Students' Motivation for Verbal Communication in the Classroom

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Degree Paper

15 högskolepoäng, avancerad nivå

Students‟ Motivation for Verbal

Communication in the Classroom

Elevers motivation för muntlig kommunikation i

klassrummet

Emelie Johansson

Lärarexamen 270hp Handledare: Ange handledare

Engelska och lärande 2010-12-20

Examinator: Björn Sundmark Handledare: Malin Glimäng Lärarutbildningen

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Abstract

The purpose of this dissertation is to explore what underlying factors play into students‟ motivation towards participating in verbal communication in the classroom. The first aim is to find out what the students themselves express and believe motivates them to learn spoken English, and the second aim is to find out what the students feel hinders them from engaging in verbal communication in the classroom. This qualitative study is based on questionnaires followed by group interviews with students who were selected as a result of the survey. The study was carried out at an upper secondary school in southern Sweden in the courses English A and B.

The results show that the students are motivated both by the relevance of English for their future studies and professions as well as the will to identify with English speaking cultures, thus showing a combination of instrumental and integrative motivation. The students also express elements such as speaking anxiety and group size to be a hindrance in their language learning. In addition, several points were made regarding how the teacher might help the students participate more in oral communication through for example arranging smaller groups, only allowing English and having more speaking exercises in class.

Keywords: Communicative Language Teaching, Instrumental & Integrative Motivation, Self-Efficacy, Speaking Anxiety, Willingness to Communicate

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1. Introduction

"The difference between a successful person and others is not a lack of strength, not a lack of

knowledge, but rather in a lack of will." – Vincent T. Lombardi

1.1 Background

In many areas of life the “whole” person is acknowledged and seen as important when it comes to development and growth. In the world of sports for example a great deal of thought is put into not only the physical aspects of an athlete‟s performance but also the psychological factors as reflected in the quote above. Will, positive thinking and motivation all play a large role in the success of athletes, and sports psychology has gained more ground in recent years. Even though these aspects are a given within sports and physical education, they are not as obvious in other school subjects. Motivation, will and positive attitudes have often taken a less prominent role in the more theoretical subjects in school. The language classroom is one of those school settings. However, recent research has shown that a very positive attitude towards the target language plays an important role for learners‟ motivation and as a result also their grades. An example of this is found in a study by Masgoret & Gardner who claim that “individuals who want (...) to identify with the other language groups will be more motivated to learn the language than individuals who do not” (2003, p. 172). In addition, in a study by Gardner, results show a strong correlation between students‟ positive motivation and a will to keep learning (Lightbown & Spada, 2006, p.63). This indicates that a high level of positive motivation and attitudes impact the students‟ grades. Motivation and will are therefore important aspects of successful language acquisition. It is in the light of this

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research that I want to focus on students‟ motivation with regards to learning English as a second language.

According to the syllabus for English A, the purpose of the course is to give the students an all-round communication which includes receptive, interactive and productive skills and thus one of the goals is that students need to be able to communicate verbally. In addition, „the goals to obtain‟ specify that the students should be able to orally communicate information and descriptions of specific areas (Skolverket, 2000, English A). Also in English B a lot of emphasis is put on the verbal communication where the students should be able to use spoken English in various ways (Skolverket, 2000, English B). Although, when it comes to speaking in the classroom many students are anxious and nervous and therefore also lack the will to communicate orally. In grade 5 for example, research from the National Agency of Education show that almost half of the students feel insecure speaking in the classroom and believe it is embarrassing if they make mistakes speaking English (Myndigheten för skolutveckling, 2008, p.20). In my experience, the verbal aspect of the all-round communication therefore often falls behind other aspects of communication such as writing in second language learning.

It is hence of great importance for teachers in Sweden today to acknowledge the aspect of speaking in second language acquisition. According to research by the National Agency of Education in the national evaluation, students find the communicative side of the language the most useful and fun because of its position as an international language (Skolverket, 2004, p.75). According to this study, the students recognize English as an important language and they focus on the communicative side of it. As stated above, the syllabi for English A and English B also emphasize the communicative side of English as a language. It is therefore of importance that the skill of speaking is not forgotten in the classroom; rather, verbal communication should be focused on by the teachers. The intention of this paper is to gain a deeper understanding of what motivates the students to actually participate in communication focusing on the skill of speaking in the classroom. There is a lot of previous research directed towards the field of motivation to English as a whole, but there is a gap in research when it comes to motivation especially directed towards the skill of speaking. In this essay I therefore intend to explore the driving forces behind students‟ will to participate in communicative features in the

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classroom. This study also aims at investigating the possible obstacles students might feel towards participating in verbal communication exercises. Thus, this paper aims at investigating students‟ motivation towards speaking in the classroom, and possible hindrances.

1.2 Purpose and Research Question

The purpose of this study is to examine what motivational driving forces lie behind students‟ will to participate in oral communicative features in the English classroom. The paper also sets out to identify possible hindrances the students express when it comes to participating verbally in the classroom. This qualitative research is conducted by using triangulation in the form of a questionnaire and interviews.

The main research questions that this essay aims to investigate are:

1) What different types of motivation do the students of English express towards participating in oral communication in the classroom?

2) What obstacles do the students feel hinders them from participating in verbal communication in the classroom?

1.3 Concepts

This section outlines central concepts used in the study at hand.

