The Relation of English Tutors Teaching Style and Student's Motivation to Learn: Case Study of Hello English Course
Abstract
English has become one of the most important skills students need today, both for communication and future opportunities. In reality, many students in English courses still struggle with low confidence and lack of motivation, despite having voluntarily chosen to attend. However, limited empirical attention has been paid to the motivational dynamics within informal, semi-private learning environments. To fill this research gap, this study explicitly examines how tutors' teaching style and classroom language use affect students' motivation to learn English at Hello English Course, a semi-private English course in Indonesia. A qualitative case study approach was used, with 20 students from semi-private classes participating in a questionnaire through purposive sampling, and 3 students selected for semi-structured interviews based on varied responses ranging from positive, neutral, to mixed. The findings show that most students responded positively to the tutor's way of teaching, particularly when the tutor explained things clearly, gave everyone a chance to speak, offered supportive feedback, and kept the classroom atmosphere friendly. These factors made students feel more comfortable and willing to engage. The study concludes that teaching style and classroom language use play a significant role in shaping students' motivation, especially in small, informal class settings where personal interaction between tutor and student is more intensive. Implications for tutors and course organizers are also discussed.
Keywords
References
Al-Hoorie, A. H. (2018). Motivation and second language learning. Annual Review of Applied Linguistics, 38, 1–22.
Benson, P. (2018). Teaching and researching autonomy in language learning. In Routledge.
Bolkan, S. (2017). Teacher clarity and student learning: Improving instructional communication in the classroom. Communication Education, 66(2), 1–20.
Boo, Z., Dornyei, Z., & Ryan, S. (2018). L2 motivation research 2005-2014: Understanding a publication surge and a changing landscape. System, 78, 17–28. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.system.2018.02.006
Cenoz, J., & Gorter, D. (2021). Pedagogical translanguaging. In Cambridge University Press.
Creswell. (2014). Research design. In SAGE Publications.
Crystal, D. (2019). English as a global language. In Cambridge University Press.
Deci, E. L., & Ryan, R. M. (2000). The “what” and “why” of goal pursuits: Human needs and the self-determination of behavior. Psychological Inquiry, 11(4), 227–268. https://doi.org/10.1207/S15327965PLI1104_01
Deci, E. L., & Ryan, R. M. (2017). Self-determination theory: Basic psychological needs in motivation, development, and wellness. In Guilford Press.
Dewaele, J.-M., & MacIntyre, P. D. (2019). Foreign language anxiety and enjoyment. Annual Review of Applied Linguistics, 39, 1–19. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0267190519000050
Dörnyei, Z., & Ryan, S. (2019). The psychology of the language learner revisited. In Routledge.
Garcia, O., & Wei, L. (2019). Translanguaging: Language, bilingualism and education. In Palgrave Macmillan.
Hattie, J., & Timperley, H. (2007). The power of feedback. Review of Educational Research, 77(1), 81–112. https://doi.org/10.3102/003465430298487
Henry, A. (2021). Motivation and foreign language learning: From theory to practice. Journal of Language Teaching Research, 12(3), 411–425.
Henry, A., & Thorsen, C. (2018). Teacher-student interaction and motivation in informal language learning. Language Teaching Research, 22(4), 389–408.
Horwitz, E. K. (2017). On the misinterpretation of Horwitz et al. The Modern Language Journal, 101(3), 436–439. https://doi.org/10.1111/modl.12459
Jang, H., Reeve, J., & Deci, E. L. (2019). Engaging students in learning activities: Autonomy support and structure. Journal of Educational Psychology, 111(6), 1117–1134. https://doi.org/10.1037/edu0000362
Jenkins, J. (2020). World Englishes: A resource book for students. In Routledge.
Kim, J., & Tatar, S. (2020). Language use in the EFL classroom: Learners’ perspectives. TESOL Journal, 11(2), e00493.
Lamb, M. (2017). The motivational dimension of language learning. Language Teaching, 50(3), 317–344. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0261444815000250
Lauder, A. (2008). The status and function of English in Indonesia: A review of key factors. Makara Seri Sosial Humaniora, 12(1), 9–20.
Lee, J. S. (2021). Anxiety and willingness to communicate in English as a foreign language. Applied Linguistics Review, 12(1), 141–163.
Li, X. (2020). Factors affecting EFL learner motivation. TESOL Quarterly, 54(2), 489–503.
Macaro, E. (2018). English medium instruction. In Oxford University Press.
MacIntyre, P. D., & Gregersen, T. (2019). Affect in language learning. Annual Review of Applied Linguistics, 39, 43–56. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0267190519000057
Mercer, S., & Dornyei, Z. (2020). Engaging language learners in contemporary classrooms. In Cambridge University Press.
Reeve, J. (2016). Autonomy-supportive teaching. Advances in Motivation and Achievement, 19, 129–152.
Reeve, J. (2018). Understanding motivation and emotion. In Wiley.
Reinders, H. (2020). Teaching and learning English in informal contexts. In Multilingual Matters.
Richards, J. C. (2022). Exploring Emotions in Language Teaching. RELC Journal, 53(1), 225–239. https://doi.org/10.1177/0033688220927531
Ryan, R. M., & Deci, E. L. (2020). Self-determination theory and the facilitation of motivation. American Psychologist, 75(1), 1–14. https://doi.org/10.1037/amp0000475
Teimouri, Y., Goetze, J., & Plonsky, L. (2019). Second language anxiety and achievement. Studies in Second Language Acquisition, 41(2), 363–387. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0272263118000036
Ushioda, E. (2018). Motivation and L2 learning. In Annual Review of Applied Linguistics (Vol. 38). https://doi.org/10.1017/S026719051800001X
Xie, F., & Derakhshan, A. (2021). Teacher immediacy and student engagement. Frontiers in Psychology, 12, 627049. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.627049
Yin. (2018). Case study research. In SAGE Publications.
Zhang, X. (2021). Interactive teaching strategies and learner motivation. Language Teaching Research, 25(3), 431–450. https://doi.org/10.1177/1362168821994143
DOI: https://doi.org/10.31004/jele.v11i5.2849
Refbacks
- There are currently no refbacks.
Copyright (c) 2026 Ratih Octaviana, Girindra Putri Dewi Saraswati
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
