Motivation Level: A Study on the Effect of an Authentic Context

While authenticity is discussed as having positive effects on language learning motivation, the question remains how it can affect motivation level in an EAP context. The present paper presents the results of a quasi-experimental mixed-method study on the effect of an authentic context thorough the integration of authentic texts and tasks on the motivation level of EAP students. Having triangulated the quantitative data of the questionnaire and the qualitative data of the interview and diaries, the findings of the study suggest that a higher motivation level was achieved by the students in the authentic context as compared to the students in the traditional context. Moreover, the students’ diary entries revealed some in-depth information about the most appealing tasks and also the positive experiences of the students in the authentic context.