1.3.1. Communicative Language Teaching

Communicative language teaching, from here on referred to as CLT, is a complex teaching method that mainly focuses on the communicative skills within language learning. In this approach the goal is to enhance the students‟ communicative competence. The underlying principles are amongst others the use of authentic language, opportunities for students to express their ideas and opinions as well as the presence of a social context where the communication serves a purpose and has a meaning. Within CLT language games are frequently used because of the information

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gap and the common features it shares with authentic communication. The information gap provides a meaning for the exchange of information and there is thus a purpose for the exchange. In CLT the focus is on using the language, making it meaningful through information gaps and the use of opinions and thoughts (Larsen-Freeman, 2000, p.121-135). In real life, communication arises when there is information that needs to be exchanged. This implies that the information is new to one or more of the participants in the communication. If all of the information is already known by everyone, communicating it would be unnecessary and irrelevant. This is often the case in the classroom, but is addressed by CLT where focus is on constructing these information gaps linking classroom communication to real life situations. This way, the communication feels more relevant for the students. Expressing personal feelings and thoughts are also common features of real life conversation. Such conversation is also included in CLT where there are no fixed frames but rather the students are free to express their own feelings, thoughts and opinions. CLT thus try to mimic real life conversation in order for the students to feel it is a more meaningful and relevant communication.

1.3.2. Self-Efficacy

Self-efficacy deals with the individual‟s perception of his or her own ability to perform in different situations. In this essay self-efficacy will be defined as the “individual‟s judgement of his or her capabilities to perform given actions” (Schunk, 1991, p. 270). Self-efficacy is of great importance since it directly impacts learners‟ motivation to carry out tasks and actions in the classroom. It is also especially important in connection to the learners‟ speaking anxiety and lack of motivation when it comes to the communicative elements in the classroom (Schunk, 1991, p. 270).

1.3.3. Willingness to Communicate

The term Willingness to Communicate, WTC, refers to the students‟ inclination to communicate with certain people in a certain setting at a certain time in the second language (L2). This willingness to communicate is also influenced by the students‟ motivation and attitudes towards the language and therefore it is very difficult to separate the concepts of motivation, attitude and WTC (Cetinkaya, 2005, p.4). A study

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by Gardner for example shows a correlation between motivation and a will to keep learning (Lightbown & Spada, 2006, p.63). If the students have a positive motivation or a positive attitude towards the language, they will be inclined to have a stronger will to communicate. In addition, this concept is also influenced by self-efficacy where a high self-confidence towards the language will lead to a higher WTC. If the students feel they are capable of engaging in conversations, they are more likely to actually do so (Cetinkaya, 2005, p.4).

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2. Relevant Theories & Previous Research

2.1 Theories on Motivation

2.1.1 Intrinsic and Extrinsic Motivation

There are many different ways of looking at motivation but one of the more common thoughts and concepts that spring to mind when discussing motivation is that of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation. These two concepts are each other‟s opposites, but at the same time they complement each other.

Intrinsic motivation is the inner force which makes the student wish and want to learn. Here one can speak about emotions such as interest and joy to learn where the person him or herself is completely in control and chooses what he or she wants to learn. When it comes to the intrinsic motivation, no external reward is present (Ahl, 2004, p.46-47).

Extrinsic motivation on the other hand, is the influence of outer aspects such as force, social norms, rewards and punishment. Hence, all the things that originates outside the person. However, it is not as clear cut as this, since extrinsic motivation can function as a catalyst for a deeper intrinsic motivation. The two can consequently work together in the same direction but at the same time pull the person in different directions. There are therefore a large number of combinations of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation that are both separate but at the same time overlap (Ahl, 2004, p.46-47).

2.1.2 Integrative Motivation and the Socio-Educational Model

“Integrative motivation” is when language learning acts mainly for personal growth and a feeling of cultural belonging as the students are part of the social community that is the world (Lightbown & Spada, 2006, p.64). In the socio-educational model of second language acquisition, language achievement is said to derive from both motivation and

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language aptitude, where motivation in its turn is derived from two aspects. These aspects that come together and form motivation are the attitudes students have towards the learning situation and “integrativeness” (Gardner, 2002, p.5). So the three variables attitudes, integrativeness and motivation form the integrative motivation. The variable of integrativeness is the conception of a “genuine interest in learning the second language in order to come closer to the other language community” (Gardner, 2002, p.5). Other factors integrativeness motivation language achievement

attitudes toward the learning situation

integrative motivation

language aptitude

Figure 1: The Socio-Educational Model of Second Language Acquisition. From: Gardner, R. C. (2002). Integrative Motivation and Second Language Acquisition. In Dörnyei Z. & Schmidt R. (Eds.) Motivation and

Second Language Acquisition (1-19). Honolulu: University of Hawai’i Press.

In addition, acquiring a new language includes and “requires the adoption of word sounds, pronunciations, word orders and other behavioural and cognitive features that are a part of another culture”, which are all included in the integrative motivation (Masgoret & Gardner, 2003, p. 172). Furthermore, studies have shown that “individuals who want (or are willing) to identify with the other language groups will be more motivated to learn the language than individuals who do not” (Masgoret & Gardner, 2003, p. 172).

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The term instrumental motivation was, just as integrative motivation, coined by Robert Gardner and Wallace Lambert and refers to language learning that has a more direct or practical goal compared to integrative motivation. Here, one can talk about the drive to learn something for future use, in the learner‟s future profession for example. Even though instrumental motivation and integrative motivation are two separate ideas on motivation the two are sometimes hard to distinguish between and they often overlap (Lightbown & Spada, 2006, p.64).

2.2 Motivation in the Classroom

When it comes to motivation in school, many studies point to the correlation between students‟ motivation and their success in learning the second language. In research conducted by Robert Gardner the results show that “positive motivation is associated with a willingness to keep learning” (Lightbown & Spada, 2006, p.63).

However, correlation between motivation and success in the target language is very tricky to prove since it is hard to say which comes first. It could be that high motivation leads to great success in the subject, but it could also be that success in the subject leads to higher motivation and more positive attitudes. Furthermore, it is hard to investigate whether or not these variables are also affected by other factors and one cannot prove which of the variables produces the other variable (Lightbown & Spada, 2006, p.63).

