Identifying Demotivating Factors among Young Adult EFL Learners

For many students, not only in Taiwan but also around the world, English is one of the compulsory subjects from primary school to university level. However, it can be difficult to maintain students' motivation in the learning of English within such a long and tedious process. Many may lose interest and/or give up learning this international language. This study recruited five college students who had low or even no motivation regarding learning English as a foreign language, and this was aimed to identify the possible negative factors that demotivated them. Though the five students agreed that teacher-related factors were influential, they considered that learning achievements rely on one's study skills rather than depending solely on the instructor's teaching. Factors such as classroom facilities and textbooks seemed to be less significant. Interestingly, these students were aware of the necessity of English, but they were unwilling to make any efforts in studying this language. Pedagogical recommendations are also provided.