Learning Arabic Language: Motivational Factors of Students in Singapore

Rising awareness of the value of learning a foreign language has led to many learning foreign languages for various reasons. While globalisation has motivated many to learn one or two foreign languages to enhance their skills and capability in various aspects, such as business, society, education, politics, and society, some are driven by a sense of personal achievement that they want to attain. This paper examines the motivational factors influencing students at Nanyang Technological University to learn Arabic as a foreign language. This study aims to identify the intrinsic and extrinsic factors influencing students’ motivation and achievement in learning a foreign language. It examines aspects such as demographics, fields of study, and the underlying reasons for enrolling in language courses. The researcher adopts a quantitative approach, utilizing survey analysis to gather responses from 45 students across various years of study, specialisations and faculties. The results reveal a combination of intrinsic and extrinsic motivational factors influencing students’ engagement in foreign language learning, encompassing accomplishment factors, knowledge factors, religious factors, and expected learning outcomes. The findings will help more educators, curriculum developers, and language institutes in teaching and developing their syllabi.