(2155)READING MOTIVATION OF SECOND LANGUAGE LEARNERS

摘要

Reading is often considered the most essential of the four language skills when learning a second orforeign language (Carell, 1988, cited in Carell, Devine and Eskey, 1988 [1] ). This is because readingis considered the main reason students learn a language. If learners do not possess effective readingskills and strategies, they will not be able to excel academically. Research has proven that readingskills can be mastered if learners are motivated to read. Motivation is defined as personalcharacteristics which influence the activities and achievements of individuals in the forms ofobjectives, convictions and needs (Guthrie et.al, 1999). In ensuring that learners are constantly drivenwith the motivation to read and keep themselves abreast with the latest knowledge, schools inMalaysia have taken concerted efforts to organize a variety of reading programmes for learners. Thispaper describes some of the programmes that are in place in ensuring that the love and passion forreading and life-long learning are instilled in learners. This article also discusses the factors thatmotivate second language learners to read as well as barriers that hinder them from acquiring anddeveloping reading motivation. When these factors are identified, school administrators, languageteachers and language instructors as well as parents will be more informed on the role that they couldplay in motivating the students to read. Language and reading programmes which are organized atschools could also be improvised so that they would perfectly cater to learners’ needs, preferencesand interests.