How do the factors of testing, in-class discussion, and extra-mural reading affect L2 reading motivation levels of Turkish university students?

Reading is an important part of learning any new language and thus, being motivated to read in a new language is also an important factor in that process. In this study, two extrinsic motivating factors, the effect of testing and in-class discussion, were examined to see their effect on English reading motivation levels in Turkish university students. Also, intrinsic motivation was examined as the study sought to examine what sources students are reading in English outside of class, why they go to those particular sites, and how often they go to them. 100 students from a university in Turkey's English Preparatory program submitted the questionnaire that was made for this study. Data was then collected from these results. These students were at B1 English level or above at the time of the study, based on the Common European Framework (CEFR). L2 reading motivation research is still limited in Turkey, and the research varies on how motivated students are to read in English outside of class. Since reading motivation is an important part of the L2 reading and learning process, this study sought to evaluate the data on particular motivational constructs. It was found that testing and in-class discussion based on outside reading were motivating factors for the majority of students, but they were not often the sole base of that motivation. In examining the sources students were reading outside of class for non-academic reasons, those cited by the majority of students were books, articles and essays, and entertainment resources. News and magazines, language learning specific, and video content websites were those online resources that students reported they practiced reading in English the most. Entertainment, news and magazine, and interestspecific websites were those most cited by students as the ones they use the most to read in English for enjoyment. The study also found that the highest intrinsic motivational factors that motivated students to use the websites they listed were: interest and curiosity, self-development, learning news and vocabulary, providing fun and enjoyment and providing information on topics of interest. Other intrinsic factors and sources were noted by participants to a lesser degree. The findings of this study revealed that testing and in-class discussion do affect levels of motivation to read outside of class, but they are not the only motivation for students. Students can still be positively motivated to read outside of class without these variables. Moreover, given what sources the students noted they use, how often they use them, and why they use them, two conclusions may be made. One, teachers and curriculum developers can be encouraged that test and in-class discussions do positively motivate students to read in English outside of class, but they do not have to depend on these solely to motivate their students to do outside reading. Finally, teachers and curriculum development members should use the resources, websites, and reasons for motivation to read found in this study to continue to develop higher quality, and more interesting reading materials for students, that they may be more motivated to read in English outside of class. Keywords: L2 reading motivation, testing, in-class discussion, extrinsic and intrinsic reading motivation, extra-mural reading, L2 reading frequency