La desmotivación en los estudiantes por el aprendizaje del inglés

Abstract

Learning a second language, especially English, has become a crucial need in the era of globalization. However, in many rural educational institutions, such as the Institución Educativa Rodania in the Department of Córdoba, Colombia, there is a marked demotivation among high school students towards learning English. This is reflected in their low academic performance as well as their results on state standardized exams. This phenomenon poses a significant challenge, considering the high demand for English skills in academic and professional settings. This study seeks not only to identify the causes of students' demotivation towards English but also to propose innovative and context-relevant pedagogical strategies that can foster a positive change in their performance. Previous research conducted in Latin America, Colombia, and Córdoba will be explored, with a focus on the relationship between motivation and foreign language performance within the school environment. More than a mere analysis of the current problem, this work is a valuable contribution aimed at revitalizing English teaching in rural areas. It carries both local and broader educational implications, given the pressing need to improve second-language learning processes in these contexts. Finally, this study aims to analyze the perceptions and attitudes of high school students at Institución Educativa Rodania towards learning English and its impact on their academic grades during the 2023-2024 period. Specifically, it seeks to identify these students' perceptions and attitudes through surveys and interviews; evaluate their performance in the English subject using grades and test results; identify significant correlations between their perceptions/attitudes and their academic grades; and propose recommendations and pedagogical strategies based on the findings to address student demotivation and enhance their English learning performance.