*Corresponding Author P-ISSN: 1978-8118 E-ISSN: 2460-710X 31 Lingua Cultura, 14(1), July 2020, 31-41 DOI: 10.21512/lc.v14i1.6272 THE RELATION OF BALINESE EFL LEARNERS’ PRIOR LEARNING EXPERIENCE AND PRESENT PROFICIENCY Putu Ayu Asty Senja Pratiwi* The Graduate School of East Asian Studies, Yamaguchi University 1677-1 Yoshida, Yamaguchi, Japan senja.dananjaya@yahoo.com Received: 18th February 2020/Revised: 25th February 2020/Accepted: 02nd March 2020 How to Cite: Pratiwi, P. A. A. S. (2020). The relation of Balinese EFL learners’ prior learning experience and present proficiency. Lingua Cultura, 14(1), 31-41. https://doi.org/10.21512/lc.v14i1.6272 ABSTRACT The research tried to shed light on the relation of prior learning experience and motivation in shaping the learners’ proficiency. It investigated the importance of prior learning experience and the role of motivation in learning development. This needed to investigate further to find out how positive and negative prior learning experience with intrinsic and extrinsic motivation determined the way the students, value their phase of learning, and the relation with their present proficiency. From the empirical study of the Balinese EFL learners, there were three types of learners based on the prior learning experience and the role of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation. The first type consisted of the learners who had positive prior learning experience, had high intrinsic motivation, and gained high proficiency in their present study; the second type was those who had low intrinsic motivation but changed into high intrinsic motivation due to the extrinsic motivation; the third type was the learners who had negative prior learning experience, low intrinsic motivation, and resulted in low proficiency. In total, 15 students ranging from 19–23 years old (4 males and 11 females) voluntarily participated in the test and interview. Through the in-depth interview, it is found that the positive prior learning experience and high intrinsic motivation motivate the students and lead them to higher proficiency. However, demotivation and a low level of proficiency can occur from the negative prior learning experience and low intrinsic motivation. Keywords: Balinese learners, prior learning experience, intrinsic motivation, extrinsic motivation, English proficiency INTRODUCTION Several studies reveal that some language students are more successful than others (Day et al., 2018). Some individuals appear to be endowed with higher abilities to succeed, whereas others seem to lack those abilities. The individual differences in language learning are caused by various factors such as a talent or gift to learn foreign languages, cultural and educational background, strategies in learning, prior learning experience, and motivation (Alizadeh, 2016; Day et al., 2018; Genç, Kuluşakli, & Aydin, 2016; Guerrero, 2015; Liu & Yu, 2019; Moskovsky et al., 2016). However, how prior learning experience gives rise to such differences are yet to be thoroughly investigated. Jain (2014) has found that prior learning is the skill and knowledge acquired from previous formal and informal learning experiences. It is the background knowledge that students have based on their life experience in the process of learning and gaining their knowledge in the settings of formal or non-formal education, such as learning autodidact (self-learning/ self-taught person) or learning with others’ help. According to Öztürk & Gürbüz (2016), the learners get the idea on how to learn a language, how they create their learning habits and learning aptitude based on their prior learning experience. Prior learning experience affects students’ preferences toward the subjects that they have learned in their childhood, and this phase has a big, albeit unconscious, and impact on the continuation of learning (Jain, 2014). It is necessary to understand each individual’s prior knowledge to personalize his/her future learning. In the research, a prior learning experience is taken as the learners’ previous learning experience that relates to how they obtain their skills and knowledge, their experience during their learning process, both 32 LINGUA CULTURA, Vol. 14 No. 1, July 2020, 31-41 within and beyond the classroom, in a formal and informal setting. The prior learning experience is shaped by the learners themselves and other external factors that could motivate or demotivate the learners. This reflects in learners’ present performance and proficiency. The previous learning experiences, prior knowledge, and motivation are significant factors in the various learners’ performance and successful learners (Kennedy et al., 2015; Martinović, 2018). The term motivation has been investigated by researchers from various perspectives in the fields of TESOL and psychology (Dörnyei, 2005; Gardner, 2005). Motivation is the combination of a positive attitude, the enjoyment of the task and putting forward effort toward learning, desire to learn, and the engine that drives the system (Gardner, 2005). Takač & Medve (2015) have found three elements of motivation; they are effort, desire, and attitudes towards learning the language. It originates from the learner visualization of himself/herself as an effective L2 speaker, from the learner’s environment that could evoke the social pressure for the learner, and from learning experiences (including the prior and present learning experience). Motivation can be measured by the degree to which a goal-relevant object is positively evaluated, using either explicit measures (e.g., willingness, liking) or implicit measures (e.g., the evaluative task or test), and in terms of the level of performance. Performance measures include accuracy, amount (i.e., how much has been done), and the highest level of achievement/ proficiency (Touré-Tillery & Fishbach, 2014). Dornyei (1994) has stated that the exact nature of the social and pragmatic dimensions of second language motivation is always dependent on who learns what languages where. Integrating the Gardnerian construct, Dornyei (1994) has outlined components for L2 motivation and has added intrinsic/extrinsic motivation, intellectual curiosity, the attribution of past successes/failures, the need for achievement, self-confidence, and classroom goal structures. He has also mentioned various motivations related to situation-specific learning variables such as classroom events and tasks, classroom climate and group cohesion, course content and teaching materials, teacher feedback, and grades and rewards. The classification of L2 motivation by various researchers has been presented. First is by Noels, Clément, and Pelletier (2001). They have presented about travel, friendship, knowledge, and instrumental motivation. Second is by Gardner (2005) that discusses integrative motivation (openness, desire to have the feeling of being integrated, and a part of the L2 community), and instrumental motivation (practical desire for the future such as having a better job). The third is by Ryan and Deci (2000) that discusses intrinsic and extrinsic motivation. The intrinsic motivation consists of the learners’ joy of learning, their natural curiosity, and interest in learning. In contrast, the extrinsic motivation consists of the external reward and support or avoidance of punishment. The classification of these components overlaps in some areas. Although they use different names, labels, and generalize or adapt the classifications of motivation, the researchers discuss similar concepts. For example, Noels, Clément, and Pelletier’s (2001) motivation component can be divided into two simple components of intrinsic (to get knowledge) and extrinsic (to travel, to get friends and instrumental). While Gardner (2005) integrative components can also be inserted into the intrinsic motivation that comes internally, and it may include the instrumental in its extrinsic components. The research adopts and defines motivation as one crucial aspect that comes from the learners’ prior learning experience, both internally and externally, that relates to the learners’ attitude towards reaching his/her goal. It can drive the action/behavior that can be seen in the learners’ performance and results in the learners’ proficiency. The assessment of the motivation includes both the implicit measure (in-depth interviews with the learners to find out their willingness to learn and how much they like it) and explicit measure (test to assess the students’ performance). The motivation elements in this research are divided into two concepts. They are intrinsic, which relate to the internal factors of the learners such as passion or willingness to learn English, and extrinsic, which are the external factors that surround the learners, such as parents or family situation, the school, and other people who influence their phase of learning). As the terms in the research have now been defined, the previous empirical studies that have been conducted on the interrelation of the prior learning experience, motivation, and proficiency are presented. According to Gravoso, Pasa, and Mori (2002), prior learning experience shapes learners’ conceptions. It considers a significant factor in choosing a learning approach and can result in different learning outcomes. The prior learning experience is a factor that affects students’ learning difficulty. The difficulty stems from the lack of conversational skills because of English teaching and learning in Asian countries such as Indonesia, Japan, and China. It is because these Asian countries focus on grammar and reading skills in teacher-centered classrooms (Schmidt, 2019; Tresnawati & Musthafa, 2016; Uleanya, Uleanya, & Olayemi, 2019; Yang & Quadir, 2018). The investigations on Indonesian learners’ attitudes in speaking and writing have found out that the consequences of the prior learning experience, which only focuses on grammar and lacked opportunities to speak English. It results in Indonesian learners’ general reluctance and shyness to express themselves in front of people (Indrianty, 2016; Manurung, 2015; Tresnawati & Musthafa, 2016). In line with this, the English teaching pedagogy in Japan, whose purpose is only to increase the learners’ test scores, is the reason for which teachers focus on memorization of vocabulary, grammar, listening, writing, and reading skills, rather than focusing on speaking skills (Igawa, 2015; MacWhinnie & Mitchell, 2017; Mitchell, 2017). 33The Relation of Balinese.... (Putu Ayu Asty Senja Pratiwi) Baek et al. (2015) have stated that both prior knowledge and intrinsic motivation affect students’ achievements. They also have found there are two groups of learners; those with low intrinsic motivation and higher prior knowledge that will have higher proficiency, and those with high intrinsic motivation but low prior knowledge that will have lower proficiency. These results suggest that no matter the intrinsic motivation of the learners, as long as they have high prior knowledge, they will gain high proficiency. However, the findings of such research are not enough to clarify the different characteristics and conditions of EFL learners with diverse prior learning experiences. The previous research does not have the same conditions, such as the students’ background and their exposure to and urgency for speaking English in their social life and surroundings. The previous research also gives us little information on the relation between the EFL