This paper presents the components influencing
English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learning
demotivation and resilience. Semi-structured interview
data from 23 EFL students and nine teachers were thematically
analyzed guided by the Grounded Theory
approach after systematic reiterative comparative
reviewing. The major demotivators were teachers’ lack
of clear delivery for elementary school students, excessive
afterschool learning programs at private institutes
for junior high school students, and impractical EFL
lessons focusing on grammar rather than spoken English
for high school students. In order to curb these demotivators
and maintain high EFL learning motivation levels,
four distinctive components influencing their resilience
were identified: social support, emotional regulation, a
clear learning goal, and tenacity in EFL learning. This
study illustrates that emotional regulation, not negative
emotions such as anxiety, is crucial, and students’ clearly
stated short-term learning goal is a crucial component in
maintaining high academic resilience. Participants cultivated
specific components influencing resilience as they
advanced academically. Additionally, high-proficiency
EFL students exhibited greater tenacity and utilized
various coping strategies. We argue for the necessity to
refine the sub-constructs of EFL learning demotivation
and resilience and recommend the need for a follow-up
confirmatory study to prove the conceptual validity of
these constructs.

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• A Qualitative Inquiry on EFL Learning Demotivation and Resilience: A Study of Primary and Secondary EFL Students in South Korea