Demotivating Factors Behind EFL Students of Bangladeshi Private Universities

This study investigates the demotivating factors influencing English as a Foreign Language learners in Bangladeshi private universities, with particular attention to both student-related and teacher-related perspectives. Adopting a qualitative research design, data were collected through semi-structured interviews and a focus group discussion with 18 undergraduate EFL students from three private universities in Dhaka. The findings reveal that financial burdens, such as high tuition fees and the necessity of part-time work, perceived job market discrimination, and uninspiring institutional environments are major sources of student demotivation. From the teacher perspective, limited availability due to workload, perceived low instructional quality, and excessive reliance on technology, particularly AI tools, were identified as additional factors contributing to learner disengagement. These results highlight the interconnected nature of student and teacher demotivation and underscore the need for context-specific interventions to sustain motivation and improve EFL learning outcomes in Bangladeshi higher education.