Describing Factors which Demotivate High School Students when Learning English as a Foreign Language: A Case Study

Abstract

Demotivation is a topic that has not received much attention in the area of teaching and learning English as a foreign language. This study aimed to analyze the demotivational factors that discourage students from learning English as a foreign language in public and private high schools in Cuenca, Ecuador. The selected participants were 20 male and female students belonging to private (10) and public (10) high schools. This mixed-methods study implemented quantitative and qualitative instruments for gathering the data. The 20 participants answered a questionnaire, and 4 of them also participated in an interview. The results showed the following factors as the main demotivators in their English learning process: (1) low scores, (2) small classrooms with poor ventilation and illumination, (3) lack of didactic and/or interactive materials, (4) absence of integration of technological tools, (5) textbook, (6) lack of understanding of the language (advanced level content).