Commonplace or exotic? A comparative mixed-method study on the instrumental work-related motivations of EFL and LOTE students

Abstract

ABSTRACT The instrumental motivations of learners of English as a foreign language (EFL) have been examined in detail, but there is a lack of studies exploring how they compare to those of learners of other languages (LOTEs). To address this gap, this study draws on a questionnaire (N = 312) and on semi-structured interviews (n = 20) and focuses on university students of English studies in Italy and Germany and of Italian and German studies in Australia. The findings show that work-related motivations were generally more relevant to EFL learners, whose answers were mostly reflective of societal discourses on the role that English plays as a tool for social and professional mobility and of its necessity in the job market, but also held weigh for LOTE learners (and particularly learners of German), who often emphasised how proficiency in another language could represent an ‘exotic’ add-on skill that could make them stand out in the job market. The study also suggests that although the mastery of English still carries social capital, its widespread teaching will gradually make it a commonplace skill and, as a consequence, less popular languages may gain in instrumental appeal.