Affective Variables and Motivation as Predictors of Proficiency in English as a Foreign Language
English has become a key subject of educational systems worldwide. Thus, researchers have centered their attention on psychosocial processes that influence English proficiency in EFL settings. The aim of our study was to investigate the relation between affective variables, motivation and proficienc...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Czech University of Life Sciences Prague
2019-10-01
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| Series: | Journal on Efficiency and Responsibility in Education and Science |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.7160/eriesj.2019.120302 |
| _version_ | 1828739151323725824 |
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| author | Michaela Cocca Armando Cocca |
| author_facet | Michaela Cocca Armando Cocca |
| author_sort | Michaela Cocca |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | English has become a key subject of educational systems worldwide. Thus, researchers have centered their attention on psychosocial processes that influence English proficiency in EFL settings. The aim of our study was to investigate the relation between affective variables, motivation and proficiency and assess which attitudinal/motivational domains can better predict English proficiency. Mini AMTB and English Proficiency test were employed to a sample of 354 university students. Our findings showed that students’ achievement was significantly associated with their motivational intensity, their attitude towards learning English and their desire to learn it, as well as with their opinion of English native speakers and their perception of the quality of the English course. Secondly, instrumental orientation, motivational intensity, attitude towards learning English, and students’ perception of the quality of the English course were found to be the predictors of achievement. Thus, creating a culturally enriching in-class environment based on student-centered strategies could impact on pupils’ proficiency more than teachers’ teaching abilities and in-class attitude. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-13T00:17:30Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-fa6ccf2d37724513a2fe3a57db705da3 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2336-2375 1803-1617 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-13T00:17:30Z |
| publishDate | 2019-10-01 |
| publisher | Czech University of Life Sciences Prague |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal on Efficiency and Responsibility in Education and Science |
| spelling | doaj.art-fa6ccf2d37724513a2fe3a57db705da32022-12-22T03:10:53ZengCzech University of Life Sciences PragueJournal on Efficiency and Responsibility in Education and Science2336-23751803-16172019-10-011237583Affective Variables and Motivation as Predictors of Proficiency in English as a Foreign LanguageMichaela Cocca0Armando Cocca1Texas A&M University - San AntonioTexas A&M University - San AntonioEnglish has become a key subject of educational systems worldwide. Thus, researchers have centered their attention on psychosocial processes that influence English proficiency in EFL settings. The aim of our study was to investigate the relation between affective variables, motivation and proficiency and assess which attitudinal/motivational domains can better predict English proficiency. Mini AMTB and English Proficiency test were employed to a sample of 354 university students. Our findings showed that students’ achievement was significantly associated with their motivational intensity, their attitude towards learning English and their desire to learn it, as well as with their opinion of English native speakers and their perception of the quality of the English course. Secondly, instrumental orientation, motivational intensity, attitude towards learning English, and students’ perception of the quality of the English course were found to be the predictors of achievement. Thus, creating a culturally enriching in-class environment based on student-centered strategies could impact on pupils’ proficiency more than teachers’ teaching abilities and in-class attitude.https://doi.org/10.7160/eriesj.2019.120302AMTBAffective variablesEnglish proficiencyLearning attitudeL2 motivationSocial-cognitive approach |
| spellingShingle | Michaela Cocca Armando Cocca Affective Variables and Motivation as Predictors of Proficiency in English as a Foreign Language Journal on Efficiency and Responsibility in Education and Science AMTB Affective variables English proficiency Learning attitude L2 motivation Social-cognitive approach |
| title | Affective Variables and Motivation as Predictors of Proficiency in English as a Foreign Language |
| title_full | Affective Variables and Motivation as Predictors of Proficiency in English as a Foreign Language |
| title_fullStr | Affective Variables and Motivation as Predictors of Proficiency in English as a Foreign Language |
| title_full_unstemmed | Affective Variables and Motivation as Predictors of Proficiency in English as a Foreign Language |
| title_short | Affective Variables and Motivation as Predictors of Proficiency in English as a Foreign Language |
| title_sort | affective variables and motivation as predictors of proficiency in english as a foreign language |
| topic | AMTB Affective variables English proficiency Learning attitude L2 motivation Social-cognitive approach |
| url | https://doi.org/10.7160/eriesj.2019.120302 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT michaelacocca affectivevariablesandmotivationaspredictorsofproficiencyinenglishasaforeignlanguage AT armandococca affectivevariablesandmotivationaspredictorsofproficiencyinenglishasaforeignlanguage |