learners’ prior learning experience and their motivation in learning, which are essential factors in determining their current proficiency. The purpose of the research is to shed light on the interrelation between learners’ prior learning experience, their motivation, and their proficiency in the English language, through a case study of Balinese learners of English as a foreign language. Due to the island’s dependency on the tourism industry, Balinese people are required to speak English, and the importance of English education is higher than for other Indonesian people. As a consequence, unlike Indonesian EFL learners who generally have a little prior learning experience in English, Balinese EFL learners are rich in the prior learning experience. The researcher suggests that the differences between these two groups of Indonesian EFL learners have derived from their different prior learning experiences. The researcher also suggests that the influences of extrinsic and intrinsic motivation that come from the prior learning experience of Balinese EFL learners, result in differences in learners’ proficiency and produces three types of foreign language learners. In order to tackle the question of how prior learning experience, intrinsic, and extrinsic motivation shape students’ current proficiency in English, the researcher conducts empirical research on Balinese EFL learners. The research is expected to raise the parents’, teachers’, and learners’ awareness that the previous learning experience, as well as motivation, are essential factors in the learners’ development. By knowing the importance of prior learning experience and motivation, the parents, teachers, and students can create a supportive, conducive, and enjoyable teaching and learning situation. It also maintains positive motivation in learning to gain a better proficiency of the learners. METHODS The approval to conduct the empirical research is obtained from an English Department in A university in Bali (pseudonym). After the students are informed that their participation in the research is completely voluntary and would not affect their grade in the courses, they sign the voluntary consent form. In total, 15 students ranging from 19–23 years old (4 males and 11 females) voluntarily participate in the test and interview. The research uses in depth-interviews (about 20-25 minutes long) for each student in which they are encouraged to recall and describe their prior English learning experience. The interviews are audio-recorded and transcribed. For the assessment of the students’ present proficiency, Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) guidelines on writing and speaking (Alderson, 2017; Won, 2016) are adopted after some adjustments that are made to suit the Balinese situation. The data collected is organized and classified through patterns, relationships, characteristics, and differences. It is linked to the existing theory and previous empirical studies to find out what is missing that can be found in the case of Balinese EFL learners. In terms of the prior learning experience, 13 students have learned English since elementary school, 8 students have taken an English course at a private institution, 6 students have traveled or studied abroad in English-speaking countries, 12 students have used English in their part-time jobs, and 13 students have contact with native English speakers. The participants reveal that in their previous learning experience, many life events have motivated and demotivated them in their learning process, which effectively shapes their current proficiency. RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS In the interview, the learners explore their feelings and experiences toward their prior learning. They have mentioned many factors in their prior learning that affects their motivation to learn, both internally and externally, and shapes their current proficiency. Table 1 describes the prior learning experience of Balinese EFL learners based on in- depth interviews. While Table 2 presents the learners’ proficiency in two components of English skill. Based on the interview, the prior learning experience and the motivation are stated as essential factors that shape the students’ proficiency. From the interview and the test, three types of learners are identified based on their prior learning experience. In the present research, group 1 is the learners who have positive/high intrinsic motivation. The learners in the first group like and are interested in English since they were children and keep learning due to their high intrinsic motivation, even when they encounter negative extrinsic motivation. The positive extrinsic motivation they had encourages these learners to continue studying. Because of their prior learning experience and their intrinsic and extrinsic motivation, the first group reaches high proficiency. The second group is made up of learners who, 34 LINGUA CULTURA, Vol. 14 No. 1, July 2020, 31-41 at the beginning of the study, dislike English and have been encouraged by their parents to study English when they were children. As a result, they have a bad prior learning experience and low or negative intrinsic motivation. However, their motivation changes to high intrinsic motivation due to their perceived need for English in the future. Besides that, they feel more motivated to learn English as a result of this positive external motivation. The last group is made up of learners who have bad prior learning experience because they are discouraged by their parents’ insistence on them learning English. The negative intrinsic motivation of the learners has remained the same regardless of the positive or negative external motivation later in their lives. Based