Instructional Practice That Enhances English Learners' Motivation : Diagnostic Use of Motivation Evaluation

Abstract

Recent research investigating how the motivation to learn English can be enhanced has included several studies that discussed numerous motivational strategies (i.e., methods and techniques to generate and maintain the learners' motivation). However, in order for the outcomes of these studies to be fully utilized in actual classroom settings, they need to be used diagnostically and applied directly to the subsequent educational improvement. This study examined how English learners perceive motivational strategies, and whether instructional practice in keeping with the appraisal of these perceptions influences their motivation toward English learning. The results showed that (1) learners with different motivations appraised the effectiveness of motivational strategies in different ways, and (2) less motivated learners seemed to benefit the most from the instructional practice using motivation diagnosis as references. Based on the results, some educational implications and directions for future research are provided.