Exploring Chinese postgraduate students’ perceptions of the teacher motivational strategies in British ESL classroom setting

Abstract

This study investigates Chinese postgraduate students' perceptions of motivational strategies within the British ESL (English as a Second Language) context, focusing on the perceived frequency and importance of these strategies. Motivation plays a fundamental role in L2 acquisition, while previous studies have emphasized teachers’ perspectives, and less attention has been given to students’ viewpoints, particularly in a cross-cultural setting in the United Kingdom L2 learning context. To address this research gap, this study adopted questionnaires adapted from Dörnyei’s framework, which have been previously validated in Taiwanese and Hungarian contexts. Data were collected from 20 Chinese overseas students enrolled at University College London in the United Kingdom and analyzed using SPSS to rank 48 strategies across 10 macrostrategies. Results indicate that strategies such as recognizing students’ effort and promoting self-confidence are highly valued, whereas others, like promoting group cohesiveness, are less emphasized. Compared to prior research conducted in Taiwan, this study uncovers cultural differences in strategy perception. Chinese students studying in the UK placed greater emphasis on task clarity, reflecting the challenges of adapting to English-medium instruction. It suggests that while some motivational strategies possess universal applicability, others are context-specific, influenced by cultural and educational backgrounds. This research contributes to the understanding of L2 motivation across diverse cultural settings and provides valuable insights for language teaching practices.