on the interviews on the learners’ prior learning experience, they mention that both intrinsic and extrinsic motivation affect their attitudes and shape their current proficiency. Although the students’ recognition of the significance of English, different intrinsic and extrinsic motivations result in variations in their current proficiency levels. Several aspects of Balinese EFL learners’ prior learning experiences are discovered in this research. The interviewees have a diverse prior learning experience. They either like or dislike English at the beginning. However, they all agree that English is important for their future and that mastering English could help them get a better paid and more prestigious job because Bali’s economy heavily relies on the tourism industry. Fifteen students have stated they feel more motivated to learn English because of the Table 1 Prior Learning Experience of the Balinese EFL Learners Group Characteristic Prior Learning Experiences Group 1 Positive prior learning experience; remain positive in the present; obtain high present proficiency Like/Interested in English (since childhood); have positive parents’ encouragement; have high intrinsic motivation; experience positive and negative extrinsic motivation; highly motivated learners. Group 2 At first have negative prior learning experience; then change due to the extrinsic motivation; obtain low up to high present proficiency At first dislike/uninterested in English then changed into like English; have positive parents’ encouragement (the parents pushed them to study); at first have low intrinsic motivation (then change into high); experience positive and negative extrinsic motivation; become more motivated for the sake of future job. Group 3 Negative prior learning experience; remain negative in the present; have low present proficiency Dislike English at their prior learning experience (remain to the present); feel discourage to the positive parents’ encouragement (the parents pushed them to study); from the very beginning had low intrinsic motivation (and remain up to present); experience negative extrinsic motivation; remain to dislike English and unmotivated. Table 2 Students’ Present Proficiency Group Participant Speaking Writing Group 1 1_A B1 B1 1_B B1-B2 B1 1_C B1 B1 1_D B2-C1 B2 1_E B1 B2 1_F B1-B2 B1 1_G C1-C2 C1 1_H B1 B1 1_I B2-C1 B2 Group 2 2_A B1-B2 B2 2_B B1 B1 2_C A1 B1 Group 3 3_A A2 A2 3_B A1 A1 3_C A1 A1 35The Relation of Balinese.... (Putu Ayu Asty Senja Pratiwi) importance of learning English for their future. Some of the statements are transcribed. 3_A: “There are many benefits to speaking English. Most of the job vacancies in Bali require an employee who is fluent in English and international companies offer high salaries.” 1_F: “In Bali the chance of getting a job is bigger if we speak English.” 1_I: “I like to learn English. It is interesting and important for my future. Because Bali is a tourism island, I want to work in tourism industry. Becoming fluent in English means it is easier to get job and gives me a higher chance of having better work in the future.” These transcriptions demonstrate the students’ motivation to learn English because they like, and it can help them get a better job in Bali. Bali provides the majority of foreign exchange in the Indonesian economy. Ministry of Tourism has stated that Bali tourism destinations contribute US$ 3,8 billion in foreign exchange (Antara & Sumarniasih, 2017). This makes people realize the importance of English for interacting with foreigners, including native English speakers. The importance of English for learners’ future encourages and motivates them to learn. Motivation is one of the most important factors in students’ education, and it can come either intrinsically or extrinsically. Motivation and prior learning experiences are related in the ways described. Students’ comments indicate that motivation can come intrinsically from the learners because they are willing to learn English for themselves. While extrinsically because English is the most important foreign language in Bali, and those who can master English are able to have a better job and life. Family, especially parents, plays a significant role in children’s development when learning English (Mahuro & Hungi, 2016; Lara & Saracostti, 2019; Lehmann, 2018). Based on the interviews, all three groups have their parents’ encouragement within their prior learning experience. However, learners in every group see it differently depending on their intrinsic motivation. When the students have high intrinsic motivation and obtain support from their family (especially their parents’ encouragement) as extrinsic motivation, the learners are more motivated to learn, as demonstrated in the transcripts. 1_I: “My sister and I were trained to speak in English since we were children so English is a common language for us. Most of my family work in the tourism sector and I was motivated to learn English so I can work with my family.” 1_C: “When I was a kid my father taught me English. He gave me bilingual books and took me to gatherings with his foreigner friends.” 