The Role of Motivation in Learning English as a Foreign Language at Northern Border University

Authors

  • Sana Saleem Alanazi

    Department of English, Norh Borders University, Arar 73211, Saudi Arabia
  • Abdelrahim Hamid Mugaddam

    Department of English, Jouf University, Sakaka 72311, Aljouf, Saudi Arabia
    Department of Linguistics, Khartoum University, Khartoum 11111, Sudan

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.30564/fls.v7i4.8861
Received: 24 February 2025 | Revised: 17 March 2025 | Accepted: 20 March 2025 | Published Online: 11 April 2025

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the role of motivation in English language learning in a Saudi context. Motivation is one of the basic elements in the learning and teaching process, and one of the basic conditions upon which the achievement of the goal of the learning depends. This study adopted a quantitative approach by using a three-point Likert scale questionnaire to gather data from 200 Saudi first-year students at Northern Border University. The questionnaire consisted of 10 questions distributed equally between instrumental and integrative motivation. Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) was used to analyze the data. The data analysis procedure started with assessing the questionnaire’s validity and reliability, using the Pearson correlation coefficient and Cronbach’s alpha (α). The findings revealed a high level of both instrumental and integrative motivation in learning English as a foreign language (EFL): the overall means was 2.69 and 2.68 respectively. Saudi students demonstrated a strong desire to learn EFL, emphasizing the importance of learning English for both integrative and instrumental purposes. It is recommended that EFL courses, teaching methods, teacher roles, and assessment methods are changed to encourage Saudi students to see English as a necessary tool for achieving their objectives.

Keywords:

Motivation; Instrumental Motivation; Integrative Motivation; English/Learning in Saudi Arabia

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How to Cite

Saleem Alanazi, S., & Hammaad, A. H. (2025). The Role of Motivation in Learning English as a Foreign Language at Northern Border University. Forum for Linguistic Studies, 7(4), 574–587. https://doi.org/10.30564/fls.v7i4.8861

Issue

Vol. 7 , Iss. 4 (April 2025)

Article Type

Article

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Copyright © 2025 Sana Saleem Alanazi, Abdelrahim Hamid Mugaddam

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This is an open access article under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0) License.