Ideal self and ought-to self of simultaneous learners of multiple foreign languages (original) (raw)
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Analysis of English Majors' Motivation Types Towards Second Foreign-Language Learning
The 2019 CNU International Conference on English Teaching and Learning, Tainan, Taiwan., 2019
The aim of this study is to explore EFL English majors' motivation towards second foreign-language learning. The participants comprised 83 EFL English majors who took one or two second foreign-language courses (Japanese and French) offered at the department of applied foreign languages of a university in Taiwan. A survey was conducted to investigate the participants' motivation types and reasons. Results show that 22% (Japanese) and 30% (French) of one second-foreign language course takers were integratively motivated respectively. However, 29% (Japanese) and 12% (French) of them were instrumentally motivated respectively. In terms of integrative motivation, both Japanese and French attracted similar numbers of the students. In terms of instrumental motivation, the number of the students interested in Japanese doubled that of the students interested in French. The students who possessed blended types of motivation towards Japanese were 4%, compared with 1% in French. Only 1% of them were respectively identified no specific motivation towards Japanese and French. As for two second-foreign language course takers, 4% of the students were integratively-motivated towards Japanese; none, French. Towards Japanese, 2% of them were instrumentally-motivated; 1%, French. Such results were analyzed from the perspectives of culture, society, and work market. These findings provide some implications to language instructors and language program planners. Understanding motivation backgrounds can better plan second foreign-language courses in the language program as well as adopting useful language mateirals and activities in the course. Ultimately, learners can achieve individual goals in second foreign-language learning.
rEFLections, 2024
Current theories about learning a second language might not fully explain why people want to learn languages other than English (LOTE) in the context of globalization and multilingualism. This study adopted and adjusted Huang's (2021) motivational dimensions for LOTE learners, specifically focusing on those who learn LOTE as a third language (L3), as is common in Thailand. It aimed to explore the motivations of 167 Thai students in higher education when choosing to study Japanese, using a questionnaire and a focus group. The findings indicate that Culture/Community Interest and Instrumentality-Promotion significantly influence motivation. On the other hand, Instrumentality-Prevention and Intended Learning Effort are closely related and exhibit the least influence. The findings also showed that students' motivations change depending on their year of study. Third-and fourth-year students valued practical benefits the most, while second-year students were more interested in the culture and community of the target language. In addition, the research also examined students' perceptions of multilingual learning. This research helps educators, linguists, and policymakers understand why students want to study Japanese and to create effective teaching strategies tailored to students' interests.
System, 2008
This article reports the findings of a 2003 study involving 526 Hong Kong tertiary students, aiming to explore their motivation towards the learning of English, Putonghua and a chosen third language (French, German or Japanese). Based on Dö rnyei's and work [Dö rnyei, Z., Csizér, K., 2002. Some dynamics of language attitudes and motivation: results of a nationwide survey. Applied Linguistics 23 (4), 421-462] on varying motivation towards different foreign languages among Hungarian school children, this study used an amended version of their questionnaire to examine possible varying motivation among Hong Kong respondents. Follow-up focus group interviews were also conducted; however, this paper focuses on the quantitative phase of the study.
Theory and Practice in Language Studies
This study adopted mixed method research to investigate motivating factors of Thai undergraduate students who took foreign language courses at a Thai university in the Greater Bangkok area, using Dörnyei’s (2009) L2MSS as a study framework. One hundred and seventy-three undergraduate students completed a questionnaire, 25 of whom agreed to participate in the semi-structured interview session. Quantitative data were analyzed utilizing frequency, mean, standard deviation, one-way ANOVA, and two-way ANOVA, while interview data were content analyzed. The findings revealed different motivating sources for the students who had taken or were taking foreign language courses. English and Korean students reported the Ought-to L2 Self as their primary source of motivation, while French, Chinese, and Japanese students reported the Past L2 Learning Experience. The study suggested that teachers provide an adequate and supportive learning experience to foreign language students, leading to higher ...
