Abstract:

Numerous studies have examined the significance of motivation in learning English as a Foreign Language. However, only a few studies have focused on English for Specific Purposes settings. The current study examined the students’ perception of motivating teaching strategies in ESP classrooms. One hundred and sixty-three ESP students from a public university in Indonesia participated in the study. They completed a questionnaire which reflected their perceptions on the most and the least motivational teaching strategies. Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 21 was used to analyze the data. The results show that ESP students preferred teaching practices that provided them with a comfortable and enjoyable environment as the most motivating ones. On the other hand, they perceived teaching strategies that were related to activities and assignments as the least motivational ones. The results of the study provide guidelines that may help the teachers to employ appropriate strategies that can motivate students in ESP classes.

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