1_G: “When I was in kindergarten, I already learned English. My parents bought many English books and my TV programs are all in English. Because I grew up with English, I found it to be interesting.” These cases show that the learners have the full support of their parents since they were children. From their prior learning experience, their internal motivation increases because of their passion for learning, and they have external support and motivation from their family. When children are passionate about learning English and obtain the parents’ encouragement, they become more enthusiastic. Their prior learning experience will make them perform better and have higher proficiency in the future. The role of the family is an extrinsic motivation that has two sides, both positive and negative, in children’s learning phase. The parents’ encouragement to learn English can be seen as a positive motivation for the children. However, it can also serve to discourage those who have low intrinsic motivation. In this research, not all respondents have positive prior learning experiences from their families. The students who are pushed by their parents to study English without their willingness feels depressed by the parents’ encouragement, and it becomes something of a burden. That attitude and behavior remain this way until they grow older, and they will continue to dislike English because it is difficult to learn without any motivation. The data provide evidence that the negative intrinsic and extrinsic motivation of the children’s prior learning experience cause rejection and an unwillingness to study. 3_B: “I never like English since I was a kid. When I was child my parents pushed me to learn English. I didn’t know why but every time I want to learn English, I never have a good teacher. I always hate the teachers. Either it was because I didn’t like the teacher or the subject. In university, my parents told me to choose the English department. With no basic intention or passion, I feel it’s very hard and stressful to study.” 3_C: “I learnt English because my parents told me and it was a compulsory subject that I should learn at school whether I like it or not. I didn’t have much passion towards English so I didn’t pay attention in class. Actually, the English Department was not my first choice, it was the IT Department, so now I don’t have any motivation to study.” In their prior learning experience, the language learning problem 3_B and 3_C faced stems from their lack of intrinsic motivation. Because of the encouragement and pressure from their parents and schools, they are poorly motivated and lacked enthusiasm. They feel discouraged, stressed, and burdened to learn English. The negative intrinsic and 36 LINGUA CULTURA, Vol. 14 No. 1, July 2020, 31-41 extrinsic motivation causes them to reject the idea of learning English. As mentioned before, the research finds three types of students based on their prior learning experiences and the aspects of their learning motivation or demotivation. The following data suggest that negative intrinsic motivation and positive extrinsic motivation from the students’ prior learning experiences result in positive changes in the students’ attitude. 2_C: “Actually I didn’t like English when I was child. But I often accompanied my father who works as a tour guide when he’s working. He always says English can make our economy better, it’ll be easier to communicate with foreign tourists, and we’ll have a better job. So I tried to learn English and day by day I like it more.” In contrast to 3_B and 3_C, the case shown in 2_C is an example of a learner who at first has no interest in English. However, as time goes by, the perceived importance of English changes his attitude, and he learns it for the sake of his future job and life. Due to the motivation he has and the reality he learns from his father, he starts to learn English and comes to like English. In the case of 2_C, his rejection of English as a child turns into acceptance and motivation to learn for the sake of the economy and a better job in the future. 1_I’s, 1_C’s, 1_G’s, and 2_C’s cases show that supportive parents make their children feel more motivated to learn. This is an excellent example of positive intrinsic motivation and extrinsic motivation during learners’ prior learning experience. In this research, the families try to provide positive support and motivation for their children. However, not all parents’ encouragement is seen as positive support by the learners. Children with low or negative intrinsic motivation are more likely to exhibit delays in language learning at schools, such as 3 _B and 3_C. They perceive their parents’ support as a force to learn English, which can cause them to feel burdened and stressed. In these cases, unless the children themselves understand the importance of English for their future, the intrinsic and extrinsic feeling of learning English being involuntary causes them to dislike it even more. In shaping the learners’ prior learning experience, the role of the language teacher is crucial. The success of students in higher education comes from the individual students themselves (Østerlie, Løhre, & Haugan, 2019). However, in lower levels of education, such as primary and secondary school, the success of education comes from many factors, such as the student, the teacher, the material, and the school facilities. Soomro and Almalki (2017) have stated that teachers can apply more than one method or strategy to maximize students’ proficiency in learning English. Some of the methods effectively provide the children with positive motivation, as shown in these data. 1_H: “I started to like English in elementary school. The teachers were fun, they taught us through games, discussion, and conversation. I remember the teachers told us never hesitate to speak. They said by speaking we are learning through the mistakes we make. They also said if we don’t speak we will never know the mistakes we make and will never dare to try. They helped me and motivated me a lot.” 2_C: “I start to learn English when I was in the 4th grade of elementary school. My teacher was very kind, humble, and had a good method of teaching. I’m a typical of student who needs attention from the teacher in order to be interested and motivated to learn.” 