VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI
UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES
POSTGRADUATE DEPARTMENT

VŨ MAI GIANG WORK ENVIRONMENT AS A MOTIVATING FACTOR
FOR SELF-IMPROVEMENT OF ENGLISH:
A CASE STUDY OF PROJECTS IN
CARE INTERNATIONAL IN VIETNAM MÔI TRƯỜNG LÀM VIỆC VỚI VAI TRÒ LÀ YẾU TỐ THÚC ĐẨY
VIỆC TỰ HOÀN THIỆN TIẾNG ANH:
TRƯỜNG HỢP CÁC DỰ ÁN CỦA CARE QUỐC TẾ TẠI VIỆT NAM

MA THESIS
Major: English Teaching Methodology
Code: 60.14.10

MA THESIS
Major: English Teaching Methodology
Code: 60.14.10
Supervisor: Dr. Tô Thị Thu Hương
HANOI, 2009
iii

TABLE OF CONTENTS

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION
1
1.1 Rationale of the study

20
2.2.1 Language learning environment
20
2.2.2 What is meant by work environment?
22
2.2.3. Role of work environment to learning
23
2.2.4. Factors affecting learning at workplace
24
CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY
26
3.1 Context of the study
26
3.1.1 An overview of CARE International in Vietnam
26
3.1.2 Work Environment in CARE
27
3.2 Methodology
28
3.2.1 Case study
28
3.2.2 Validity and reliability
30
3.3 Data collection
31 iv

3.3.1 Questionnaire

5.2 Recommendations
56
5.3 Future directions
58
REFERENCES
59
APPENDIX 1
(Survey questionnaire for CARE Vietnamese staff in English and Vietnamese)

APPENDIX 2
(Guidelines for in-depth interviews in Vietnamese)

v

List of graphs and tables for data analysis

Graph 1: English language skills before and after working for CARE
Graph 2: Role of CARE work environment in self-improvement of English

Table 1: Participants’ profile
Table 2: Types of motivation for English self-improvement possessed by CARE staff
Table 3: Work requirements in CARE
Table 4: Kind of work that CARE staff have to use English and their frequency
Table 5: Relationships in CARE
Table 6: Opportunities of working for CARE
such motivation at school and colleges, there are few or no studies on learning English and
motivation to learn English after leaving colleges.

It is quite common that some English major graduates often complain that their
English skills get worse after graduation because they do not have the environment to use
it, their work does not require them to use English and they also do not have time for
further learning. Some non-major graduates state that they want and they need to improve 2 their English but they do not have an appropriate environment to learn and to use the
language. In all these circumstances, the work environment plays a crucial role in
determining whether employees have strong and long-lasting motivation to self-improve
their English.

With the above mentioned reasons, the researcher would like to investigate English
learning in an NGO environment and the role of work environment in motivating staff to
improve their English. It is hoped that the research would be of great help for those
working in an NGO in particular and elsewhere in general.

1.2 Scope and purposes of the study

The study was conducted on the Vietnamese staff who are currently working for
different projects in CARE International in Vietnam (hereafter abbreviated as CARE). The
study mainly focused on the principal purposes below:
 to explore different types of motivation possessed by CARE Vietnamese staff for self-
improvement of their English skills;
 to identify their perceptions of the role of work environment in their English self-

improvement of English but also help English learners to be aware of and make best use of
their work environment in their path to English perfection. In the broader term, the study
also might be useful for the organisations to make the strategic plan for human resource
development and give an insight to informal learning at workplace.

1.5 Methodology

In order to achieve the primary purposes of the study – to discover CARE
Vietnamese staff’s motivation types for English self-improvement, to get their opinions
about the role of the work environment and its elements affecting their motivation for self-
improvement of English, the case study was adopted in this study.

This case study uses both qualitative and quantitative approach with questionnaire
and semi-structured interviews as the main data collection tools for the given purpose to
get an insight into CARE’s staff motivation to self-improve English at workplace. The
instruments as well as the data collection process will be discussed in more details in
Chapter 3.

1.6 Study design

The study consists of five chapters as follows: 4 Chapter 1 provides a general introduction including the rationale, the scope and
purposes, research questions, significance, methodology and design of the study.
Definitions of terms are also presented in this chapter.
Chapter 2 aims at systematizing the theoretical background for the thesis by
CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW

The important role of motivation in second language learning is undeniable and
motivation can be consider the key to successful L2 learning. Thus, much research on
motivation and its role in second language acquisition has been undertaken so far.
Motivation is influenced by social and situational contexts so it needs to be examined in
the surrounding settings. In this chapter, the researcher shall review some theories on
motivation as well as the work environment as the theoretical backgrounds for the study.

2.1 Motivation Theories

2.1.1 What is motivation?

The concept of motivation is very much part of our personal and professional life.
In our everyday conversation, we talk about likes and dislikes, wishes and desires, attitudes
towards, for example, English learning. At work, we may complain about the salary, the
incompetent management, the relationship with colleagues or supervisors, opportunities for
promotion or study further. All these things belong to motivation, a domain attracting
much study and research because of its enabling power.

