be said that the learning environment, including the school’s amenities and learning atmosphere, was one of the most crucial elements affecting students’ motivation to improve their English.

d.       Subject-Related Demotivating Factors

Table 4. Subject-related demotivating factors

Referring to Table 4, which listed subject-related issues that demotivate students, there were four statements in this table.

The findings for statement 31 showed that the majority of participants, namely 27 students (32.93%) and 34/82 (41.46%), agreed with the statement “Too many things that you have to learn in English frighten you.” The remaining group of sophomores included 12.20% (10/82), 10.98% (9/82), and 2.44% (2/82) of those who delivered no comments, disagreed, and completely disagreed with the statement, respectively. It can be concluded that students felt overwhelmed by the amount of English knowledge they had to learn. This may have been because many students lacked basic English knowledge and did not have a foundation in this language.

The statement 32 “You realize that English is harder than you thought” was only severely disagreed with by 2 students and disagreed with by 9 other students. Nevertheless, there were a total of 59 students, 22/82 (26.83%) gave a strong agreement, and 37/82 (45.12%) said they agreed. It is clear from the percentage of respondents that many students still found this language challenging to master. Because they had difficulties in speaking, listening, reading and writing, other factors such as vocabulary, pronunciation and grammar also made it difficult for students. Regarding the latter, there were 12 students (14.63%), who expressed disagreement and severe disagreement, similar to 14.63% (12/82) of students who had no notion. In addition, the statement was supported by 41 individuals accounting for 50.00%, and 17 remainders (20.73%) strongly agreeing. The findings indicated that unattractive lesson content made students feel bored. The reason may have been because the material was unattractive. When content was unattractive, students struggled to stay engaged and interested in the material being presented to them.

For the last statement in the table 4, the percentage of students who selected “strongly agree” was 24/82 (29.27%), whereas the percentage of students who selected “agree” was 32/82 (39.02%). The remaining group of sophomores included 16/82 (19.51%), 7/82 (8.54%), and 3/82 (3.66%) who gave no answer, disagreed, and strongly disagreed with this statement, respectively. Through the results of this statement, it can be concluded that learning English was too focused on grammar, which made students feel harder because of the complex nature of English grammar.

According to the results of the assertions in Table 4, many students agreed that English was a challenging language and the process of improving and developing skills in this language was also not easy.

e.        Parent-Related Demotivating Factors

Table 5. Parent-related demotivating factors

It was clear from the above table that the identified parent-related demotivating factors have an impact on student motivation. This table covered five statements.

Next, the researcher wanted to know if the participants had their parents’ support studying English. The findings revealed that 63.41% (52/82) of the students highly agreed and agreed that they did not have their parents’ support, while 14.63% (12/82) of them had no idea. On the other hand, a total of 18 students (21.95%) expressed disagreement with the statement. This can be seen clearly from the results that the majority of students were not supported by parents to learn English.

The sentence “Your parents have financial difficulties in supporting your studies” was used in the research to determine whether sophomores majoring in English at Tay Do University had financial difficulties or not. Data collection and analysis revealed that this factor did affect students’ motivation. There were 63.41% (52/82) of students specifically acknowledged having to deal with the above-mentioned problem when learning English. While 15/82 (18.29%), 10/82 (12.20%), and 5/82 (6.10%) of the students had no idea, disagreed, and strongly disagreed with the statement, respectively.

The viewpoint “Your parents assume that English is not necessary for your future job” was supported by a total of 50 students (60.98%). 20.73% (17/82) of participants had no idea. In the meantime, 15/82 students, or 18.30%, indicated disagreement with the statement. It can be deduced that students’ parents did not believe that learning English was necessary for future employment. For statement 38, 50/82 (60.98%) of students indicated agreement when asked what they thought of the statement “Your parents always want you to study in another field”. 12 out of 82 (14.63%) sophomores said they had no idea, and 20/82 (24.39%) others disagreed. The findings indicated that students’ parents wanted their child to study in other fields. In the final statement, 35/82 students (42.68%) agreed with the statement, 17 students (20.73%) strongly agreed, and 12 students (14.63%) remained in the state of neutral. The other group of students was made up of 12.20% (10/82) disagreed students and 9.76% (8/82) severely disagreed students. It can be inferred that students’ parents compared their child to other peers.

