Attitudes and Motivation for Learning the English Language among Iraqi Undergraduate EFL Students

Abstract

As a result of the growing interest in studying English as a foreign language in the Arab world, studies examining the factors that motivate students to study a foreign language have flourished. It has been argued that factors including a learner's gender, major subject of study, language proficiency, geographical location, etc. play a considerable part in shaping their motivation to study a foreign language, and thus, that motivation cannot be viewed as a single orientation. This study investigates Iraqi undergraduates' attitudes about learning English as a foreign language and what motivates them. The research was conducted with 60 students from Imam Aadhem University College in Baghdad, Iraq, majoring in English Islamic studies. The researchers adopted a 30-item self-reported           5-point agree/disagree Likert scale questionnaire given to 60 male and female Iraqi undergraduates. The learners in this study had higher extrinsic motivational orientations with relatively high intrinsic motivational orientations, according to independent sample t-test results. Compared to their male, females were more optimistic about both motivational orientations. The findings revealed no significant differences in extrinsic motivational orientations among the participants based on gender.