Motivation among ESP students. : A case study of the first year students of the department of engineering, Chlef University.

Abstract

This study is an attempt to identify civil engineering students‟ motivation and attitudes towards learning English for specific purposes. The main purposes of this study are to find out: types of motivation possessed by ESP students at Civil Engineering Department at Hassiba Benbouali University of Chlef, their attitudes towards the ESP course and the external factors affecting their motivation and the teaching/learning process as well. The study involves the use of two questionnaires administered to a sample of English language teachers and first year students at the Department of Civil Engineering. The gathered data was interpreted using Microsoft Office Excel Software and presented in tables, figures and graphs. The findings revealed that civil engineering students were instrumentally motivated mainly for practical reasons, including getting better job, further one‟ s career and be a knowledgeable person. They also showed the students‟ dissatisfaction and negative attitudes towards the ESP course since their specific needs and expectations were not met. Thus, policy makers, syllabus designers and language programmers should design courses that really meet civil engineering students‟ needs and provide a supportive atmosphere to enhance their motivation. This study is divided into four chapters. Chapter one describes the current situation of teaching ESP at Civil Engineering Department and presents the instrumentation, data collection and data analysis. Chapter two reviews theoretical background relating to ESP, motivation and attitudes. Chapter three analyzes both teachers‟ and students‟ questionnaires and summarizes some major findings. Chapter four gives some suggestions, points out limitations and provides some recommendations for further research.