English Reading Motivation of Korean Middle School Students

In the Korean EFL context, however, students have not had many opportunities to use English except for the English classroom at public schools or language institutions. English reading becomes more important in order to provide students with the environment where they can be more exposed to English. Seven Korean middle school students participated in this study to find out 1) how they perceived English reading, 2) which motivation was required for better English reading, and 3) how English reading motivation could be effectively stimulated. The findings of this study are as follows. Most of the participants had a difficulty in English reading. Concentrating more on vocabulary and grammar, they spent time more in translating the given texts into Korean than understanding the general meaning. Also, they were forced to read English books for their homework or English exams. In order to concentrate on more reading and to motivate them to read more books, therefore, it is necessary to guide them to select an appropriate book for their own interests. Teachers and parents can play an important role in internally motivating students.