English is taught as a foreign language in Libya, where the mother tongue is Arabic. In other words English is not an official language in Libya and it is not used as a medium of instruction in Education. It is thought that studying in the mother tongue is easier than in another language and it not used in delivering lectures. The current education system consists of three main stages: basic, intermediate, and higher education.. In the field of second or foreign language learning there are various factors, social and/or psychological, that affect language learning. University students who have been learning English as a foreign language have different levels of motivation towards that language. At the universities of Libya where the medium
…show more content…
Motivation is one of those factors that have an impact on learning another language. Another factor is attitudes which can be either positive or negative. Some learners may have negative attitudes towards the second language, which may result in lack of motivation. However, learners with positive attitudes have a strong motivation to learn a language. According to Pan, Zang and Wu (2010), a successful learner is the one who possesses positive attitudes towards the target language. In order to meet and cope with such an increasing demand in the teaching of English as a foreign language in Libya has become one of the necessities of everyday life (Al-Ansari, 1993). Libya is a country where Arabic is used in all sectors and services in the country such as in schools, offices and other institutions. The means the need for the use of English is not high. Therefore, students’ motivation is not high enough to learn English. There have been measures adopted to introduce English as a foreign learning language in high schools and other institutions of learning improve language education. Irene (2010) stated that these initiatives started in the 1980s when English was introduced as a course to teach grammar and reading. This continued until late in 1980s when the conflicts arose between Libya and western developed. Because of these conflicts, teaching English was …show more content…
Lin and Warden (1998) in their study investigating students’ perspectives about English learning stated that a better understanding of language learners can have positive effects on the process of attempting to help language learners in learning English as a foreign language. Bernat and Lloyd (2007) state that researchers investigate how such attitudes vary from learner to learner, specifically regarding such individual differences as gender, age, nationality, learning style, and personality type. According to Finocchiaro (1982) and Ngeow (1998) to boost positive attitudes and motivate learning, an environment conducive to learning must be created. Motivation is the backbone of any classroom. When the students are motivated the teacher performs his/her job the best. The proverb “Don’t give your students fish, but teach them how to fish” is true of language learning. To this end, teachers should know how to create interest and challenge, make their lessons enjoyable to motivate their students and help them to learn how to learn. The process of learning English as a foreign language is influenced by many factors, such as students‟ attitudes and motivation, which determine L2 achievement and attainment (Gardner, 1985). Winne and Marx (1989) note that motivation and attitude are both conditions for, and results of, effective instruction; therefore,
Motivation is one of those factors that have an impact on learning another language. Another factor is attitudes which can be either positive or negative. Some learners may have negative attitudes towards the second language, which may result in lack of motivation. However, learners with positive attitudes have a strong motivation to learn a language. According to Pan, Zang and Wu (2010), a successful learner is the one who possesses positive attitudes towards the target language. In order to meet and cope with such an increasing demand in the teaching of English as a foreign language in Libya has become one of the necessities of everyday life (Al-Ansari, 1993). Libya is a country where Arabic is used in all sectors and services in the country such as in schools, offices and other institutions. The means the need for the use of English is not high. Therefore, students’ motivation is not high enough to learn English. There have been measures adopted to introduce English as a foreign learning language in high schools and other institutions of learning improve language education. Irene (2010) stated that these initiatives started in the 1980s when English was introduced as a course to teach grammar and reading. This continued until late in 1980s when the conflicts arose between Libya and western developed. Because of these conflicts, teaching English was …show more content…
Lin and Warden (1998) in their study investigating students’ perspectives about English learning stated that a better understanding of language learners can have positive effects on the process of attempting to help language learners in learning English as a foreign language. Bernat and Lloyd (2007) state that researchers investigate how such attitudes vary from learner to learner, specifically regarding such individual differences as gender, age, nationality, learning style, and personality type. According to Finocchiaro (1982) and Ngeow (1998) to boost positive attitudes and motivate learning, an environment conducive to learning must be created. Motivation is the backbone of any classroom. When the students are motivated the teacher performs his/her job the best. The proverb “Don’t give your students fish, but teach them how to fish” is true of language learning. To this end, teachers should know how to create interest and challenge, make their lessons enjoyable to motivate their students and help them to learn how to learn. The process of learning English as a foreign language is influenced by many factors, such as students‟ attitudes and motivation, which determine L2 achievement and attainment (Gardner, 1985). Winne and Marx (1989) note that motivation and attitude are both conditions for, and results of, effective instruction; therefore,