Abstract:
L2 demotivation refers to internal and external forces that diminish
motivation in second language learning. Accordingly, the limited success
of many English language programmes is attributed to this. This study
involved approximately 900 engineering undergraduates who completed
a Likert-scale-based questionnaire. This questionnaire comprised eight
subscales, namely, overall L2 demotivation, internal conflict in adopting an
English speaking identity, external pressures preventing integration, negative
learning environment, systemic barriers, social withdrawal, nationalism
and ethnocentric undercurrents, and cultural or ideological resistance, each
representing a facet of L2 demotivation. Formal statistical approaches on
the Likert responses revealed an unexpected trend: the majority confirmed
being motivated by disagreeing with demotivation-themed Likert items. The
strongest to weakest demotives were: internal conflict in adopting an English
speaking identity, negative learning environment, systemic barriers, social
withdrawal, nationalism and ethnocentrism, externally imposed conflicts in
integration, overall demotivation and cultural and ideological resistance.
Controlling for gender differences, it was found that males were demotivated
significantly more than the females by externally imposed conflicts in
integration, negative learning environment, cultural and ideological
resistance and systemic barriers, while both groups were affected similarly
by the other quantities. Comparing Sinhala and Tamil speakers revealed that
Sinhala speakers were demotivated significantly more by negative learning
environment, social withdrawal and systemic barriers, and Tamil speakers
were demotivated more by externally imposed conflicts in integration, while
both groups were affected similarly by the other quantities. However, the
most noteworthy demotives are revealed by Likert-scale items with relatively
lower levels of disagreement as this cohort was largely motivated.
