Abstract
This study examined the factors motivating college students at Eastern Quezon College to speak English. Intrinsic motivators included personal interest, language goals, and self-confidence. Extrinsic factors included teacher encouragement, classroom environment, and cultural influence. The study also investigated the link between motivation and English proficiency. Findings showed students were intrinsically motivated by personal growth and engagement with English cultures and media. Extrinsic factors, particularly supportive teachers and positive learning environments, significantly impacted motivation. Teacher encouragement emerged as the strongest extrinsic motivator. While cultural pressure played a role, the desire for global connection was stronger. No significant relationship was found between intrinsic motivation and demographics (age, sex, year level, program). However, extrinsic motivation, especially from supportive classrooms, weakly correlated with age and year level, suggesting older students may respond better. Teacher encouragement also weakly correlated with program choice. This study highlights the importance of fostering positive learning environments to cultivate intrinsic motivation for speaking English. Educators can leverage extrinsic factors to achieve this. Further research is needed to explore other demographic influences on motivation.