Eurasian Journal of Applied Linguistics, 2018
The current study examined the relationships among motivational factors (i.e., motivation types and motivational strength, and language anxiety) in the simultaneous learning process of additional languages. A mixed-methods design was conducted with 86 multilingual learners learning both English and Turkish. The data were collected using a survey and follow-up open-ended questions about the motivational factors. There were three major findings of the study. First, the motivational factors in one language were positively correlated with the same factors in another. Second, although the learners' motivation (i.e., intrinsic, extrinsic and integrative) and motivational strength to continue their education showed no differences in both languages, their L2 anxiety towards learning additional languages was statistically different, in that learners were less anxious when learning English language than learning Turkish language. Third, multilingual learners' interest in learning other languages and willingness to integrate in the target language culture, the status quo of the target language in the global world and the level of unfamiliarity of the target language seem to play a role in the learners' beliefs of motivation, feeling in learning additional languages and intention to study languages. Overall, the study highlighted the role of multilingualism in learning English and Turkish. It also shed light on understanding L2 affective factors learning distinct L2s.
The theoretical paradigms of second language (L2) learning motivation developed over the past twenty-five years have been largely based on the study of English as a target language, which raises the question as to whether they are equally applicable to the understanding of the motivation to learn languages other than English (LOTEs). It is suggested in this article that current conceptualizations of L2 motivation display certain subtle characteristics that may not do full justice to the understanding of the motivation underlying LOTEs, either by downplaying certain important features or by providing an insufficiently nuanced representation of areas where the motivation to learn English and LOTEs diverges. The discussion addresses five such aspects: (a) the confounding interaction of English- and LOTE-related self-images; (b) the individualistic focus of the ideal L2 self; (c) the different nature/role of the ought-to self associated with languages with substantial versus marginal social support; (d) the different nature of goals in the learning of English and LOTEs; and (e) the differing role of unconscious motives in the study of English and LOTEs.
This study explored the language learning motivation of a small group of five university students in the UK through the constructs of Dornyei's L2 Motivational Self System and Henry's notion of 'the ideal multilingual self'. The five participants, all successful language learners at school, chose to specialise in modern languages at university and in addition to the foreign languages they had previously learned, decided to study Chinese. Interviews were conducted in the final year of the participants' university course and their motivational changes during the course of studying Chinese were explored. The results revealed that two students who achieved remarkable success in learning Chinese came to possess a strong desire to integrate in Chinese society, linked to a longer period spent studying in the target language country. We suggest that integrative orientation is a significant component in maintaining the ideal L2 self, especially when a psychological and physical distance exists in relation to the target language, its culture and the country.
A Cross-Cultural Study of the Motivation of Students Learning a Second Language
This study examined the underlying factor structure of the Motivation Orientation Scale (MOS), determining its degree of consistency across two distinct cultures and identifying variables affecting students' motivation in learning a second language. The study investigated how intention theory with its three motivation orientations, and Gardner's instrumental-integrative model, could cross different cultures in the area of second language learning. Participants were 584 college freshmen from three Taiwanese universities and students enrolled in Spanish classes at a rural Pennsylvania university. Taiwanese students completed the MOS for English as a Foreign Language (EFL), while U.S. students completed the MOS for Spanish as a Second Language (SSL). Results indicated that Taiwanese students had different motivation for learning EFL than did U.S. students learning SSL. The results suggest that the MOS should be revised in order to better fit respondents' cultural background...
Foreign Language Motivation: Internal Structure and External Connections
1996
Thousands of adults enroll annually in private EFL courses in Egypt. What spurs these learners to exert the effort required and pay the fees in a country where access to public education is free at all levels? Our understanding of such issues is limited by the fact that most research on motivation has been conducted in second rather than foreign language learning contexts and in North American or European cultural settings. In the study reported here, a questionnaire was developed, based on current work on motivation in second and foreign language contexts and more general models from cognitive and educational psychology, and was administered to a sample of 1,554 adult learners at the Center for Adult and Continuing Education (CACE) at the American University in Cairo, with 1,464 questionnaires used for the analyses. Factor analysis and multidimensional scaling were used to identify the components of EFL motivation for this population. Results suggest that there are three basic dime...