According to Brown (2002), “Motivation is one of the most important factors in the
success in English. Motivation means having a real purpose in learning English, or really
wanting to learn English for a reason”.

Motivation, defined as the impetus to create and sustain intentions and goal-seeking
acts (Ames & Ames, 1989), is important because it determines the extent of the learner's
active involvement and attitude toward learning. It is learners’ orientation toward the goal
of learning a second language (Crookes and Schmidt 1991).


According to Lightbown & Spada, motivation in second language learning is a
complex phenomenon which can be defined in terms of two factors: learners’
communicative needs and their attitudes towards the second language community. If
learners need to speak the second language in social situations to fulfill professional
ambitions or if they have favourable attitudes towards the speakers of the language, they
will be motivated to acquire that language proficiency.

Perhaps the only thing about motivation most researchers would agree on is that it,
by definition, concerns the direction and magnitude of human behaviour that is: 7 - the choice of a particular action
- the persistance with it
- the effort expended on it
In other words, motivation is responsible for:
- why people decide to do something,
- how long they are willing to sustain the activity
- how hard they are going to pursue it
(Cited in Dornyei, 2001:8)

2.1.2 Different approaches towards motivation in language learning

One explanation for the complex meaning of the term “motivation” is that there are
many different approaches towards motivation research. In this section, we will discuss
three major approaches that are the most helpful to the study: the behaviourist, the
cognitive and the constructivist approaches.

motivated differently… however, an individual‘s motivation is also subject to social and
contextual influences. These will include the whole culture and context and the social
situation, as well as significant other people and the individual’s interaction with these
people. (Cited from Dornyei 2001:115)

William and Burden’s framework of L2 motivation (cited from Dornyei 2001)
Internal factors
Intrinsic interest of activity:
- arousal of curiosity
- optimal degree of challenge
Perceived value of activity:
- personal relevance
- anticipated value of outcomes
- intrinsic value attributed to the
activity
Sense of agency:
- locus of causality
- locus of control RE process and
outcomes
- ability to set appropriate goals
Mastery:
- feelings of competence
External factors
Significant others:
- parents
- teachers
- peers
The nature of interaction with significant
others:
- mediated learning experiences

- confidence
- anxiety, fear
Developmental age and stage
Gender
- time of day, week, year
- size of class and school
- class and school ethos
The broader context:
- wider family networks
- the local education system
- conflicting interests
- cultural norms
- societal expectations and attitudes In short, the behaviourist approach and the cognitive view, when looking at
motivation, either focus on the external forces or the individuals’ decision. Hence, they
both get stuck in seeking explanations for human beings’ complicated behaviours. In order
to solve the problem, the constructivist approach was born, combining the personal choice
and the environment that a person is living in, to have a more appropriate look at
motivation.

2.1.3 Different approaches towards motivation at work
Understanding what motivated employees and how they were motivated was the
focus of many researchers. Five major approaches that have led to our understanding of 10
create job dissatisfaction:
- Supervision
- Company policy
- Working conditions
- Salary
- Peer relationship
- Security
Herzberg interviewed thousands of workers to determine what really motivates
them on the job. He listed the factors that influence motivation as follows:
1. Sense of Achievement
2. Earned Recognition
3. Interest in the Work Itself
4. Opportunity for Growth
5. Opportunity for Advancement
6. Importance & Responsibility
7. Peer & Group Relationships
8. Salary (Pay)
9. Fairness of Supervisors
10. Company Policy & Rules
11. Status & Perks 12 12. Job Security
13. Friendliness of Supervisor
14. Working Conditions
Some of these factors of work environment have been found to influence CARE
Vietnamese staff’s motivation to self-improve their English such as: peer relationship,

outcomes will be repeated and behaviors that lead to negative outcomes will not be
repeated (Skinner, 1953). Managers should positively reinforce employee behaviors that
lead to positive outcomes.
These five major approaches give us an overview of the things that influence
employees’ motivation such as needs to be satisfied, the work itself, peer and group
relationship, supervision, treatment among employees and reinforcement of behaviours.
Employers should take these into account in order to have content and motivated
employees, who will then contribute to the organisation development.
2.1.4 Role of motivation
Attitudes and motivational factors have been shown to play a crucial role in second
and foreign language learning. Gardner and Lambert (1972) indicate that affective factors,
including attitudes and motivation, have significant relationship with foreign language
achievement. In fact, these studies have shown that independently of their language
aptitude, learners who are highly motivated and have positive attitudes toward the target
language are more likely to do well in learning a second or foreign language than learners
who are less highly motivated or who have negative attitudes.

The table below presents a brief summary of some findings about the important
role of motivation in language learning.