Motivation towards second language learning has been defined according to two factors. The first factor is the student‟s communicative needs where learning will occur if the student feels the need to speak the second language in a wide range of social situations. This factor plays into the role of English in the world and community today where the students might need the language to interact in different social situations and also in their professional lives. They will thus be motivated to increase their proficiency in the second language. The second factor has to do with the student‟s attitude towards the targeted language‟s community and culture. This second factor overlaps the first one in the sense that if the students have positive attitudes towards the speakers of the language in question they will, as a result, desire more contact with them and a closer identification with them. In doing this the need to speak English, as in the first

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motivational factor, will also increase. These factors are also integrated into the instrumental and integrative motivation (Lightbown & Spada, 2006, p. 63).

2.3 Classroom Communication

In recent years, focus has shifted from form to function when it comes to the English language in schools. When there was a higher emphasis on form, written production was considered superior to speech. However, as the notion of function is gaining ground, more emphasis is also being put on the oral part of the language. In the current curriculum and syllabus for English, the focus is on communication in different ways where verbal communication forms one part (Skolverket, 2000). With the shift in the curriculum, a shift has also been seen in the teaching of English in schools where communication is now given a role in the foreground. With the ongoing globalisation, the skill of communication has also increased in importance since English has become a lingua franca (Crystal, 2003). A recent study conducted by Cetinkaya (2005) shows that students are less willing to communicate verbally in their second language with peers and teachers who share the same first language. The learners expressed that it was “absurd” (p. 116) to speak English with someone who had the same first language. In this study the students also expressed the will to communicate with a native speaker and that their willingness to speak thus would increase in this scenario (Cetinkaya, 2005, p.116).

2.4 Communication in the Syllabus

As stated above, the syllabus has shifted from a focus on form to a focus on function where a large number of the goals emphasize communicative skills. In addition, many of the goals focus on verbal communication both in the syllabus for English A and English B. For example, two of the goals to attain in English A state that the students should:

desire, have the confidence and be able without preparation to take part in discussions on familiar subjects and exchange

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information, personal views and experiences (…) be able with preparation to verbally provide information about or describe a subject or area of interest, and show evidence of adapting their language to the requirements of the situation. (Skolverket, 2000, English A)

In English B the demands for oral communication are even higher: the students should be able to:

(...) discuss in appropriate language, different subjects and keep a discussion going (…) actively take part in discussions, and be able to present and deal with the merits of opposing arguments (…) provide coherent oral descriptions and explanations of phenomena. (Skolverket, 2000, English B)

In addition they should “be able to orally (…) summarise and comment on different types of texts” (Skolverket, 2000, English B).

2.5 Willingness to Communicate

Research has shown that students‟ willingness to communicate is influenced by their motivation and attitudes towards the language. A study by Baker & MacIntyre shows a correlation between a low anxiety towards the target language, a high willingness to speak and a greater competence in the language. There is also a correlation between a high level of anxiety and a low willingness to communicate (Cetinkaya, 2005, p.4). Another study also shows a strong correlation between social support, such as support from family, teacher and friends and willingness to communicate in the second language. Here, the friends‟ support seems to have the strongest impact on a student‟s WTC (Cetinkaya, 2005, p.22).

The student‟s WTC is also influenced by self-efficacy. If the student feels he or she is capable of participating in verbal communication in certain settings, there will be an increased WTC. Thus, it is of great importance that teachers adhere to this and refrain from placing exaggerated demands on the students. It is important that the students feel confident towards the given exercise so that room will be made for the WTC to increase and consequently enhance the learning situation (Cetinkaya, 2005, p.4).

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According to MacIntyre et al. a student‟s WTC is also influenced by the background the student has in learning a second language. If earlier language learning situations have been positive, this leads to an increased self-confidence “which is based on a lack of anxiety combined with a sufficient level of communicative competence” (MacIntyre, Clément, Dörnyei & Noels, 1998, p. 548).

2.6 Speaking Anxiety

Previous research demonstrates that there is a link between anxiety towards the second language and achievement in this language. A study by Steinberg and Horwitz indicate that students with more anxiety are less prone to communicate or use communicative strategies in the language classroom. The subjective feelings that students with anxiety have are for example worry and fear and these feelings are similar to persons with anxiety in any aspects of life. According to Horwitz, students with a high level of anxiety also have difficulties concentrating, often miss class, have palpitations and can even experience sleep deprivation due to the anxiety. He claims that anxiety towards second language also specifically centres on speaking and listening where most problems and anxiety are reported with reference to the skill of speaking in the classroom (Horwitz, 1986).

Anxiety often interferes with language learning, and the result might be that anxious students fail to focus on the actual task at hand since they are more worried about not making mistakes (MacIntyre, 1995, p. 93). Anxiety of speaking also affects the students‟ self-esteem since the students are more vulnerable each time they are expected to share authentic information in the L2. In addition, students with a high level of speaking anxiety express that they are afraid of making mistakes and being constantly corrected by the teacher (Horwitz, 1986).

A Study by MacIntyre and Gardner, dealing with anxiety as a wider concept, indicate that anxiety has a negative effect on both short-term and long-term memory. The study also shows “that anxiety impaired performance in a wide range of repetition (...) and learning tasks” (MacIntyre, 1995, p. 93). Low levels of anxiety can accumulate and lead

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to a significant difference in self-esteem and performance in the second language. It is therefore important to attempt to remove possible triggers for anxiety in the classroom.

2.7 Nu-03

According to a study conducted in 2003 by the National Agency for Education, the students who study English feel confident with their abilities and proficiency level. The students both want to and dare to use English to communicate both in school and outside of school. In this study, the subject of English is also described as one of the most interesting subjects in school together with music and physical education. In addition, English was rated the most important subject in school. Together with the subjects of Swedish and Mathematics, English was considered the most important subject because of the fact that the students will use their knowledge in this subject in their future careers (Skolverket, 2004, p.75).

