The Status of Motivation in Learning English at the Undergraduate Level

Bidhan Mukherjee

Abstract: The demand of English as a language of communication in today?s world is on the ever - increasing rise across the globe. The same scenario is evident in India for learning English as a second language. Several factors are responsible for choosing English Major at the undergraduate level. Language learning motivation as a psychological variable is one of them. For this reason, this study attempts to know whether language learning motivation among the learners of English Major program is affected by gender in West Bengal. This study focuses on which type of motivation is preferred most by the students of English Major undergraduates. The results show that the learners of English Major are both instrumentally and integratively motivated to choose English Major. It is also found that gender remains statistically significant (p<0.05) in relation to language learning motivation.

Keywords: Language Learning Motivation, English Major, Second Language, Gender