Table: Some Findings Concerning Role of Motivation in Second Language Acquisition
(adapted from Gardner 2001)

Reference Finding
14
15 The relationship between language learning and motivation is an interactive one
though, since many research findings show that successful learning can enhance
motivation and vice versa. As Gardner and Smythe (1981) claim that high correlation
between motivation and successful learning confirms the importance of motivation
whether learners arrive with it or acquire it through successful learning experience.

2.1.5 Types of motivation

Based on the reasons for learning a language, motivation is classified into different
types including:

Integrative motivation
Gardner and Lambert (1972) described learners with an integrative orientation are
those who wish to integrate themselves into the culture of the second language group and
become involved in social interchange in that group. According to Longman dictionary of
language teaching and applied linguistics, integrative motivation refers to the desire to
learn a language in order to communicate with people of another culture who speak it.

It is thought that learners who are most successful when learning a target language
are those who like the people that speak the language, admire the culture and have a desire
to become familiar with or even integrate into the society in which the language is used
(Falk 1978). When someone becomes a resident in a new community that uses the target
language in its social interactions, integrative motivation is a key component in assisting
the learner to develop some level of proficiency in the language. It becomes a necessity, in


While both integrative and instrumental motivations are essential elements of
success, it is integrative motivation which has been found to sustain long-term success
when learning a second language (Taylor, Meynard and Rheault 1977; Crookes et al 1991).
In some of the early research conducted by Gardner and Lambert integrative motivation
was viewed as being of more importance in a formal learning environment or in a second
language context than instrumental motivation (Ellis 1997). One area where instrumental
motivation counts more is in the situation where the learner is provided with no
opportunity to use the target language and therefore, no chance to interact with members of
the target group. Lukmani (1972) found that an instrumental orientation was more
important than an integrative orientation in non-westernized female learners of L2 English
in Bombay.

Brown (2000) makes the point that both integrative and instrumental motivations
are not necessarily mutually exclusive. Learners rarely select one form of motivation when 17 learning a second language, but rather a combination of both orientations. For this reason it
is important to identify both the type and combination of motivation that assists in the
successful acquisition of a second language. At the same time it is necessary to view
motivation as one of a number of variables in an intricate model of interrelated individual
and situational factors which are unique to each language learner.

Intrinsic motivation

Intrinsic motivation is a response to needs that exist within the learner, such as
curiosity, the need to know, and feelings of competence or growth (Paul Eggen & Don

state. The use of rewards as extrinsic motivators has sometimes been found to increase
intrinsic motivation, especially when the rewards are contingent on the quality of the
performance rather than simply on participation.

Global, situational and task motivation
Brown (1981) identified 3 types of motivation:
Global motivation, which consists of a general orientation to the goal of learning an
L2.
Situational motivation, which varies according to the situation in which learning
takes place (the motivation associated with classroom learning is distinct from the
motivation involved in naturalistic learning)
Task motivation, which is the motivation for performing particular learning tasks
(quoted from Ellis 1985)

2.1.6 Factors affecting motivation in L2 learning

Many theorists and researchers have found that it is important to recognize the
construct of motivation not as a single entity but as a multi-factorial one. Oxford and
Shearin (1994) analyzed a total of 12 motivational theories or models, including those from
socio-psychology, cognitive development, and socio-cultural psychology, and identified
six factors that impact motivation in language learning:

 Attitudes (i.e., sentiments toward the learning community and the target language)
A large number of researches on the role of attitudes and motivation have pointed out that
positive attitudes and motivation are related to success in second language learning.
Unfortunately, we do not know whether motivation and attitudes produce successful
learning and successful learning enhances motivation or whether both are affected by other
factors. (Patsy Lightbown & Nina Spada)
Individual learner differences such as aptitude, age, sex, learning experience result in
differences in the route along which learners pass in second language acquisition. These
factors also influence the rate and ultimate success of SLA. (Ellis, Understanding SLA).
However, in this study we do not discuss much about how personal attributes influence
motivation. 20
 Environmental support (i.e., extent of teacher and peer support, and the
integration of cultural and outside-of-class support into learning experience)

Research studies have shown that language acquisition is the result of interplay
between cognitive mechanism and environmental conditions (Spolsky, 1985; Sivert &
Egbert, 1995). Understanding and creating optimal language learning environments thus
becomes a primary concern of the language teacher. Teachers can observe circumstances
under which learners acquire language and can make adjustments toward creating optimal
learning conditions. Teachers should bear in mind that peer and teacher support is very
important for meaningful learning. Also learners must be given opportunities to make best
use of their previous experiences and to participate as language users in multiple contexts.
These opportunities will result in learners' heightened motivation and awareness of the
intricacies of language use.

Among the six factors that influence motivation, the first five factors are learner-
related and the last one is referred to the learning situation or learning environment
which will be discussed in more detailed in the latter part since in this study the author
does not focus on the learner related factors. Rather, the researcher wants to investigate the
work environment factors affecting individual’s motivation to learn English.