Pupils' Motivation and Attitudes Towards the Use of English Songs in Rural Primary English Classroom

Joyce Joel, Parilah Mohd Shah

English teachers teaching in rural areas often face the non-availability of required technical support and relevant atmosphere to teach English effectively. As a result of the incompetent conditions, many studies have been conducted to exploit the unique components of songs to motivate the rural learners to learn English. However, a study to investigate the rural pupils in Kanowit, Sarawak toward the use of songs has not been located. Therefore, this study investigates Kanowit primary school pupils' attitudes towards English and investigate whether songs help to motivate rural pupils in Kanowit to learn English. A total 60 respondents, age between 10-12 years old took part in this preliminary study. Data was collected via a questionnaire survey . A survey questionnaire adapted from Gardner's (1985) Attitude and Motivation Test Battery (AMTB) was employed in this study. The findings suggest that students are highly motivated, have positive attitudes towards learning English and are extrinsically motivated although it does not necessarily translate into favorable efforts in improving proficiency. Based on the findings some suggestions and recommendations for teachers have been highlighted.

https://doi.org/10.31871/IJNTR.4.12.11