Factors Causing Demotivation in EFL Learning Process and the Strategies Used by Turkish EFL Learners to Overcome their Demotivation

Abstract

The purpose of the current study is to determine main demotivating factors affecting Turkish EFL university students’ English language learning process and to identify the ways they apply to cope with these negative experiences from their own perspectives. The participants were 469 first and second year Turkish EFL university students. Both quantitative and qualitative methods were used to collect data in the study. First, a demotivation questionnaire (Sakai & Kikuchi, 2009) was administered to the participants, and then interviews were conducted, face-to-face, with some of the students. Descriptive and inferential statistics were performed on the quantitative data, while coding and classifying approach was used to analyze the qualitative data. Quantitative results revealed that are significant differences between female and male students in terms of the factors related to characteristics of classes and experiences of failure. Qualitative findings indicated that major factors that demotivate students are negative attitudes of the classmates, teacher-related factors, personal issues, class characteristics, test anxiety, failure experiences, and education system. Also, strategies for overcoming demotivation were determined as self-studying, asking for assistance, changing perspective, thinking positively, ignoring what others think, and being goal oriented. It is implied that the results obtained from this study might be helpful for both language learners and teachers in developing effective coping strategies to overcome demotivation.