EFL Students and Fiction: A quantitative study investigating fiction reading motivation of upper secondary students in Sweden and New Zealand

Abstract

Motivation is one of the most vital aspects of education. In the EFL context, it is considered a key factor for second language learning and for developing reading skills and proficiency. As part of the Swedish syllabus for English, fiction is used as an instrument for several aspects of language teaching, such as expanding vocabulary and examine different cultural aspects. This study aims to investigate upper secondary students reading motivation of fiction in English. Three upper secondary schools, two in Sweden and one in New Zealand participated in the study, a total of 227 students. A questionnaire based on the motivation for reading questionnaire was used to collect the data. The results show that one of the schools presented a stronger intrinsic motivation in comparison to the other two and all three schools had an almost equal level of extrinsic reading motivation. From a teaching perspective, the results present a complicated situation. The students' level of reading motivation, their preference of fiction genres as well as their level of English proficiency are essential aspects for a teacher to consider when working with fiction in the EFL classroom. Furthermore, including students in the selection of fiction can increase their motivation since they are part of the decision process.