Demotivating Factors in Learning English as a Foreign Language at a Senior

High School in a Rural Area

Andi Rasida Basar
Universitas Negeri Makassar
basarandirasida@gmail.com

This study is conducted “Demotivating Factors in Learning English as a

Foreign Language at a Senior High School in a Rural Area”. The aim of this study
is to analyze the significant factors that demotivate students in learning English
and the perceived solution for this problem. The method used to answer two
research questions in this study is the qualitative approach. The data were
collected by using a questionnaire. The population of this study is students from
rural schools in Bone. The samples are 15 students of Senior High School in
South Bone. These samples were chosen randomly by using a random sampling
technique. Through this study, it showed the significant factor that demotivated
students in learning English are peer preferences of English, English difficulty,
friends response, and shyness.
Keywords: Demotivation, Rural school, EFL

1. Introduction:

All students come from different backgrounds with unique academic

needs, language, culture, interests, and attitudes towards learning. Teachers are
trying as hard as they could to meet student’s needs in their learning. Learning a
language is complicated for students and the right techniques and strategies are
needed to deliver effective language learning especially in English. This situation
is very complex as it has a direct impact on the quality of education and the
development of the country. Today, English proficiency is an important
prerequisite for achieving social, academic, and economic progress around the
world (Fandino, Munoz, Velandia: 2019).

English is one of the most widely spoken languages in the world. Due to
its common characteristics, English is seen by many people in different countries
around the world and is used for global communication. It is becoming more and
more important as an international language, and in most countries of the world,
many students have to study it through compulsory programs in schools and
universities. English has enabled us to communicate and interact with other
people around the world. If you can only speak English, you can even change the
world. For students, they could learn more about the English they could use to
find their chosen profession at home and abroad. English may also be a way to
develop a person's true speaking, writing, and listening skills. Even though
learning English as a foreign language was crucial, many students do not seem
ever to have developed an interest in learning English, especially in a rural school.
If they have, they seem to have lost that interest for some reason, that is, they have
become demotivated. For some students, learning English as a second language is
one of the most difficult subjects they have learned. Due to the difficulties in
learning, English language can make students lose their interest easily. Interest is
one of the strongest motivations for learning English.

While motivation is crucial to student learning but lack of motivation or

known as demotivation is a common problem for students at all levels. Dornyei
(in Li, 2019:72) states that demotivation was caused by external force, it can be
said that this external force reduces the basis of motivation such as educational
situation, classroom atmosphere, and teacher behavior.

This study was conducted to analyze key factors that motivate students from
learning English as a foreign language in high school. Hopefully, through
research, teachers will be able to identify the right strategies to increase student
interest and motivation in learning English effectively.

2. Literature Review

2.1. Demotivation

Arsanto and Budiraharjo (2019) state that demotivated students are those
who were once motivated but for some reason lost their involvement/interest. A
learner who is demotivated was initially motivated to learn, but lost motivation
somewhere in the later stages of learning due to certain external negative factors.
As mentioned in the introduction, Dörnyei (2001) proposes the term motivation.
He defines motivation as "various negative effects that counteract existing
motives" or "specific external forces that reduce or diminish the basis of
behavioral intent or motivation for ongoing behavior." Students who get
demotivation factors in learning English may experience diminished motivation to
learn. Therefore, students ignore English subjects at school. This happens because
students are less motivated to learn English.

Deci and Ryan (1985) used a comparable word, amotivation. This means a
relative lack of motivation, not caused by a lack of original interest, but by the
feelings of incompetence and helplessness that individual experiences in the face
of exercise. They differ in that motivation is associated with external causes,
while for some purposes it is associated with expectations of unrealistic general
results.

Demotivation can be triggered by a variety of factors. Oxford (1998) mentioned

four types of factors demotivation, there are (a) the teacher’s personal relationship
with students, (b) teacher’s attitude towards the course or the material, (c) style
conflict between teachers and students, (d) and the nature of the classroom
activities. Erdogan and Tunaz (2012) also said that demotivating factors have two
classifications namely internal and external factors. Intrinsic motivation is thought
of as the inner reason for learning. Interest, curiosity, independent mastery and
judgment, internal criteria for success are the intrinsic reasons for language
learning. On the other hand, extrinsic reasons are the external factors that affect
language learning. These factors are parents, teachers, grades, friends, rewards,
learning environment, and cultural context.

2.2. Learning Foreign Language

The world is a global village, and it will become closer if we learn other
people’s languages (Nkrumah:2021). Crystal (2003) said languages gain a truly
global position when they play a special role recognized in each country. This
may seem obvious, but not because there are many aspects to the concept of
"special role". Such a role is most apparent in countries where many people speak
that language as their primary language in the case of English, it is the United
States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, South
Africa, and some Caribbean. Countries, and several other regions.

To enhance international understanding, learning a foreign language like

English is essential. One of the reasons why are many conflicts worldwide is the
lack of language and cultural awareness. English is one of the most widely spoken
languages in the world. Due to its common characteristics, English is seen by
many people in different countries around the world and is used for global
communication. It is becoming more and more important as an international
language, and in most countries of the world, many students have to study it
through compulsory programs in schools and universities. English has enabled us
to communicate and interact with other people around the world.

Fandino, Munoz, Velandia (2019) said learning a foreign language is a

general expression used to refer to the appropriation of a language apart from the
mother language. There is clear evidence that people have endless ability to learn
a language, especially if students start at a young age. Foreign language skills can
affect other areas of your life, such as college-level academic performance and
increased employment opportunities, and prevent age-related cognitive
impairment and loss.