2.8 Motivation to Learn English as a Second Language

Studies have been made when it comes to the students‟ motivation towards the subject of English as a whole. These studies emphasize the fact that students are motivated to learn English because of its position in the world which makes the subject relevant. Persson & Ljungman argue that many students feel that they will have great use of the English language in the future as well as in the present. In addition, Persson & Ljungman claim that students have a good attitude towards the language since it is such a significant part of their lifestyles (Persson & Ljungman, 2009, p. 26-45). The students in this research also took responsibility for their own motivation towards learning English. The students “see themselves as the main drive and force” and they do not place the responsibility for their motivation on the teacher (Persson & Ljungman, 2009, p. 46). The teacher can so to speak not affect their motivation.

Another dissertation study conducted by Sköld, show the complexity of motivation and anxiety towards the L2 and spoken English in particular. Sköld identifies four different aspects that affect the amount of spoken English in class. These aspects are the group,

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the teacher‟s view on certain exercises, the planning of the lesson and the types of communicative exercises (Sköld, 2008, p.23). In this study, the students also believe that spoken English would be of great use for them in the future and they show an understanding of the need to master spoken English. However, the study also confirmed that there are large differences in how much spoken English is practised among students, due to speaking anxiety. This indicates differences in opportunities to enhance the skill of spoken communication between students with different amounts of speaking anxiety (Sköld, 2008, p. 24).

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3. Method

The empirical part of this essay is based on two group interviews. These interviews are of a qualitative nature with open-response questions. Triangulation is used to get as much information as possible about students‟ motivation to communicate in the classroom. Both interviews and questionnaires are therefore used in this study. The questionnaire will form the basis of the interviews and serves as a springboard into the material.

3.1 Data Collection

3.1.1 Questionnaire

The questionnaire is constructed with both closed-response items and open-response items to get as variegated information as possible. The closed-response items collect information that is comparable to different categories in the study. The open-response items give guidance as to what the central issues of the study are and function as the basis of the more structured interview (Brown, 2009). The answers from the questionnaire are presented in charts in order to make the results more visible and the questionnaire also functions as an entryway into the material where interviewees are selected.

3.1.2 Semi-Structured Group Interviews

The questionnaire functions as a springboard into the central issues of the study and the results from the interviews are the main focus. The interviews give an opportunity to get a deeper and broader knowledge of the students‟ thoughts and experiences with regards to participating in the communicative features in the classroom. The interviews are semi-structured group interviews. The reason for this is to cover the necessary areas but

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at the same time allow the interviewees to be flexible and discuss certain areas more in depth (Richards, 2009).

The qualitative part of this research is, as stated above, in the form of interviews where the interviewees are selected due to their answers in the questionnaire. This is to get as varied a spread as possible and to get relevant interviewees for this study. Here, special attention is paid to what this particular group thinks about communicating verbally in the classroom.

3.2 Selection and Participants

In this paper, focus will be on the students of an upper secondary school who attend the courses of English A and English B. The reason for focusing on these particular students was that I already had access to this school and the students. The reason for choosing the students who took the course English A and B is because the syllabi strongly emphasize the communicative skills and communication, in different ways, is the goal of these courses. 19 girls and 42 boys participated in the questionnaire.

Two girls and one boy who attend English B were interviewed in the first group interview. They are referred to as April, Coco and Pelle which are fictive names as to remain anonymous. In the second interview, three boys who attend English A participated. They will in this essay be referred to as Michael, Martin and Dennis and these names are naturally also invented for the purpose of anonymity.

3.3 Procedure

In performing this investigation, a green light was given by the principal of the programme. No letter to the parents was needed. However, information about the voluntary participation in the investigation was carefully explained to everyone concerned. In addition, extra precaution was taken in informing the participants about anonymity, confidentiality and right of use as described in more detail in the chapter

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The questionnaires were handed out during class, and everyone who wanted to participate was free to do so. For the purpose of finding interviewees, the students who were interested in participating in an interview were asked to write their names on the questionnaire. Again, this was voluntary and if they wrote their name down, I would be the only one to see it.

The interviewees were selected from the questionnaires and contacted. They all received information about the subject of the study beforehand. The interviews were then conducted in two group interviews where the interviewees all knew each other. This was to get as good a discussion going as possible. The interviews were also recorded with the use of a voice recorder. All of the participants were also informed about this and agreed to being recoded. These recordings are transcribed and anonymous.

3.5 Ethical Considerations

In the data collection special considerations are made when it comes to the following four points which are stipulated by the Swedish Scientific Council; the demand for information, consent, confidentiality and right of use. These four aspects of an ethical mindset are discussed below.

A brief introduction to the research project was presented to the participating students. Here, the focus was to give the students a clear picture of what was being researched without giving away too much information so as to not jeopardize the research itself. Information was given out when it came to consent where each student was informed that participation in the research was voluntary and that they could choose to leave at any time. Just because they agreed to participate initially in the research this did not mean they had to finish it. They were all there voluntarily. Special consideration was taken when it came to confidentiality where all of the questionnaires were anonymous, unless the students wanted to be a part of the interviews in which case they signed the questionnaire. These names were later removed so that every questionnaire was anonymous. In the interviews, no names are mentioned and fictitious names are being used in this essay. The students were also informed that the results of the investigation

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will only be presented and used in this essay and possibly other academic research (Vetenskapsrådet, 1990).

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4. Results

The results from both the questionnaire and the interviews are presented in thematic parts below. These themes are visible both in the questionnaire and in the interviews and adhere to previous research on the topic of motivation and communication. This section starts with the results from the questionnaires where the thematic parts are: the students‟ use of English, speaking anxiety and their future use of the language. The second part of this section focuses on the results from the interviews. Here, the thematic parts from above are presented again, with an addition of the students‟ attitudes towards English as a language and culture.

