The Background of the Study
requirements in facing the challenges of the globalization is mastering English as an international language.
By mastering English we will get a lot of information, so it is very important to learn English. Through English we can also do communicate with
other people in the world and we can get knowledge easily. This is especially for students, because English is necessary as a means of getting knowledge.
In Indonesia, English language is the first foreign language which is taught from junior high school until university. It is a must for Indonesian
students to learn English as a compulsory subject. There is one of three categories of language subject in the Indonesian
educational system, its foreign language. The foreign language subjects are taught in secondary schools and tertiary institutions, and can be classified into
two subcategories in secondary school. Those taught as a compulsory subject and those taught as an optional subject. The only language belonging to the
compulsory subcategory is English.
2
Therefore, all Indonesian students have to master their English subject as well as possible as stated in the “KTSP” which is aimed at mastering
communication skills in English.
3
From the description above, it is clear that English is an important international language as a tool of communication between people, so they can
understand one another. Moreover, English is important to be learnt especially for students because it is on the curriculum and as a compulsory subject, so
they can communicate and get knowledge. The students have to master in English through learning. It is one of
the most important things for human beings since they were born and for the rest of their life. Moreover, learning must begin since they were child, so they
think that learning is an interesting factor for their life.
2
John A.S. Read, Trends in Language Syllabus Design, Singapore: Singapore University Press, 1983, p. 183.
3
E. Mulyasa, Kurikulum Tingkat Satuan Pendidikan Bandung: PT Remaja Rosda Karya, 2007, p. 22.
Learning depends upon motivation, it has a significant role in language learning process. The students’ motivation in language learning also affects
their achievement in English. It is assumed that the students with high motivation in learning English will be more successful rather than the students
who have low motivation. That is stated that the role of motivation during learning is equally
important. Here are some various studies have found that motivation relate to achievement in language learning:
Jeremy Harmer said that, “it seems reasonable to suggest that the motivation which students bring to class is the biggest single factor affecting
their success.”
4
From definition above, we know that motivation in the classroom affects both learning and behavior of the students who are motivated to learn
more. The students with higher motivation to learn English will show effort
to learn more than students with lower motivation. More than this, the student who is well motivated to learn English will be more successful than the one
who is unmotivated to learn. It is clear that motivation has an important role to learning process.
“Motivation can affect both new learning and the performance of previous learned skills, strategies, and behaviors, which has important for
schooling.”
5
It means that motivation has been conceptualized in varied ways including inner forces, enduring traits, behavioral responses to stimuli, and
sets of beliefs and affects. Moreover, Kevin Barry and Len King said that “Students become
highly motivated to achieve when they believe they can perform a task or an activity successfully.”
6
4
Jeremy Harmer, The Practice of English Language Teaching…,P. 3.
5
Paul R. Pintrich and Dale H. Schunk, Motivation in Education Theory, Research, and Applications, New Jersey: Pearson Education, 2008, P. 5.
6
Kevin Barry and Len King, Beginning Teaching and Beyond 3
rd
edition, Sydney: Thomson Social Science Press, 1998, P.498.
From that statement, the writer can conclude that the students have confidence to be success, they believe that if they have high motivation, they
will be success in their learning activities. “Motivation, a prerequisite to learning is the influence of needs and
preferences on behavior. It affects the direction a student takes, activities a student chooses, and the intensity with which a student engages in an
activity.”
7
From the statement above, it is clear that motivation is the important factor in learning. It will influence the students’ interest in choosing and doing
something what they want. “Motivation is essential to success that we have to want to do
something to succeed at it. Without such motivation we will almost certainly fail to make the necessary effort.”
8
We must have motivation in our life, because if we have motivation, we will be success, and if we don’t have motivation we will certainly fail.
“Learner motivation makes teaching and immeasurably easier and more pleasant, as well as more productive.”
9
It means that the students who have motivation will express attend carefully to the instruction and
explanation from the teacher, they will take note to facilitate subsequent studying and be active in the classroom in learning process, so the teacher will
be easier to give his material. The writer can conclude that English is important for us to learn it,
especially for students. The role of the foreign language teacher is central to the students’ achievement in learning English.
There are some factors that effect students’ achievement in learning foreign language such as students’ aptitude, needs, economic status, previous
language experiences, intelligence, facilities in school, etc.
7
Pamela R. Rothstein, Educational Psychology, Singapore: McGraw-Hill, 1990, P. 136.
8
Jeremy Harmer, The Practice of English Language Teaching 3
rd
edition…, P. 51.
9
Penny Ur, a course in language teaching, New York: Cambridge University Press, 1996, P..274
The other important factor that cannot be ignored in learning English is motivation, such as motivation to get knowledge and to get good mark, so it
will be success in teaching and learning process. Motivation relate to students’ achievement in learning English, an
English learning will go to diligently if the learner has a willingness to learn. It will emerge the students’ feeling that they need too. Such willingness is
usually based upon a necessity to know and understand or able to communicate in English. It is clear that motivation has a very important role in
learning process, especially in learning English.