Motivation to Learn English at Northline Upper-Secondary School

Abstract

This study investigates the levels and types of motivation among students at Northline Upper-Secondary School in Phnom Penh. Sixty adult learners of English completed a questionnaire in May 2018, and all responses were included in the analysis. The results indicate that both instrumental and integrative motivations are equally present among the adult learners. Furthermore, the findings reveal no significant correlation between the learners’ level of English and their degree of socially oriented motivation. However, differences emerge when examining extrinsic and intrinsic motivations. The results also show that attitudinal motivation varies according to age range. These findings are discussed in light of the unique status that English holds in Cambodia today and align with previous research emphasizing the need for further investigation into attitudinal motivation in Second Language Acquisition.