Abstract

This study examined reading motivation of adult international students studying English in the US. Applying self-determination theory as its theoretical framework, the study analyzed the survey responses of thirty-three students to measure their intrinsic motivation, identified regulation, and controlled motivation (i.e., external and introjected regulations, combined) to read in English. The students were found to be more-strongly motivated because of the values that they held in reading in English, indicating the importance of identified regulation in understanding the nature of their motivation. Their perceived differences between reading in English and in their first language centered on the range of purposes and the laborious nature of reading in a new language. This result indicated that intrinsic motivation was more often associated with first language reading, as well as the students’ possible lack of motivation to engage in English reading.