Relationship Between Intrinsic/Extrinsic Motivation and L2 Speaking Skill Among Iranian Male and Female EFL Learners

Abstract

This study investigated the relationship between intrinsic/extrinsic motivation and L2 (English) speaking skill between male and female high school students in Iranian EFL context. To this end, 249 male and female students’ intrinsic and extrinsic motivation was measured with a questionnaire and their English speaking skill was assessed by a speaking rating scale. To triangulate the data, semi-structured interviews with a sample of 25 EFL students were conducted. The results of descriptive statistics and correlation coefficients demonstrated that the females had a higher level of intrinsic motivation while the males had a higher level of extrinsic motivation. Besides, the degree of correlation between intrinsic motivation and attainment of L2 speaking skill was statistically higher among the females. Also, t-test results indicated a statistically significant difference in the intrinsic/extrinsic type of motivation between the male and female students. The findings highlight the role of gender in dealing with motivation in L2 classes.

Keywords

• Extrinsic/intrinsic motivation
• Gender
• Speaking skill