The Effect of Motivational
Orientations on Language Learning
Strategies: Turkish EFL Learners as a
Case Study
Kader Bas, University of Klagenfurt, Austria
Introduction to the topic


Status of English in Turkey:

English as a Foreign Language

Medium of instruction in many universities
Setting:

Limited opportunity to hear, speak, and write in English

Almost no interaction with a native English speaker
Research Objectives

Two main objectives;

To identify the motivational orientations of high school pupils learning English as a
foreign language in Turkey

To determine the effect of pupils’ motivational orientations on their choice and
use of language learning strategies
Language Learning Strategies (LLSs)

«Language learning strategies are strategies which contribute to the
development of the language system which the learner constructs and affect
learning directly» (Rubin 1987)

«[…] learning strategies are specific actions taken by the learner to make
learning easier, faster, more enjoyable, more self-directed, more effective,
and more transferrable to new situations» (Oxford 1990)

«Learning strategies are special ways of processing information that enhance
comprehension, learning, or retention of the information» (O’Malley &
Chamot 1990)
Rebecca Oxford’s (1990) Language Learning Strategy Classification
LLSs and Individual Learner
Characteristics

What kind of variables are effective on the choice and the use of language
learning strategies?

Age, gender, motivation, anxiety, attitude, personality, proficiency, learning
situation, excitement, and etc.

To what extent do these variables influence the choice and the use of
learning strategies?

The choice and the use of language learning strategies should be adjusted to
individual learner characteristics.

One of the most widely studied and investigated learner variables: motivation
Motivation in SLA/EFL

Gardner & Lambert (1972)

Integrative motivation

Instrumental motivation

Clément and Kruidenier (1983)

Dörnyei and Csizér (2002)

Ryan & Deci (1985,2002)

Self-Determination Theory (SDT)

Intrinsic motivation

Extrinsic motivation
Intrinsic & Extrinsic Motivation

Intrinsic motivation  inherently interesting or enjoyable

Extrinsic motivation  leads to a separable outcome

varies in autonomous degrees

intentional behavior

Not the amount of motivation, but the nature and the focus of motivation

Sub-types of motivation  continuum
 reflect the motivational orientation, not the level
or amount of motivation
 different attitudes
Research Methodology

The study involved a test battery consisted of two sets of questionnaires:

(1) Motivation Questionnaire, adapted from Zoltan Dörnyei’s motivation
questionnaire used in 2013 Chinese survey (You & Dörnyei, in press)

(2) Rebecca Oxford’s Strategy Inventory for Language Learning (SILL)

A translation of SILL

Motivational questionnaire was prepared both in Turkish and English.

Data was collected through the aforementioned questionnaires, which were
forwarded for completion to the high school EFL learners in Ordu Province,
Turkey.
Participants

22 high school students

11 females, 11 males

17-18 year olds

Living and studying in Ordu Province

Attending two different types of high schools (Fatsa Anatolian High School and
Fatsa Anatolian Teachers’ Training High School)

Not very different in quality of education

Attending a private teaching institution for complementary courses

Non-English majors

Mathematics & Science (Physics, Biology, and Chemistry)
Procedure

Necessary permission was obtained from the administration of the institution.

The students were informed about the important aspects of the research.

The English teacher by whom the questionnaires were given and completed
was also informed about the same aspects.

The given time frame by the administration of the institution for the research
 45 + 15 minutes
Analysis & Results

Reliability test results according to Cronbach’s alpha

Motivational Questionnaire


0.94 (Turkish Translation)
Strategy Questionnaire (SILL) (Turkish Translation)

Memory (Part A)
0.75

Cognitive (Part B)

Compensation (Part C)
0.67

Metacognitive (Part D)
0.92

Affective (Part E)

Social (Part F)

Overall reliability result
0.93
0.73
0.85
0.92
Strategies
Mean
Rank
Frequency
Memory Strategies
3,2121
3
Medium
Cognitive Strategies
2,8039
6
Medium
Compensation Strategies
3,3784
1
Medium
Metacognitive Strategies
3,2210
2
Medium
Affective Strategies
3,0606
5
Medium
Social Strategies
3,1787
4
Medium
Table 1: Mean scores of learning strategies and their ranks and frequencies
Total mean score of learning strategies : 3,2024 (Medium)
Mean strategy scores for the participants’ extrinsic and intrinsic motivation
MOTIVATION
N
Mean
Std. Deviation
Std. Error Mean
Memory
Strategies
Extrinsic motivation
10
3,0111
,68383
,21625
Intrinsic motivation
12
3,3796
,77916
,22492
Cognitive
Strategies
Extrinsic motivation
10
2,3929
,70329
,22240
Intrinsic motivation
12
3,0952
1,12417
,32452
Compensation Extrinsic motivation
Strategies
Intrinsic motivation
10
3,1833
,81441
,25754
12
3,5000
,82266
,23748
Metacognitive Extrinsic motivation
Strategies
Intrinsic motivation
10
2,8222
1,11259
,35183
12
3,5278
,89157
,25737
Affective
Strategies
Extrinsic motivation
10
2,9500
,59861
,18930
Intrinsic motivation
12
3,1528
1,09972
,31746
Social
Strategies
Extrinsic motivation
10
2,8167
,94428
,29861
Intrinsic motivation
12
3,4028
1,11114
,32076
Motivation
Strategies
Intrinsic
Extrinsic
Mean
Rank
Frequency
Mean
Rank
Frequency
Memory
3,3796
4
Medium
3,0111 2
Medium
Cognitive
3,0952
6
Medium
2,3929 6
Low
Compensation
3,5000
2
High
3,1833 1
Medium
Metacognitive
3,5278
1
High
2,8222 4
Medium
Affective
3,1528
5
Medium
2,9500 3
Medium
Social
3,4028
3
Medium
2,8167 5
Medium
Table 3: Mean scores of each strategy category and their ranks for intrinsic and extrinsic motivation of
the participants
Total mean strategy score for intrinsic motivation: 3,34 (Medium)
Total mean strategy score for extrinsic motivation: 2,86 (Medium)
Mean strategy scores for the participants’ extrinsic and intrinsic motivation
MOTIVATION
N
Mean
Std. Deviation
Std. Error Mean
Memory
Strategies
Extrinsic motivation
10
3,0111
,68383
,21625
Intrinsic motivation
12
3,3796
,77916
,22492
Cognitive
Strategies
Extrinsic motivation
10
2,3929
,70329
,22240
Intrinsic motivation
12
3,0952
1,12417
,32452
Compensation Extrinsic motivation
Strategies
Intrinsic motivation
10
3,1833
,81441
,25754
12
3,5000
,82266
,23748
Metacognitive Extrinsic motivation
Strategies
Intrinsic motivation
10
2,8222
1,11259
,35183
12
3,5278
,89157
,25737
Affective
Strategies
Extrinsic motivation
10
2,9500
,59861
,18930
Intrinsic motivation
12
3,1528
1,09972
,31746
Social
Strategies
Extrinsic motivation
10
2,8167
,94428
,29861
Intrinsic motivation
12
3,4028
1,11114
,32076
Concluding Remarks

Turkish EFL learners  medium level of strategy use

The most frequently used language learning strategy  Compensation
strategies

The least frequently used language learning strategy  Cognitive strategies

12 participants  intrinsic motivation

10 participants  extrinsic motivation

Intrinsic motivation  Metacognitive strategies

Extrinsic motivation  Compensation strategies

The least frequently used language learning strategy for both motivation
types  Cognitive strategies, yet the mean scores differ