1_G: “My primary and secondary schools were focused more on English learning. I had an English teacher who taught us using different methods, and it made me really interested in learning English. Since then I became more motivated to learn.” In these cases, the teachers implement good teaching methods in order to make the learners feel comfortable and to encourage them to speak, deliver their thoughts, and express their ideas. The teachers also do not mind when the learners make a mistake because it means that the learners dare to overcome their hesitations. Realizing the importance of communication in learning foreign languages, the teachers in the cases of 1_H, 2_C, and 1_G, provide good examples of building learners’ self-confidence and encouraging students to enjoy the learning process. From the prior learning experience, motivation can also come from the high scores that the teacher gives to the students. When students receive a high score, they feel more motivated. 1_G: “I always get good mark in English and it motivates me to learn more.” 1_F: “When I was in elementary school, my English teacher selected me to join an English competition. I started to be confident and since that time I have felt motivated to learn English.” For a highly motivated student like 1_G, the high score can stimulate her to achieve a higher level of motivation. 1_F’s teacher also raises her confidence by selecting her to join a competition. Competition has a positive and negative effect (DiMenichi & Tricomi, 2015). For the highly motivated students, they enjoy competition because by receiving a high score, their motivation and self-confidence become higher. Conversely, other students who lack proficiency and confidence will feel ashamed of getting low scores or losing in a competition. It makes their motivation and interest in English will decrease. This condition may cause students to feel stressed about competitions, and 37The Relation of Balinese.... (Putu Ayu Asty Senja Pratiwi) fear being less competent than others or negatively evaluated compare to others. In contrast to the previous example, the data below presents the students’ negative prior learning experience that is caused by teachers and schools. 2_B: “When I was a primary school student, I once forgot to bring my homework, but my teacher did not permit me to get it. Instead, she told me to leave the class. I was embarrassed and it was a very bad experience. Because of her I hate English lesson, I became less motivated and I was lazy to go to her class.” 1_I: “My formal English education started in elementary school, but it was different from what I had learned from my family. At school, the English class was boring, only memorized grammar and vocabulary, and never practiced speaking or writing. The test was only grammar and I always got poor marks. I hated English at school but I love English at home when I am talking with my family.” Every experience will be remembered until learners become older, and it affects learners’ attitudes throughout their long-life learning experience. 2_B’s experience proves that prior learning experience can have positive and/or negative effects on learning. Teachers’ role is crucial in the early phase of learning in terms of giving a positive or negative influence on the learners and the learning process (Fenyvesi, 2018). In that case, the negative influence is so strong that 2_B becomes less motivated and refused to learn English when she was in primary school. This negativity will constrain the students from moving forward in their learning. In 1_I’s case, when he was an elementary school student, he hated the method that his teacher used. 1_I’s teacher believes that learning a foreign language primarily means learning new words. This boring way of teaching will not incentivize students to study. When the teacher is explaining without giving students to practice, they will feel stressed and lose interest in studying. However, for 1_I, learning does not only occur in the classroom, and he enjoys communicating in English at home with his family. 1_I’s negative prior learning experience in elementary school turned into a positive experience when he was in junior high school because of the teacher’s teaching method. Thus, in junior high school, he regains his motivation. The data provided by 2_B, 2_C, 1_I, and 1_G prove that the prior learning experienced by the students is influenced by the teachers’ teaching method and has implications on the students’ motivation to learn. In the case of 1_H, 2_C, and 1_G, the teaching method adopted is Communicative Language Teaching (CLT). It emphasizes communication with others (Ohashi, 2015). The more opportunities the children have to communicate and interact with other people, the more they will expand their self-motivation in language learning. Comprehension strategies are significant in young learners’ learning process because they construct meaning in different ways compare to adults (McKee & Carr, 2016). Unlike adult learners, children only have partial linguistic and knowledge systems. The teacher must recognize that the children have good comprehension even if they have imperfect production. This suggests that the important thing in children’s development is their understanding of the situation, how to comprehend other people’s utterances, and how to respond. The practice is important for children to comprehend the language better, understand the meaning, and produce appropriate responses based on the context. During the interviews, there are many reactions to the question, “How can speaking with native speakers improve your English?” and “Does talking to a native speaker improve your English?” Twelve students have said that speaking with native speakers helps them improve their fluency and raise their confidence. However, they are not sure whether their accuracy in speaking English also improves. 