| The present study deals with the roles motivation plays in EFL students' reading habits by attempting to achieve the following goals: (a) to identify the components of English learning motivation, English reading motivation, and task-specific motivation for a sample of university EFL learners in Japan, and (b) to investigate possible relationships between the identified components of motivation and the amount of independent reading in English done by the learners.; The participants (N = 262) in this experiment were first and second year English/non-English major students at a four-year women's university in Japan. Data obtained for the study was derived from two major sources: a questionnaire and an extensive reading assignment. The data was analyzed using principal components analysis in order to identify motivational subcomponents and multiple regression analysis was performed in order to investigate the relationship between some subcomponents of motivation and the amount of reading.; The results of the principal components analysis indicated there may be seven independent motivational subcomponents in the questionnaire pertaining to motivation to read and learn English, and five independent subcomponents in the questionnaire pertaining to motivation to work on the task. Those subcomponents were defined as Intrinsic Value of Reading and Learning English, Integrative Orientation, Expectancy for Success, Attainment Value of Reading and Learning English, Interest in Cultures, Grade-related Extrinsic Utility Value, Effort, Intrinsic Value of the Task, Attitudes Toward Procedures of the Task, Extrinsic Utility Value of the Task, Attitudes toward Stories in the Task, and Cost.; The results of multiple regression analysis suggested that among these identified motivational constructs, Expectancy for Success, Cost (perceived negative consequences of engaging in the task), Intrinsic Value of the Task, and Attitudes Toward Procedures of the Task are significant predictors of the amount the students read outside of class. |