4.1 Questionnaires

4.1.1. English-use

In answering the questionnaires, the students seem to find the skill of speaking to be the most important as can be seen in figure 2. Speaking is also seen as the most fun skill to practise in the classroom. However, only 5 students of 61 expressed that they feel this is also the skill most practised in the classroom. The skills of writing and reading are overall expressed to be the skills that are practised the most in the classroom.

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Figure 2.The view students have of English in the classroom.

In expressing that spoken English is the most important feature to learn in the classroom the students explain the reasons behind its importance to be the ability to communicate with people from all over the world.

Although the students express that the main focus is placed on writing and reading during the lessons, a majority, 46 out of 61 students, express that they do speak English during every lesson. However, not all of them are comfortable speaking in the classroom as can be seen in the next chapter. 21 out of 61 students also express that the reason for speaking English during every lesson is to show the teacher that they can speak English and to raise your grade. A few students, 5, say that they speak English during every lesson because they enjoy speaking the language. Out of the 15 students who say they do not speak English during every lesson the most common reasons for this are that they are not given a chance to speak every lesson and that it is sometimes unnecessary (4), that they feel it is “meaningless” to speak English to a person who knows Swedish (2) and that they feel shy speaking English (3).

The students also express that they speak more during some exercises in class than during others. The exercise where the students experience and feel they get to practise and use their spoken English the most is during discussion questions, 29 out of 61. Ten students believe they use spoken English the most during different kinds of pair work, nine students feel they use spoken English the most during role-play and eight students

0 10 20 30 40 50 60

Speaking Listening Writing Reading Incomplete answers

The View of English-use in the Classroom

The most important Practised most in the classroom

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express that they use it the most during games and competitions. For this particular question, five students did not give an answer.

4.1.2. Speaking Anxiety

Even though a majority of the students express that they speak English during every lesson many students, 26, also express that there are certain factors that make them more nervous speaking English in the classroom. The most common answers and reasons for nervousness in the classroom are insecurity when it comes to pronunciation, making errors, stage fright, speaking about something rehearsed and speaking in front of a large group. However, 35 students say that there is not anything that makes them nervous about speaking English in the classroom.

In answering the question regarding what group size they prefer to speak English in, a majority of the students prefer to speak English in a group of three to four members. However, 14 students express that they rather speak in a group with five to ten members. Only four students prefer to speak in a larger group of 11-15 other students.

The responses to the question regarding whether the students were afraid of making mistakes when speaking in the classroom, show that a majority are not afraid. There are nevertheless a few students who do feel afraid of making mistakes when speaking English which corresponds to what they answered regarding what made them nervous about speaking in the classroom. Here, one can also see that there is a significant discrepancy between how the girls and boys feel about making mistakes in the classroom when it comes to speaking. A majority of the boys answer no, that they are not afraid, whilst there is almost an equal number of girls answering yes as there are girls no as can be seen in figure 3. This is an interesting result which is further discussed in the discussion section below.

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Figure 3.Whether or not the students are afraid of making mistakes when speaking English in the classroom.

Many students have ambiguous feelings towards speaking English in the classroom as can be seen in the answers to question 10 in the questionnaire. For this specific question the answers are divided up into negative and positive feelings. The negative feelings are: nervous, afraid, palpitation, tense and shy. The positive feelings are: confident, cool, safe and relaxed. The students who only have negative connotations to speaking in the classroom are 20 of 61. Of these, 5 students circled all of the answers with negative connotations. 23 students only experience speaking in the classroom as something positive whilst 18 students have mixed feelings about speaking in the classroom. Here one can see that the answers are divided in almost equally big groups.

4.1.3. Motivation and Future Use of English

When it comes to the questions dealing with the importance and use of English there are some main categories visible from the students‟ answers. In figure 4, it can be seen that the students mainly think English is an important language to learn because of its position in the world. Only one student does not regard English to be as an important subject. 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35

Yes No Incomplete answer

Are You Afraid of Making Mistakes When Speaking

English in the Classroom?

Boys Girls

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Figure 4. Whether or not the students find English important and why

Many students also use English outside of the classroom and the most reoccurring answers are that students use English when playing computer games, using the online chat, watching movies and listening to music. Most of the students thus express that they do use English outside of school, however not much of this is connected to the skill of speaking. Most of the things they use English for in their free time involves listening, reading and writing in English but not speaking. The question is if these activities, such as watching movies and chatting online, are used frequently in the classroom. A lack in concordance between the students‟ use of English in their spare time and their use of English in the classroom could give an explanation as to why 7 students feel that English is an important subject but not to the extent they learn it in school. They might feel that there is a lack of concordance between what is taught in the classroom and what they use English for in their spare time.

In answering the question regarding what the teacher can do to motivate the students to speak more English in the classroom several different suggestions are given. The most frequent answer is that the teacher could not do anything to motivate them, 11 of 61. Three students also say that it is the students‟ own responsibility. However, many suggestions are also made as to what would motivate the students according to themselves as seen in figure 5.

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 Yes, global language Yes, to watch film and listen to music Yes, it is awesome

Yes, in work Yes, but not to the extent we learn it in school Not that important Incomplete answer

Is English Important?

Students' answers

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Figure 5. What the teacher can do to increase the students’ motivation for speaking in the classroom

14 students do not have any suggestions. The students who want the teacher to allow only English in the classroom express that this would make them more confident. One student wrote that “if everyone speaks English no one has to be ashamed” [author‟s translation]. Some of the suggestions from the other category include letting the students decide the topics to discuss in class and that the teacher should also speak English outside of class to make the transition easier.

