THE INFLUENCE OF TECHNOLOGY ON LANGUAGE LEARNING AND MOTIVATION WITH UZBEK EFL AND UNITED STATES ESL STUDENTS

Abstract

ABSTRACT This study had two aims. The first aim of the study was to investigate the English language learning motivation level of the upper level English as Foreign Language (EFL – junior and senior) college students at Bukhara State University (BSU) in Uzbekistan and Kansas City Kansas Community College (KCKCC) upper level English as a Second Language students (ESL- Levels 3 and 4), and the second aim of the study was to analyze if the usage of technology, including social media, social networking websites instant messaging applications and online learning platform had a positive influence on students’ English language learning. By investigating Motivation level of the students, the motivation was divided into two levels; Instrumental and Integrative. The sample consisted of 129 (n=129) BSU EFL students and 38 (n=38) KCKCC ESL students. The study was conducted on the premises of the English Philology Department at Bukhara State University in Uzbekistan and Kansas City Kansas Community College, Kansas, the United States. At Bukhara State University the data was collected with the assistance of the experienced English language instructors Mr. Mirzo Tursunov and Mrs. Nargiza Vokhidova, and at Kansas City Kansas Community College, the assistance was from the ESOL Coordinator Dr. Michelle Overholt. Three instruments were used in this study, the Attitude/Motivation Test Battery by Gardner (1985), Binnur’s (2011) Motivation and Technology Questionnaire and Social Media, Social networking, Instant messaging applications and Online Learning platform related questions prepared by the researcher. The study did not combine these three separate instruments but rather interpreted the results of this quantitative study. The gathered data was statistically analyzed using Multiple Analysis of Variance (MANOVA) and Single Sample T-test (ANOVA). The results showed that KCKCC ESL students are more Instrumentally and Integratively motivated in learning English than their peers at BSU. But on the technology related questions, BSU EFL students scored higher than KCKCC ESL students. BSU EFL students also scored higher on Social Media, Social Networking Websites and Instant Audio and Video Messaging Applications, while KCKCC ESL students supported the use of Online Learning Platform to increase their English Language Learning. This research study was statistically significant on all aspects, except Instant Messaging Application Telegram, Online Networking Website “Facebook” and Online learning website “MyReadingLab”.