1_A: “Talking with native speakers can improve my speaking. I become more fluent, more confident but I may not be accurate. When I dare to talk with native speakers it means I can challenge myself and practice to raise my confidence. I have learned many things at school but when I faced native speakers for the first time, I felt very nervous and suddenly I forgot everything. I thought it was useless to know grammar and learn English but not be able to speak. However, when I practice it day by day, it gives me more confidence to face the native speaker.” 1_B: “By talking to native speakers, I can improve my fluency and confidence, but not my accuracy in speaking. Although I often make grammatical mistake the native speakers understand, and they do not correct or revise me.” 2_B: “When I was in high school, I did volunteer with several foreigners (including native speakers). From that experience I learnt more English. Although I had a very embarrassing moment when I did the translation and everyone laughed at me, it pushed me and motivated me to learn more and I think I became better.” 1_E: “I went to Melbourne for a week of an exchange program. When I was there, my brain was spontaneously thinking in English. Maybe it was because I exposed to English, and surrounded by native speakers. I also learned how to maintain the conversation with others, and I felt my English improved a lot.” As the most famous tourism destination, Balinese EFL learners have more exposure and benefit 38 LINGUA CULTURA, Vol. 14 No. 1, July 2020, 31-41 from learning English from native speakers. The evidence can be seen from 1_A, 1 _B, and 2_B’s cases. 1_A has realized that the theoretical knowledge they obtain from school is useless without the practical use of the language itself. In 1_B’s case, the native speakers indicate ‘tolerance’ for her and respect the way she speaks the foreign language. The native speakers are likely to have understood what she has said, and so they do not correct 1_B’s English. In 2_B’s case, her bad prior learning experience in elementary school and high school changes her attitude, and she becomes more motivated to learn English. Her self-confidence and motivation push her to learn more to become a better speaker. Unlike 1_A, 1_B, and 2_B, who have a prior learning experience with native speakers in Bali, 1_E has a chance to learn English with a native speaker in the native country, and she also improves a lot. Self-confidence is crucial in foreign language learning (Nazarova & Umurova, 2016). When learners feel confident in their ability, they will enjoy their language learning. The learners who have low self- confidence feel uncomfortable and will reject the further steps of their learning, which automatically inhibits their language development. All the data presented show the benefit of communicating with native speakers in terms of increasing the learners’ fluency and gaining self- confidence and motivation, yet it does not affect their accuracy. When the learners are motivated to learn, they will push themselves to learn it better and will find many ways to reach their goal. The cases above are examples of motivated learners who have a high willingness to communicate no matter what challenges they face. On the other hand, if the learners do not have a passion for or interest in English due to bad prior learning experience, they will not have any motivation to learn, as shown in this example. 3_A: “I studied English at a prestigious English Course in Bali. From the beginning I felt that English was too hard; even at the Elementary level, it was very difficult. Moreover, the teachers were native speaker. Grammar is difficult, even though it is taught in Indonesian, I don’t understand and become more confused because the native speaker taught grammar in English. I gave up because the teachers always talked in English, their accent was difficult, and they didn’t understand my difficulty.” The example shows 3_A’s lack of passion in English due to her negative prior learning experience and negative intrinsic motivation that inhibited her progress in learning. A is not really interested in English because her passion is in Japanese literature. She fails to be admitted to the Japanese literature department, and her score only allows her to enter the English Department. Unlike other cases, 3_A has found that learning from native speakers is difficult because she could not understand them. Learning with native speakers has both positive and negative effects on language learners, depending on their intrinsic motivation. While learners with intrinsic motivation become more fluent, braver, more motivated, and more confident in speaking, learners without intrinsic motivation suffer from the anxiety of speaking with native speakers. This can decrease their self-confidence and deplete the learners’ motivation. The case of 1_A shows prior learning experience of the learner who travels to other countries and interacting with foreigners, in a foreign country setting. 