After analyzing the results in the last table, it was clear that the number of students who agreed with the claims about parental demotivating causes was larger than the percentage of students who were neutral and disagreed with the assertions. It can be concluded from the above statements that parental factors are strongly related to the loss of motivation to learn English of the majority of students.

4.1.2 Results from the interview

4.1.2.1 Student interview

To have a more detailed view of the factors that cause demotivation in learning English, 10 students were randomly chosen for the interview.

In the first question, when being asked “Do you think demotivating factors negatively affect your learning English?” 9/10 English-majored sophomores agreed and only one of them assumed that demotivating factors did not negatively affect English learning. A male student expressed that “Sometimes I feel that my English skills are poor, which in turn causes me to feel down and overwhelmed. As a result, I lose my drive to continue learning English”. Based on the collected data, it seems that the majority of English-majored sophomores believed that demotivating factors had a negative impact on their ability to learn English. This suggests that demotivating factors may be a significant barrier to learning English for many students in this group.

When being asked “What factors do you believe have the biggest negative impact on your motivation to learn English?” most students gave various factors, most noticeably a lack of confidence and strategies with 7/10 students. Specifically, one of them mentioned “Although I have made a lot of effort, my English ability has not improved much”. Another one stated that the problem she often faces in improving her English skills is a lack of confidence to communicate in English with her friends because she does not know many vocabularies and has poor grammar. Through this question, it is clear that most students have difficulty with a lack of confidence and need a suitable strategy to improve their English skills. Besides, demotivating factors related to the learning environment and parents were also mentioned by two students. One of them said that he could not learn effectively in a noisy classroom. And the other shared that financial difficulty is the factor that she worries the most. The results from the second interview question showed that the students themselves are the most important factor affecting their motivation to learn English.

The last question was “In your opinion, what should you do to limit these demotivating factors?” Through this question, the researcher wanted to know if the students had the appropriate methods to have the best results in learning English. Surprisingly, most of the interviewees believed that they should become more comfortable, confident, and find the most suitable and effective studying methods for themselves. The remaining students also had similar thoughts, they believed that they should think positively, think about their own future to have more motivation to study.

4.1.1.2 Teacher interview

In order to gain a more objective perspective on the factors that cause demotivation in English language learning among students, 5 English teachers were invited to answer 3 interview questions on this issue. They were all experienced English teachers, specifically with experience ranging from 15 to 22 years in teaching this language.

In question 1, when being asked “Do you think demotivating factors negatively affect your students in learning English?”, all teachers agreed. In addition, one of them also added that it affected learners in their contribution to class lesson, made them feel bored and lack confidence in their participation in class. Another teacher also shared her opinion that “The key internal and external demotivating factors identified in past research include ineffective teaching methods, inappropriate teaching materials, aspects of the curriculum, class atmosphere, attitude of teachers, unsatisfactory test results, negative attitude of students towards the target language, experience of failure, lack of self-confidence, and lack of learning facilities.”

Regarding to the question 2 “What factors do you believe have the biggest negative impact on your student’s motivation to learn English?”, almost all teachers first mentioned the lack of confidence, then was the facilities and atmosphere of the classroom including lack of school equipment or overcrowded classrooms. Other factors were also mentioned such as the teaching method of the teacher and the attitude of classmates when someone makes a mistake.

When being asked “In your opinion, what should your students do to limit these demotivating factors?” the teachers each had a different response. However, they generally agreed that students should practice English more, become more active and proactive in learning English. Moreover, two of the teachers also added that creating a friendly and interactive learning environment would also contribute to increasing student motivation.

4.2 Discussion

The purpose of this study was to look at the reasons that English majored sophomores at Tay Do University found to be demotivating when studying the language. The findings indicated that the majority of the students had been studying English for a long time, and fortunately, they understood the value of motivation in language learning. However, among the participants, a large number of students were impacted by factors that reduce their motivation. It was difficult to identify one component as the primary source of demotivation in the English learning process because there were so many other factors at play. The results of the study showed that students’ demotivating factors in learning English included learner-related, subject-related, learning context-related, teacher-related, and parent-related demotivating factors.

First and foremost, it was unexpected that the learner-related factors were the ones that students found to be causing them the most difficulties in learning English. More precisely, over two-third of the students who participated in the questionnaire claimed that lack of confidence, lack of effective learning methods, lack of interest in English, and facing many difficulties in learning this language were the factors that demotivate them in learning English, which originated from themselves.

