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Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal – Vol. 10, No. 8

Publication Date: August 25, 2023

DOI:10.14738/assrj.108.14953.

Khan, R. (2023). Motivating Students Intrinsically Through ESP and Integration of Academic and Professional Skills in EMI Context.

Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal, 10(8). 72-106.

Services for Science and Education – United Kingdom

Motivating Students Intrinsically Through ESP and Integration of

Academic and Professional Skills in EMI Context

Rana Khan

Canadian College Kuwait

ABSTRACT

While much research has been done on improving motivational levels among

students, educators still struggle everyday trying to motivate students. There’s little

or negligible evidence of research pointing to the role of ESP and integrated

academic and communicative skills in improving intrinsic motivational levels

among students. This report discusses a case study in a higher educational institute,

in Kuwait where the low motivational levels in students encouraged the foundation

program unit to explore whether incorporating ESP and academic skills in the

foundation program can motivate students intrinsically to learn the language and

thus support them in acquiring content in their diploma programs. The foundation

unit designed a new foundation course, ESF (English and Skills Foundation)

program to deal with amotivation and motivate students intrinsically. The new

program aimed at aligning future goals of students to their current language

learning in order to motivate them intrinsically under the EMI context. The program

introduced two new components ESAP (English for Specific and Academic

Purposes), Business English and IDEAS (Integrated Directions for English and

Academic Skills), a course aimed at improving academic, communicative and

computer literacy skills in students to prepare them for the globalized environment

and learning they need so much in their EMI context. Closed ended questionnaires

and open-ended focus group interviews were administered to foundation program

students, both before and after the implementation of the program, to investigate

any improvement in their motivational levels. The findings indicate that program

was taken positively by students and showed improved motivational levels

amongst students. The research findings revealed a new dimension wherein

students employed learner strategies and integrated regulation pointing to

improved intrinsic motivational levels as a result of the new ESF program. The new

ESF program sets an example as a pilot project for other major programs of study.

Keywords: English as a medium of instruction, intrinsic motivation, extrinsic motivation

INTRODUCTION

Motivation has not been researched as much as other factors contributing to student success in

English foundation programs and classes. Educational studies focus more on teaching

strategies, assessments, student grades, and teacher quality rather than on inherent factors like

intrinsic motivation that could be the real source of poor performance by students (Usher,

2012). Most of the educators rely on reward or punishment as the last remedy for achieving

their goals, but they fail to succeed in the drive to get the best potential out of their students.

Students need to be intrinsically motivated to drive the potential outcome from them. When

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Khan, R. (2023). Motivating Students Intrinsically Through ESP and Integration of Academic and Professional Skills in EMI Context. Advances in

Social Sciences Research Journal, 10(8). 72-106.

URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.14738/assrj.108.14953

students fail in their attempts to perform, their failures can further inhibit their desire to

succeed in learning (Long, 1995). Generally, in such educational settings, teachers try to

motivate students through extrinsic rewards like better grades, extra credits, or punishments

for not performing etc. (Seoane, 1991; Berlyne, 1971).

However, as research shows, students approach the task differently and perform better if they

aren’t promised any external rewards alone (Amabile, 1984) (Ryan, 1986). Teachers need to

approach the issue with a different perspective if they wish to maximize the diverse potential

present in their classes. Students would have to be driven intrinsically to maximize their

diverse potential. There is negligible available research on the role of ESP (English for Specific

Purposes) and integrated academic and communicative skills in improving intrinsic

motivational levels among students. Therefore, this research may become a pilot study in

investigating the role of ESP and integrated academic and communicative skills in improving

intrinsic motivational levels among students and its importance in aligning their current

learning to their future goals.

