Motivation is something that can encourage someone to take an action or deed
that can help him achieve something he wants, while demotivation is the opposite
of motivation. This study was conducted with the aim to investigate the
motivational and demotivating factors of students in learning English. This study
used quantitative research. Data collection technique used questionnaire. The
subjects in this study were 47 students majoring in English at University of
Muhammadiyah Aceh. In this study the researcher found several factors that can
make students motivated and demotivated. The motivational factors include:
meaningful English material, enjoying learning English in class, the need to learn
English, wanting study abroad, liking the language, to helping their future careers,
developing their knowledge, and stimulating them to express their thoughts or
feelings in English. Demotivation factors include: unlikely to find high paying
jobs later on, feeling like wasting their time at school, not understanding why they
are in college, and not understanding what they are doing at school.