Secondly, the majority of the participants agreed with the views that learning English was too challenging. This may be because of the difficulty level of English. If a subject is too challenging for a student, they may feel overwhelmed and discouraged, leading to a lack of motivation to continue learning. Furthermore, many students have also agreed that unattractive content or too much focus on grammar also made them feel bored.

Thirdly, it can be concluded that the learning environment including the facilities and classroom atmosphere were also important aspects that determined the interest of the student. To be more specific, many of the participants were demotivated when the school’s facilities were not guaranteed, such as a lack of technological devices that were necessary for learning or not being effectively utilized. Furthermore, many students agreed that a noisy classroom, lack of interaction or not many activities also contribute to students losing motivation.

Fourthly, parental factors had a significant impact on students’ motivation in learning English. The absence of parental support and trust had a negative influence on students’ motivation to learn English. Additionally, financial problems were also a contributing factor in the loss of motivation.

Finally, the results based on the questionnaire and the teacher interview showed that teacher-related demotivated factors also had an effect on students. Factors such as the teacher’s teaching method, the difficulty of understanding the lesson, and the teacher’s commitment were important factors for students’ motivation.

5. CONCLUSION, IMPLICATION, LIMITATIONS, AND RECOMMENDATIONS

This chapter includes the conclusions, the implications, the limitations, and the recommendations.

5.1 Conclusions

English is considered to be one of the most important languages in the world. In today’s globalized world, having a good command of English is becoming increasingly essential and can greatly benefit individuals in their personal and professional lives. However, being able to become proficient in this language is not easy; there are many factors that cause difficulties in learning English, including those that cause demotivation. Difficulties in learning English can often be attributed to a lack of motivation. When one lacks motivation, they may struggle to find the drive to learn. This can lead to a lack of progress. Without a clear goal or reason for learning English, it can be hard to stay focused and stay committed to the learning process. It is important to find ways to keep oneself motivated; however, it is also important to know what demotivates learners because it can help them understand the root cause of why they may be feeling unmotivated or discouraged. Identifying what demotivates students allows them to take corrective measures and develop strategies to overcome or avoid those situations in the future. It can also help them make adjustments to their goals and priorities to better align them with their interests and values, which in turn can increase their motivation and overall satisfaction.

As stated in Chapter 1, the research was conducted to find out the demotivating factors in learning English of English-majored sophomores at Tay Do University. Additionally, it was hoped that conducting this research enabled students to identify the factors that were demotivating them and found effective solutions. After carrying out this study and evaluating the vital information gathered from the participants, the researcher came to the conclusion that sophomores at Tay Do University majoring in English had demotivating impacts on the process of learning English. The researcher also identified a few factors that decreased students’ motivation in learning English. These demotivating factors included those that were learner-related, subject-related, learning context-related, parent-related, and teacher-related. The findings of the study indicated that these factors demotivated students in their process of learning English. Fortunately, the majority of students believed that it was important to identify the factors that discouraged them from studying English; therefore, this research was beneficial for students to identify the demotivating elements and learn how to avoid them.

5.2 Implications

The research on demotivating factors in learning English among English majored sophomores has significant implications for both educators and students. The findings of this study can be used to develop effective strategies and interventions that address the identified demotivating factors, which can help improve students’ motivation and engagement in English language learning.

For learning, I hope that each student should be more active in learning English in order to create a dynamic and effective learning environment. They should actively seek opportunities to immerse themselves in English, spend more time to find interesting points in learning English and acknowledge its significance, boost their confidence, establish specific learning objectives, and discover an appropriate and effective approach to learning the language. As a result, they could avoid demotivating factors or even create their new motivation to learn English.

For teaching, the study highlights the importance of providing a supportive learning environment that encourages students’ motivation and engagement in the language learning process. I expect that teachers can help their students avoid demotivating factors by proving that they are competent teachers with scientific teaching methods. In addition, they can also encourage their students by creating a good learning environment to make students feel interested in the lesson.

Moreover, being educated in a dynamic environment, having assured facilities and receiving support and trust from parents also has great implications for students’ motivation. The implications of this research can extend beyond English language learning and inform the development of strategies and interventions in other subject areas where students’ motivation and engagement are critical to academic success. Overall, this research is hoped to contribute to enhancing the quality of education and student outcomes.

