Recognizing English as A Second Language in High School: The Role of Learner Motivations

To realize Vietnam’s recent goal of establishing English as a second language in schools, students' language learning motivation could play a vital role. In this study, descriptive, correlational, linear regression and ANOVA analyses were utilized to explore the perceptions of 521 first-year students on their attitudes and motivations toward learning English while they were in high school. The results indicated that students’ attitudes and motivations for learning English could be categorized into three main types: result-integrative motivation, instrumental motivation and intrinsic motivation. These types of motivation were correlated, and resultative-integrative motivation had the biggest impact on their suggestions to make English the second language in schools. Students residing in different regions of the country did not differ in their overall suggestions on making English the second language in schools. The study’s findings provide valuable insights and are expected to inform language educators, teachers and curriculum designers in their efforts to enhance the quality of English education in high schools across Vietnam.