When it comes to future use of spoken English there are two obvious categories evident in the students‟ answers. The first category deals with the use of English on a personal level with regards to holidays and travel. The use of spoken English in this category is mainly focused at being able to communicate with people from different countries when being abroad on vacation, 25 out of 61. The second category deals with the use of spoken English on a more professional level when it comes to studies and future work. Some students express that they want to study abroad and therefore will need to use spoken English. Others articulate that they aim to work in international companies or companies abroad and therefore will need to use spoken English in their future career as professionals, 19 out of 61. 0 2 4 6 8 10 12 More fun speaking exercises Smaller groups Only allowing English in the classroom Give positive feedback Other Students' answers

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4.2 Interviews

In this section, the results from the interviews are presented in thematic parts. In addition to the thematic parts in the section presenting the results from the questionnaires, the theme of students‟ attitudes towards English are presented.

The interviewees have fictive names and the interviewees who attend the course of English A are referred to as Martin, Michael and Dennis. The students who attend the English B course are referred to as April, Coco and Pelle.

4.2.1. English-use

All of the interviewees express that they encounter the English language on a daily basis, both in their spare time and in school. In their spare time most of the interviewees use English when it comes to playing on the computer, watching TV and listening to music. Martin also expresses that he speaks English to an exchange student who attends the school. Martin even says that “even if she wants to speak Swedish, I think it is more fun to speak English with her” (Appendix 4, 2010, p. 1, author‟s translation). Michael also uses English in his spare time to talk to friends from other countries. In addition, Michael says that he uses English a lot when he is out travelling. The interviewees in group two also pinpoint technology in different ways as a cause for them to speak and use English in their everyday lives.

Even though the interviewees have a relatively similar view on English use in the classroom there are also some differences. When asked which skill is the most fun, they all say speaking, even though other skills are mentioned as well. Speaking is first and foremost the most fun skill to acquire because this skill allows them to interact with other people. They all agree that the exercises where they speak the most English in the classroom are discussions of different kinds. However, they also state that the discussion has to be relevant in order for them to actually speak English and to feel that it is meaningful to do so. In addition, they feel that they, as students, seldom get to pick the topics of the discussions and that these discussions therefore tend to feel somewhat irrelevant.

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All of the interviewees express that they are comfortable speaking English in the classroom, however, even though the interviewed students are quite confident of their English abilities, they also express that they can get nervous depending on the situation. Pelle, for example feels more pressured to be accurate in the classroom than if he were to speak English outside of the classroom. Because of the pressure he feels more nervous to speak in the class than when speaking to an English speaking person outside of the classroom. He feels that “it becomes much more natural when you speak English to someone who has English as their native language” (Appendix 3, 2010, p. 4, author‟s translation). Martin also emphasizes the teacher‟s role in his nervousness towards speaking English in the classroom. He too feels he needs to be accurate to get as high a grade as possible. Coco feels especially nervous when speaking in front of her classmates to the point where, even though she is comfortable speaking English, speaking to rather than with her friends in the classroom makes her really nervous. She explains that “the difference is that when you talk with someone it feels more natural regardless of whom it is than if I am going to talk to someone” (Appendix 3, 2010, p. 4, author‟s translation).

April and Michael expresses the opposite: they are more relaxed speaking English in the classroom, because of the lower level of their classmates‟ English. Instead, they are more afraid of making mistakes in front of an English speaking person. April explains that:

(...) I have met English speaking people that I can speak to. (...) in some way I get so much respect for them because English is their mother tongue and they know it so well. So when I am communicating with them I am afraid of making mistakes all the time. Because I feel that if I make a small mistake they hear it quite clearly immediately considering I am not from England. (Appendix 3, 2010, p. 4, author‟s translation)

In both Pelle‟s and Coco‟s case the nervousness comes from unnatural settings and conversations. Pelle does not feel the need to speak English to his Swedish speaking friends and feels this is not a natural conversation. Therefore, he feels more nervous about speaking and about making mistakes in class than he would if he were speaking English with someone who does not speak Swedish. This communication would feel

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more meaningful to Pelle. The reason behind Coco‟s nervousness is also expressed as an unnatural setting where she feels it is more natural and meaningful to converse rather than to make oral presentations.

In the second interview, the interviewees also express a confidence towards speaking English in the classroom. However, Martin emphasizes that he does feel nervous about making mistakes in the classroom, not to his friends but to his teacher. When asked if they were afraid of making mistakes in the classroom he answered: “Yes, if the teacher hears it. You want them to think „Well, that was good‟. But then you make a mistake and then you feel „Shit, that‟s bad‟” (Appendix 4, 2010, p.5). He is nervous and afraid that his mistakes will be remembered by the teacher and will be counted against him when he is being graded.

Group size is also mentioned as an obstacle for speaking English in the classroom and communicating when the students want to have discussions in smaller groups. This is also one of the things the teacher has an influence on where the students feel more English is spoken when they are divided into smaller groups where the teacher is not the main focus but the topic of the discussion is. This would also help those students who are intimidated from speaking because of the fact that their mistakes in spoken English will affect their grades in a substantial way.

4.2.3. Motivation and Future Use

All of the interviewees state that they will use English in the future, some for studies and work others for vacations. A majority of the interviewed students express the need to know English since Sweden is such a small country and Swedish such a small language and due to the position the English language has in the world. They express that in order to get out of the borders of Sweden one needs to speak English. In interview one, Pelle explains that “… the motivation [for learning English] is that you can communicate with other people” (Appendix 3, 2010, p. 2, author‟s translation). This notion of using English to communicate, in different ways, reoccurs in interview two as well.

