The development of a motivation for language learning questionnaire in multilingual South Africa: Context and use

Abstract

Survey questionnaires have over time become benchmark measuring instruments used to measure language learning motivation (LLM) in applied linguistics research related to second or additional language teaching. For researchers who wish to study the motivation phenomenon in multicultural and multilingual contexts, however, the problem is that many of the standardized questionnaires such as Gardner's Attitude/Motivation Test Battery (AMTB) were designed to measure students' motivation primarily in Western countries. Therefore, it becomes mandatory for these researchers to devise scales that are contextually more appropriate for measuring students' LLM. Accordingly, this paper aims to contribute to the limited body of knowledge concerning the design of questionnaires for measuring LLM that are applicable to African multilingual settings by proposing a renewal of perspective in this regard. By outlining the rationale for developing a reliable motivation scale that can potentially yield valid and reliable research outcomes in multilingual contexts, the paper aims to demonstrate how the design of inclusive motivation scales can be achieved. Normative procedures or methods involved in developing questionnaire scales are briefly presented, specifically the selection of suitable survey statements, as well as the piloting and refinement of the scale. It is proposed that the scale be used in conjunction with qualitative methods in order to gain a fuller picture of how motivation interacts with other factors and processes in multilingual contexts that require the learning of an additional language.