Abstract:
This study deals with motivation and attitude towards the study of French
language. It aims at determining the level of motivation of the students and their
attitude towards French learning situation. Overall, 84 students were selected
among 278 level 200 students using stratified random sampling technique. The
study used mixed methods approach. The questionnaire used to collect the
quantitative data was based on the Attitude and Motivation Test Battery of
Gardner (1985). The qualitative data was obtained via group interview. Both
quantitative and qualitative data revealed that students’ instrumental orientation
was high whilst their integrative orientation was low. Attitude towards French
learning and French course were moderately unfavorable. However, attitude
toward French lectures were favorable and the desire to learn French was high.
The motivational intensity was low. The qualitative data showed that the
unfavorable attitudes would be attributable to a gap between the students’ level
of mastery of the French language and the requirements at the university level,
the lack of patience of some lecturers, rigid mode of assessment according to
the students, the exclusive use of French Language by some lecturers, the many
aspects of the language to study within a semester as well as the sociolinguistic
environment. The study suggests among other things the use of motivational
strategies, the improvement of sociolinguistic environment and early and
continuous contact with the language during the pre-tertiary education.