April says that she will use English a lot in the future because of the fact that she wants to move to an English speaking country. Also Coco and Pelle imply that you need to

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know English to get somewhere both geographically and professionally in the future. Michael wants to use his English for future travel and Dennis claims that knowing English “gives you freedom” (Appendix 4, 2010, p.5, author‟s translation).

The students in interview two also say that it is amusing to speak English in the classroom and to be able to get a discussion going. They say that rehearsing verbs is necessary but it is the speaking part that they find the most enjoyable. They also feel that speaking is the skill they will most likely use in the future in verbally communicating with other people. This refers to both when using English on a personal level and on a professional level. Consequently, they feel the communicative exercises in class are more meaningful than for example grammar exercises.

When it comes to their motivation for participating in discussions and argumentations of different kinds they express, as stated above, that the topics of the exercises have to be relevant. They prefer to choose the topic themselves even if they seldom get to. Michael and Dennis also state that they speak less English in the classroom when their friends choose to speak Swedish. If their classmates speak Swedish, they too shift to Swedish. Also April stresses the fact that she speaks less English than she is capable of because of her friends‟ choice to speak Swedish. She says that the reason she does not speak English all the time is that “no one else does it” (Appendix 3, 2010, p.5, author‟s translation).

The students also express that they feel capable of performing the given tasks when it comes to speaking exercises in the classroom. They feel that the exercises given by the teacher “are easy” (Appendix 3, 2010, p. 6, author‟s translation). This indicates self-efficacy and enhances the students‟ WTC and motivation.

4.2.4. Attitudes towards English

The interviewees‟ attitudes towards the English language and the different cultures that are connected with the language are rather positive. Michael and Martin express that they think it is “cool” to know English and Michael also says that the best part of listening to English is hearing the different dialects (Appendix 4, 2010, p.1). Michael also states that “it is awesome to know many languages, not only English. But English comes first” (Appendix 4, 2010, p.5, author‟s translation). Martin continues by saying

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that “if you are good at English then... it is cool” (Appendix 4, 2010, p. 5, author‟s translation). Furthermore, all of the interviewees in the second interview try to mimic and imitate different dialects when trying to enhance their verbal communication. It is also noteworthy that the three boys in the second interview code switch during the interview and they also mimic different dialects as the discussion proceeds. In this interview they also say that they all have a favourite dialect to imitate but that it can also shift depending on what mood they are in. They give the impression that they are quite familiar with different dialects and cultures of English and that they are intrigued by these. Michael even suggests that dialects are what make the English language so much fun. They also express that they want to sound like someone who speaks English well when speaking and they do not want to speak with a Swedish-influenced dialect.

Pelle, Coco and April think English dialects are really interesting and they also have a favourite dialect that they want to imitate. April explains that “there is nothing more fun than role play and theatre, because you get to engage with the English language and you have an opportunity to acquire an English dialect. You can exaggerate a bit and that is what makes it fun. Especially a British dialect. I love it!”(Appendix 3, 2010, p. 5, author‟s translation). April also feels she does not get to practice her British dialect that as much in school as she would have wanted. In addition, April wants to live in an English speaking country. The reason behind her wish to live in an English speaking country is that she wants to get away from Sweden and that she feels she is already so familiar with the English language and its cultures.

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5. Discussion

As a teacher in an English classroom, you can sometimes feel that there is so much that needs to be done. This study shows, as many other studies, that the students have a relatively high motivation when it comes to the subject of English. This should work to our advantage where the students come to class with a willingness to learn. However, I have felt this is not always the case when it comes to the spoken part of English. So with a high level of motivation towards the subject as a whole, how come so many students still hesitate to develop their oral skills? Is the motivation low when it comes to speaking? This study claims that it is not. So, what stops the students from engaging in communication in the classroom then? This is one of the more vital questions we as teachers of English need to acknowledge since, despite a high level of motivation also to the specific skill of speaking, many students does not reach their goals. Something in the classroom stifles the students‟ goals and dreams, working against our dreams as teachers with an inclusive school were everyone can be successful. Below, the main findings of this study are presented with suggestions as to how we as teachers can use the students‟ will to learn and increase an open classroom where everyone with a will to learn has a chance.

Many of the findings in this research correspond to the findings made in previous research (e.g. Cetinkaya, 2005; Nu-03, 2004; MacIntyre, 1995, Persson & Ljungman, 2009) which emphasize the complexity of motivation towards learning an L2. Many factors play into the motivation behind communication in the L2 such as attitude towards the target language and culture, WTC, speaking anxiety and future use. One can clearly see that the aspect of motivation is a very complex one with many different angles and characteristics. In this essay focus has been placed on students‟ motivation and willingness to participating in verbal communication in the classroom. In looking into this subject, the counterpoint to willingness to communicate, speaking anxiety has also been looked into. The aspects of willingness to speak and anxiety of speaking

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affects the motivation for verbally communicating in a second language. These aspects are therefore very difficult to separate. In addition, the attitudes students have towards the target language also affects their willingness to communicate and thus also their motivation.

Furthermore, there are different theories on motivation where intrinsic and extrinsic motivations are frequently reoccurring concepts. In this study theories on instrumental motivation and integrative motivation have also been included. These four aspects of motivation cover attitudes towards the target language as well as willingness to communicate and speaking anxiety. As seen above there are a number of ways to describe motivation towards a second language but what really does motivate the students to participate in verbal communication in the classroom?

Below, the focal points of the students‟ driving forces to learn spoken English and to communicate, which appeared in this study, are discussed. The obstacles one can experience when it comes to engaging in verbal communication are also discussed below.