3. Methods

The method used to answer two research questions in this study is the
qualitative approach. Cropley (2019) states that the core characteristic of
qualitative research is to find out how people understand their concrete real-world
experiences with their thoughts and words. The instruments utilized in the study
were questionnaires. The population of this study is students from rural schools in
Bone. The participants involved in the study were 15 students from SMAN 6
Bone, SMAN 11 Bone, and SMK 11 Bone, who had been selected randomly by
using a random sampling technique. The data were collected by using self-
 administrated questionnaire. Data collection was started on December 21, 2021,
and lasted for three days. Then, the questionnaire link was shared in each class
group on WhatsApp. Students were asked to use their free time to finish the
questionnaire independently without discussing it with each other.

4. Results and Discussions

4.1. Factor are demotivated students in learning English
Many factors have been identified as reasons for causing demotivation in
learning English as a foreign language. These factors are closely associated with
the learners themselves and the findings show different factors of demotivation in
learning. According to the fifteen participants, the significant factors are peer’s
preference of English, English difficulty, friends’ response, and shyness.

Table 1. Demotivation in Learning English in Rural School

Number of Students
No Statement Strongly Disagre Strongly
Agree Neutral
Agree e Disagree
1 3 5 4 2
1 I’m not interested in learning English
(6.7%) (20%) (33,3%) (26,7%) (13,3%)
3 5 7 - -
2 Learning English is important for me
(20%) (33,3%) (46,7%)
2 6 6 1 -
3 English is difficult to learn (13,3%) (40%) (40%) (6.7%)

- 1 9 5 -
4 I feel bored when learning English
(6.7%) (60%) (33,3%)
My parents did not support me in - 1 6 6 2
5
learning English (6.7%) (40%) (40%) (13,3%)
Teachers are less interactive with the - 2 7 5 1
6
students (13.3%) (46.7%) (33%) (6.7%)
7 Teachers are less attracted in teaching - 1 6 7 1
 English (6.7%) (40%) (46,7%) (6.7%)
1 - 7 6 1
8 I feel bored in learning English
(6.7%) (46.7%) (40%) (6.7%)
- 1 9 5 -
9 The teacher's work is very grammatical.
(6.7%) (60%) (33.3%)
I feel ashamed when I speak English in 3 5 5 2 -
10
class. (20%) (33.3%) (33.3%) (13.3%)
2 7 4 2 -
11 I have friends who do not like English
(13.3%) (46.7%) (26.7%) (13.3%)
My friends laugh when I practice my 1 3 6 5 -
12
English in the class (6.7%) (20%) (40%) (33.3%)
Technology and media (Internet, LCD) 2 5 8 - -
13
in schools are used well (13,3%) (33.3%) (53.3%)
3 3 8 1 -
14 Books I want are available in the library
(20%) (20%) (53.3%) (13.3%)

4.1.1. Peer’s preference of English

Peer’s preference of English as an internal factor plays a vital cause of
demotivating in learning English. The highest percentage of the data
shows that most of the students have many friends who do not like
English. Those students who do not like to learn English may influence
other students. There were students chosen in a questionnaire that they
have friends who do not like learning English. These students usually
impact other students close to them.
4.1.2. English Difficulty

The difficulty in English can grow negative mindset for students. It was
one of the main factors determining how students enjoy learning it. Following
the data was obtained, the highest percentage showed that students believe it is
difficult to learn English. Fact or such as lack of facilities and difficulty levels
of the given the materials given can affect and reduce student motivation.
 4.1.3. Friends Response
Friends' responses influence how students practice their enthusiasm for
learning English. For example, when a student speaks English in front of a
class, the reaction of a friend determines that he or she can do it confidently
and well on another occasion. Based on the result of the questionnaire above,
it is apparent that students became jesters when they were performing or
practicing English in class. These jokes always remind students of their
experiences and demotivate them in learning English.
4.1.4. Shyness
Shyness is also one of the important demotivate-causing factors which affect
the students whenever they are expected to use the target language. Most of
the students who answer the questionnaire agree that they feel ashamed when
they speak English in class.

4.2. Strategies motivate students in learning English

According to the participants, most of them are much interested to improve
their English. Then, the solution he believed was to study harder as their
responses in the questionnaire,

Sering berlatih dan praktek (I.s)

Percaya diri dan terus giat belajar (AFF)
Belajar lebih giat lagi dalam berbahasa Inggris (ANP)
menurut saya yang memotivasi saya yaitu teman-teman yang pintar
berbahasa inggris,saya sangat bangga melihatnya berbahasa inggris
dengan baik sehingga saya juga termotivasi untuk belajar.(SH)
Belajar bahasa Inggris terus sampai bisa (M)

Students have seen solutions that can increase interest by developing teachers'
educational skills. Then they had to study harder to lose the belief that
English was difficult. Teachers should be respected if their attitude motivates
them. They did not pay attention to them either, to prevent the influence of
 their friends. Schools or principals need to provide more accessible facilities
for students to meet their learning needs.

5. Conclusion
The main result obtained from this study was that there are four main
factors that cause demotivation learning English in rural schools. The
findings signified that peers’ preference of English was the most
demotivating factor that discourages students from learning. Considerably,
other factors include English difficulty, friends’ responses, and shyness.
The solutions revealed by the students were varied. Students should study
harder to overcome their decline in learning English. Another solution is that
teachers need to pay close attention to the difficulty level of the exercises
given to students. Then the solution for those of you who did not like English
is that students did not need to worry about them and educators need to care
about students and help them learn English.

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