1_A: “When I went to India and Singapore, I challenged myself to interact with the people. I have learned many things in my English course and school but I felt very nervous so I forgot everything when I talked. But I practiced every day and felt more confident. India and Singapore are not native English- speaking countries, and yet English is stated as the second language, and most people in those countries are fluent in English. In the beginning, 1_A feels ner- vous and tense, yet exposure to English helps him to become more confident. However, different situations bring different results, as 2_A reveals that traveling abroad does not improve her English. She goes to Sin- gapore for four days on a school vacation program. During those days, she only talks to her friends and teachers because the teachers arrange all programs, and her contact with English-speaking people is very limited. Traveling to other countries where English is used as the language of communication provides op- portunities to build confidence and improve English. However, a short time traveling does not significantly improve the learners’ levels of English. The data presented and in Table 1 draw the learners’ prior learning experience and their motivation. Table 2 is about the learners’ proficiency in two components of English skill. In Group 1, the students like English (in their previous learning experiences and the present) have positive intrinsic and extrinsic motivation, which results in the highest proficiency out of the learners. Their prior learning experience consists of positive intrinsic and extrinsic motivations. This is also the case for the learners in this group that has experienced negative extrinsic motivation in their prior learning experiences, but a high intrinsic motivation encourages them to keep learning. The most proficient learner based on the speaking and writing test is 1_G, with a C1–C2 level in speaking, and a C1 level in writing. Based on the interview, the researcher knows that she has been learning English since she was in kindergarten, and her parents support her. Because of it, she has more access to learn English and has found it very interesting. At school, she always uses English both inside and outside the class, with her friends and her teachers. She is a fast and ambitious learner, spending most of her time reading books, listening to music, and watching movies in English. Her self-motivation and prior learning experience shape her present proficiency. 39The Relation of Balinese.... (Putu Ayu Asty Senja Pratiwi) Table 2 reveals that the learners in the second group obtain low to high levels in their present proficiency. The learners for this group have negative prior learning experiences at first because they are forced to learn English by their families. Nevertheless, for the sake of their future, they change their attitude and gain positive motivation to learn. With the motivation, they have in their prior learning, and group 2 learners have succeeded in getting low to high proficiency. The evidence is obtained from the in-depth interview conducted with 2_A, the learner who has the highest proficiency in the second group. When she was eight years old, her mother took her to an English course, although she was not interested in English. When she realizes English is a global language that can provide her a better job, she becomes more interested in learning English. She learns by herself, with the support of family, school teachers, and English course teachers. She pushes herself to learn, and when she gets first place in a competition, she feels more motivated and improved a lot. Based on the interview and the proficiency test, as seen in Table 2, the learners of the third group have the lowest proficiency because of the absence of motivation and their negative prior learning experiences. 3_A, who has an A1 level in speaking and writing, says that when he was in elementary school up to the present, he has no passion for learning English. He belongs to the English Department because he could not pass the IT department test, implying that his lack of motivation to learn English stems from his lack of intention to study it. CONCLUSIONS The results of the research show that the prior learning experiences that motivate and demotivate the Balinese EFL learners come from the families and parents’ encouragement, the role of schools and teachers, the experience to learn English with native speakers, and the experience to travel to other countries. The positive and negative prior learning experiences with intrinsic and extrinsic motivation determine how the students value their phase of learning and help to shape their present proficiency. There are three groups of learners in the Balinese case study based on prior learning experiences and proficiency tests. First is those who have positive and negative prior learning experience with the high intrinsic motivation that attains the highest proficiency amongst the three groups. Second, those who have low intrinsic motivation then change into high when positive extrinsic motivation in their prior learning occurs that results in an average to high proficiency. Third, those who have a negative prior learning experience and low intrinsic motivation that attains low proficiency. The present research is contributed to the existing literature on how the diverse prior learning experiences and the influences of extrinsic and intrinsic motivation result differently in the learners’ proficiency. The prior learning experienced by the students, both good and bad, will always be remembered, influence their motivation, and affect their feelings and thinking towards their learning process. The learners, parents, teachers, and schools must create a positive atmosphere to make the learning of the English language a better experience for language development to flourish. Despite revealing the useful finding, theS research also has a limitation in terms of the number of participants involved. So it is suggested for further research to investigate in a broader EFL context and more participants. It aims to find out other possibilities of the learners’ prior learning experiences and the motivation patterns included in the learning process. REFERENCES Alderson, J. C. (2017). 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