5.3 Limitations

Despite the great efforts of the researcher and the dedicated guidance of the supervisor, there were still some limitations in this study that may affect the results. Firstly, this was the first time the researchers conducted such a real study, as well as the limitation of time and knowledge about demotivating factors, so mistakes in this study were unavoidable. Secondly, the process of contacting the participants for their opinions was not very favorable because at the time of conducting the survey, the second-year students had completed the semester and were not present at the school. Fortunately, thanks to the supervisor’s arrangement, the researcher finally had a chance to collect sufficient data. Moreover, some of the participants who joined the study were not really focused and careful in answering the questionnaire, so the process of data analysis was quite time-consuming and difficult. Finally, the researcher also encountered quite a lot of difficulties finding relevant materials because there were very few studies related to demotivating factors. However, regardless of all the limitations, the researcher expects that this study will be helpful to the English-majored sophomores at Tay Do University as well as all the English learners.

5.4 Recommendations

As this research has found out the demotivating factors students may experience during their process of learning English, it is recommended that other studies continue looking for solutions to decrease the demotivating factors in order to maximize the benefits for students. Besides, since the majority of the participants in this study were English-majored sophomores, it is suggested that further research should look into potential causes of demotivation that English-majored freshmen, juniors, and seniors, or even non-English majored students may encounter in their process of learning English.

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Appendix A: Questionnaire for students

Dear friends,

My name is Do Trong Dai and I am currently an English-majored senior at Tay Do University. I am conducting a research entitled “An investigation into the demotivating factors in learning English of English-majored sophomores at Tay Do University” which is designed to collect your opinions about demotivating factors in learning English. I really appreciate your kind help for taking some of your precious time to help me in this research. Please complete the questionnaire below carefully because your answers are very important to this study. Once again thanks for your help.

Before starting this questionnaire, please fill in the following blanks.

Personal information:

Class: ………………………………….

Gender: ………………………………..

Age: ……………………………………

Part 1: Please read the following questions carefully and choose the appropriate answer(s) for each question. Give specific answers if needed.

1. Where are you from?
2. City
3. Countryside
4. How long have you studied English?

………. years.

3. What do you think about motivation in learning English?
4. Very important
5. Important
6. Normal
7. Not important
8. Not important at all
9. How often do you feel unmotivated in learning English?
10. Always
11. Often
12. Sometimes
13. Rarely
14. Never
15. How do you evaluate the necessity of recognizing the demotivating factors in learning English?
16. Very important
17. Important
18. Normal
19. Not important
20. Not important at all

Part 2: Please check (✔) only one column for each statement in the following table, according to the 5-degree Likert-type scale, namely

• Strongly agree
• Agree
• Neutral
• Disagree
• Strongly disagree

Appendix B:  Interview for students

Dear friends,

My name is Do Trong Dai and I am currently an English-majored senior at Tay Do University. I am conducting a research entitled “An investigation into the demotivating factors in learning English of English-majored sophomores at Tay Do University” which is designed to collect your opinions about demotivating factors in learning English. I really appreciate your kind help for taking some of your precious time to help me in this research. Please complete the interview questions below carefully because your answers are very important to this study. Once again thanks for your help.

Before starting this interview, please fill in the following blanks.

Personal information:

Class: ………………………………….

Gender: ………………………………..

Age: ……………………………………

1. Do you think demotivating factors negatively affect you in learning English?

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

2. What factors do you believe have the biggest negative impact on your motivation to learn English?

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

3. In your opinion, what should you do to limit these demotivating factors?

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

Appendix C: Interview for teachers

Dear teachers,

My name is Do Trong Dai and I am currently an English-majored senior at Tay Do University. I am conducting a research entitled “An investigation into the demotivating factors in learning English of English-majored sophomores at Tay Do University” which is designed to collect your opinions about demotivating factors in learning English. I really appreciate your kind help for taking some of your precious time to help me in this research. Please complete the interview questions below carefully because your answers are very important to this study. Once again thanks for your help.

Before starting this interview, please fill in the blank below.

I have taught English for ……….. years.

1. Do you think demotivating factors negatively affect your students in learning English?

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………                       …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………                       …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………                       …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………                       …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

2. What factors do you believe have the biggest negative impact on your students’ motivation to learn English?

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

3. In your opinion, what should your students do to limit these demotivating factors?

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………