An Empirical Research into EFL Learners’ Motivation

Motivation plays a very important role in enhancing the students' English learning performance. Therefore, the research aim is to investigate learning motivation at University for Natural Resources and Environment to find out whether motivation has any impact on students' English learning in order that English teaching together with learning at the school can improve. 290 students and seven English teachers were invited to take part in the questionnaire survey. The findings demonstrated that students have positive towards English learning and motivational activities. They were both extrinsically and intrinsically motivated in the English subject. However, they had many difficulties in succeeding in the English subject and their English learning was influenced by various elements, among which two main factors influencing their English learning most were their personal ways of studying and the heavy learning curriculum with difficult textbooks. Teachers' attitudes as well as their perceptions toward learning motivation are positive since they all find the necessity of motivation in improving students' English performance.