For a number of students in the observed classes, the extrinsic motivating factors for studying
TOEIC did not appear sufficient to encourage language uptake. Numerous students were not
interested in class, and either did not participate in tasks, or fell asleep. This trend held truefor all classes; regardless of age or teaching methods employed. The only difference was in
how students did not participate. The older students in class C listening to the professor
through headphones fell asleep. The younger students in classes A and B listening through
speakers discussed unrelated issues in the L1 with classmates. Dörnyei (1994: 276) notes
that “students will lose their intrinsic interest in an activity if they have to do it to meet some
extrinsic requirement”. It is not known if the observed students were originally interested
and lost motivation, or never felt motivated. However, it is possible that the students in these
classes currently motivated to learn English may lose interest over time because of the
extrinsic factors.