Alistair Melvin | Sheffield Hallam University (original) (raw)

Papers by Alistair Melvin

A mixture of quantitative and qualitative methods were used to explore Saudi students’ perception... more A mixture of quantitative and qualitative methods were used to explore Saudi students’ perceptions and attitudes concerning their level of motivation and factors that contribute toward it. In Saudi Arabia it has regularly been observed that EFL students suffer from a lack of motivation and this has been linked to disappointing academic results. As motivation is a complex phenomenon which varies greatly between individuals and contexts, perhaps the first step in improving motivation is to have a better understanding. In order to gain that better understanding it is necessary to examine motivation in-depth and pay attention to factors that lie beyond the confines of the classroom.

This study has reinterpreted a concept that has been relatively unfashionable and used it to help understand motivation in the Saudi context. That concept is called ‘integrativeness’, more commonly known as integrative motivation, which formed a major part of a motivational framework called the ‘integrative motive’ developed by Robert Gardner (1985). As integrativeness is strongly related to culture, it was considered an appropriate concept to use in the Saudi context. As learning English to some extent involves contact with Western culture, this can be seen to clash with the conservative Islamic culture of Saudi Arabia.

Contrasting with the findings of most previous studies, the students that took part in this study appeared to be fairly-well motivated, both in terms of extrinsic longer-term aims, but also shorter-term intrinsic motivation. Additionally, the students appeared to have a sufficient level of intercultural tolerance, which coincides with the positive results for motivation. Cultural issues did not appear to be a major obstacle for the students. The students appeared to be responding well to a more student-centred, communicative approach at their current college, which is in marked contrast to the previous educational experiences. However, there did appear to be a fairly strong contrast in terms of motivation between the English foundation and diploma program students. This showed that the motivation of the students can be significantly affected by factors related to the current learning situation in which they find themselves.

This literature review examines language-learner motivation in Saudi Arabia. There has been a gre... more This literature review examines language-learner motivation in Saudi Arabia. There has been a great deal of investment by the Saudi government in English as a Foreign Language education, but unfortunately the results have not matched expectations. Saudi students are generally considered to be lacking in motivation, which has surely played a part in those disappointing results. As a basis for further discussion, student motivation theory is discussed, starting from Gardner and Lambert and finishing with Dornyei. The situation in Saudi Arabia is looked at with regard to the condition of Saudi students and the Saudi system. Then, as I believe cultural factors play an important part in shaping the mindset of Saudi students, I have looked at this in terms of Hofstede’s analysis of Saudi Arabia, ‘Integrativeness’ and English as a lingua franca. Finally, my own experiences in Saudi Arabia are related to the literature review in the light of 3 perspectives of ‘integrativeness.’

The aim of this report is to explore the level and nature of motivation of ESL teachers at a voca... more The aim of this report is to explore the level and nature of motivation of ESL teachers at a vocational college in Saudi Arabia (KSA). There is a basic premise that teaching is a profession that engenders or requires a high degree of intrinsic motivation, a sought after quality that may be eroded by extrinsic factors. However, the situation of teachers in KSA is unusual as the financial rewards are much greater than is usual and the number of extrinsic negative factors is likely to be greater.

After outlining my own teaching environment and elaborating on my reasons for choosing this topic, I shall look at existing research and opinion. Following a description of the methodology and a presentation / analysis of the results, some conclusions and recommendations shall be made. The findings shall be related to the institution where I work and also the wider world of ESL.

I am interested in motivation as this seems to be the most relevant student-related problem withi... more I am interested in motivation as this seems to be the most relevant student-related problem within my current teaching environment (I teach mainly low-level learners at a private language school in Saudi Arabia). It is my perception that many of these low level learners seem to have weak intrinsic motivation which may manifest itself in sporadic attendance, poor test results and apathy towards progression. “Motivation is what drives learners to achieve a goal, and is a key factor in determining success or failure in language learning” (Thornbury, 2006). A small survey-based action-research project was carried out and evaluated.

As I mostly teacher low-level classes conducted usually entirely in L2, sometimes the issuing of ... more As I mostly teacher low-level classes conducted usually entirely in L2, sometimes the issuing of instructions can be protracted and problematical. I would like to become more aware about this aspect of teaching and learn how to give instructions to my low-level learners more effectively.