INVESTIGATION OF HOW TO MOTIVATE LIBYAN EFL STUDENTS TO PLAY AN ACTIVE ROLE IN THEIR LEARNING PROCESS BY USING COMPETITIONS

Traditional learning allows students to study and memorize ineffectively in order to pass the tests. On the other hand, learning, in its real and new context, encourages students to apply information and improve their critical and imaginative thinking, mental creativity, and other different life skills. This study investigates the advantages and the effect of using competitions in EFL context. The participants of this study are 60 sophomores and juniors who were divided into four competing groups. The competition includes three tasks. In order to collect the data, the researchers have observed the students’ performances and attitudes during and after the time of the given task. Furthermore, an open-ended questionnaire was used to investigate students’ thoughts and opinion of the participation in the competition. The results showed that students' participation in the competition enhanced their motivation and awareness of their language use, critical thinking and creative abilities. In conclusion, although this was a small-scale study, the students' participation in the competition shows that the new teaching ideas can be implemented successfully despite of the limited resources and the time pressure as the competition was set at the end of the academic year.