The objective of the study was to investigate whether incorporating Business English and

adding communicative and academic skills in the foundation program could improve intrinsic

motivational levels among Kuwaiti students. The research also focuses on aligning their

current language learning to their future goals, leading to active participation and more

engagement in different activities (Ushioda, 2008)

CONTEXT

This study explores motivational level of students at the foundation program at a higher

educational institution, which is a Canadian diploma granting branch campus in Kuwait. The

educational institution concerned, offers programs in Business, Marketing, Accountancy and

Computer Programming to its students. The student demographic is 95% Kuwaitis with 5%

representation from other nationalities including Pakistanis and Indians. The students

enrolling into diploma programs due to their weak background in English must take a

foundation program to fulfil the basic requirements of proficiency in English language.

Low motivational levels among foundation program students posed a research issue before

teachers. A recommendation was made by teachers of English Foundation Program to align

students’ future goals of pursuing programs in Business and Computer Programming to their

current EMI context. It was proposed that strategies like introducing ESAP (English for Specific

and Academic Purposes) an ESP Course and IDEAS (Integrated Directions for English and

Academic Skills Course) could make a significant difference in their motivational levels.

Therefore, to this effect, the foundation unit introduced ESAP (Business English) and IDEAS

(Integrated academic and computer literacy skills) to help students deal with jargon and

difficult vocabulary besides preparing them for the real-life academic challenges in the outside

world. Hence, an attempt was made to drive and motivate them intrinsically towards the goal

of learning English.

After careful and considerable research based on classroom experience, the foundation unit at

the referred institution devised the following strategies and reasons given in support were –

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Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal (ASSRJ) Vol. 10, Issue 8, August-2023

Services for Science and Education – United Kingdom

ESAP – English for Specific and Academic Purposes

The integration of ESP into the foundation program can support learners in their goals as they

struggle with content due to excessive exposure to jargon and other difficult vocabulary.

IDEAS Integrated Directions for English and Academic Skills

Integrating communication and academic skills into the curriculum would aim at building their

global awareness, critical thinking and information literacy skills to become successful global

citizens. Thus, aligning their current learning to realistic future goals and objectives in life

would motivate them intrinsically to acquire not only language during foundation program but

would also help and support them in acquiring content later during diploma programs.

LITERATURE REVIEW

This study explores the role of ESP and integrated academic and technical skills in improving

intrinsic motivation for learning English in EMI context. The process of learning a second

language is a tedious process and a long one, but if it is related to acquiring academic

knowledge, then its importance increases. Motivation plays an important role in acquiring this

second language which is English in this research case. Williams and Burden define motivation

as “a state of cognitive and emotional arousal which leads to conscious decision to act and which

gives rise to a period of sustained intellectual and /or physical effort in order to attain a

previously set goal (or goals)” (Williams, 1997, p. 120). This definition of motivation is based

on the cognitive theory of motivation that establishes that any behavior by a person is

voluntary, based on his memory and recall of the outcomes of that behavior. This thought

process is the outcome of a critical evaluation of his set goals or desired end states and the

desire to achieve those goals. The theory also states that the alternatives he chooses to achieve

these set goals or the desired end states are based on his assessment of those alternatives (Deci,

1976).

While making active choices people rely on cognitive representations which are influenced by

their environments, memory and their internal states of mind. These cognitive representations

act as stimuli to kick start the active evaluation process for the possible alternatives to achieve

the desired end goals. The cognitive approach was developed and explained in a study by

Tolman, (1959) who defined cognitive thought process as entirely driven by drive stimulation

which he called needs (Deci, 1976) . A study by Lewin, (1951) called these needs by the name

of energy source or tensions which drive any cognitive behavior aimed at achieving set or

desired goals (Deci, 1976). When a person is assigned a task, it increases his tension to do the

task and his behavior efforts to reduce the tension result in achievement of those tasks or goals.

The aim of this study was to align students’ future goals of acquiring content in diploma courses

with their current foundation program. This was to be achieved by introducing ESP and

integrated academic and computer literacy skills, so as to drive them to take interest in the

achievement of the task of learning English. It was believed that students would be motivated

intrinsically to learn English if it is directed to help them understand content in their diploma

programs

Intrinsic and Extrinsic Motivation

Motivation can be intrinsic or extrinsic based on the driving force that brings about any kind of

learning. Intrinsic motivation results when the rewards deemed are internal and not external.