An exploratory study on extrinsic and intrinsic motivation towards learning business English

This research paper explores Thai students’ extrinsic and intrinsic motivation behind learning business English through courses in Thammasat University, aiming to identify which motivational factors influence the students and what factors influence them the most. The quantitative approach is utilized in this study, including some open-ended questionnaires. 5-point Likert scale questionnaires provided statistical data about the students’ motivation level. The result revealed that the external factors including future career, job opportunity and high salary, are the most influencing factors for the students learning business English. The intrinsic motivational factors which influenced most are personal interest, curiosity and their desire to improve language skills. At the same time, the open-ended questions provided a more detailed insight into the students’ personal experience and their reasons for learning business English. The results show that the students are more into interactive role-play activities and highly motivated to learn from the business people who have real-life experiences. By examining both extrinsic and intrinsic motivation and their influence on the students learning business English, this study shows what students’ personal interest, grades and future career are driving the students to study in business English courses and what factors influence the students the most in their learning. The findings will help the teachers to create more effective teaching strategies, a learning environment where the students are motivated in their learning journey and to adapt the updated AI applications in their teaching methods to enhance the students' engagement and better learning outcomes.