Both in the questionnaire and in the two interviews, it is clearly shown that students experience both instrumental and integrative motivation towards participating in the verbal communication in class. The instrumental motivation is the more apparent of the two since this deal with concrete and practical goals such as studies and future profession (Lightbown & Spada, 2006, p.64). In the questionnaire, the instrumental motivation is apparent. Here, the students express that they will need spoken English in the future for studies and work specifically. The 19 students, who answered this, thus have a clear and practical goal in mind and could therefore be said to be driven by instrumental motivation. 25 students expressed that they will need spoken English for future holidays and emphasize the need to be able to communicate. They are also driven by a practical goal where they feel they will need and use spoken English in the future. In sum, one could say that 44 students out of 61 express some kind of instrumental motivation.

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The integrative motivation is harder to pinpoint since this deals with the attitudes students have towards the English language community. However, some integrative factors appear in the results. In the questionnaire, one student answered that English was an important subject to learn because it was “awesome”, indicating a positive attitude towards the English language community and culture. In addition, during the interviews, the students in the second interview made quite clear that they have a great knowledge of many English speaking countries and that they even try to mimic different dialects (Appendix 4, 2010). In ranking the dialects, where one was a clear favourite at the time, they show a will to come closer to this specific speech community which is what integrative motivation is all about. In addition, in trying to adopt word sounds, pronunciation and so forth they also show an interest and a will to be a part of the other culture (Masgoret & Gardner, 2003, p. 172). Michael also states that “it is awesome to know many languages, not only English. But English comes first” (Appendix 4, 2010, p.5, author‟s translation). Martin continues by saying that “if you are good at English then... it is cool” (Appendix 4, 2010, p. 5, author‟s translation).

This occurrence of mimicking and adopting word sounds and word order is also evident in interview 1. Here, April even goes as far as saying that she wants to move to an English speaking country and thus be closer and even integrated into the English culture (Appendix 3, 2010, p. 3).

During the interview the students were asked what motivated them to learn English and the field of application was one of the motivating factors. The students clearly see the usefulness of English as was also concluded in the National Evaluation in 2003, and they are therefore motivated to learn it. In addition, they constantly came back to the fact that they want to use English to communicate with other people and that this is what motivates them. Pelle says that “… the motivation [for learning English] is that you can communicate with other people” (Appendix 3, 2010, p. 2, author‟s translation). In interview 2, the students also express that motivation comes from themselves and not someone else. They want to learn English for their own sake; however, Martin also indicates that he wants to get a good grade. There are thus differences between the students where some students have a more intrinsic motivation towards learning spoken English and others have a more extrinsic motivation. As stated earlier in this paper,

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intrinsic motivation and extrinsic motivation are often hard to separate, which is probably the reason why you cannot say that the students have either one or the other. In real life it is complicated and most students are probably driven by a combination of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation as well as both instrumental and integrative motivation.

The students also describe the speaking exercises as relatively easy and they feel that they are capable of succeeding in them. This indicates self-efficacy which in its turn promotes the learners‟ motivation towards the tasks. It increases the students‟ willingness to communicate and increase their motivation towards the subject as a whole. The students do not thus express there is a hindrance when it comes to the teacher assigning them tasks that are too difficult.

As seen there are many explanatory factors that play into the students will to learn, and thus participate in the communicative features in the classroom. Nevertheless, there are also factors that prevent students from engaging in oral communication in the classroom.

Even though a total of 46 students believe they speak English every lesson, 26 of the 61 in total experience speaking in the classroom as nerve-racking. In addition, many students expressed that they prefer certain settings when speaking English, such as smaller groups, which could indicate that the nervousness changes depending on the situation. This could also be the reason why so many students circled both positive and negative feelings towards speaking in the classroom on the questionnaire. Coco, Pelle and April also bring this up in the interview where they have different experiences towards speaking in the classroom. April is more nervous speaking to an Englishman than to the class and Pelle feels the opposite. Furthermore, Coco says that she is especially nervous when speaking about something rehearsed and in front of her classmates but not nervous at all during other exercises (Appendix 3, 2010, p.3-4). Another hindrance is what April describes as that she does not speak as much English in the classroom as she could have. The reason is that “no one else does it” (Appendix 3, 2010, p. 5).

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Finally, like the research conducted by Cetinkaya (2005) shows, some of the students in this investigation also state that they feel it is absurd and strange to speak English to a Swedish friend. They do not feel that it is meaningful. Here, they emphasize the need for the communication to be natural and meaningful.

In conclusion one can say that many of the factors that the students bring up, both in the questionnaire and in the interview touch upon communicative language teaching. They feel there is a need for the communication to be meaningful and to be relevant. In addition, they would like to have a bigger influence on what is to be discussed or what exercises are being used. The students also express the need for meaningful discussions with information gaps in order for them to actually speak English. Thus, they touch upon the core of CLT with its focus on communicative competence through expressing opinions and thoughts in exercises with information gaps (Larsen-Freeman, 2000, p.121-135).

The students are surprisingly aware of the purpose of English as a subject in school and they also seem to have accepted the purpose and goals stipulated in the syllabi for English at upper secondary school. They are aware of the position the English language has in the world and the students feel they will have great use of it in the future. Furthermore, spoken English is seen as the most important and fun skill to acquire especially because of its relevance for the students‟ future.

There are many layers as to what motivates the students and many factors play into their willingness to communicate, or lack of it. This study confirms what other studies have shown with regards to motivation towards the language as a whole and also emphasizes that the students seem most eager and motivated when it comes to oral communication.

The impact this study has on the teaching profession is in emphasizing the role that the teacher has in motivating the students to communicate in the classroom. Even though some students expressed that what drives them to speak English is an intrinsic motivation, many students also had suggestions as to what the teacher could do to improve the amount of English students actually speak in the classroom. Here, forming groups, only allowing English in the classroom and giving students more opportunities to speak are the most prominent suggestions. Furthermore, many of the suggestions the students give as to what would help them speak more English in class, go hand in hand

Students&apos; Motivation for Verbal Communication in the Classroom

Degree Paper