Catalogo de Investigaciones 2018-2019

CATÁLOGO DE INVESTIGACIONES | AÑO ACADÉMICO 2018-2019 97 The Relationship Between Puerto Rican English Language Learners’ Level of Motivation in Learning English and their Speaking Performance at a Private University in the Southern Area of Puerto Rico The current investigation had two main purposes: to determine whether English language learning motivation is related to the English language learners’ speaking performance, and to measure the strength of English language learners’ motivation with English language learning speaking performance. The research was a correlational design using descriptive statistics. Spearman Rho correlation coefficient was used to indicate the relationship between the two variables: level of motivation and speaking performance. The sample consisted of university students taking an oral communication course at a private, accredited university in the southern area of Puerto Rico. The participants in the research included 22 students ranging from the ages of 18 to 21 years old. A motivation questionnaire and a speaking test, designed by the investigator and validated by a panel of experts, were used to collect data. The questionnaire measured level of motivation, while the speaking test measured speaking performance. The findings of the current investigation demonstrated that there is no relationship between the level of motivation and the speaking performance of students learning English as a second language at the particular private university researched in the southern area of Puerto Rico. As a contribution to the English as a second language field, the investigator provides a list of suggested meaningful and motivating speaking activities for English language learners. melanie s. méndez laboy maestría en educación con especialidad en enseñanza de inglés como segundo idioma mentor: dra. irma n. rodríguez vega english as a second language speaking performance teaching english learning motivation