Abstract
Motivation in second language learning is an important factor that should be never ignored, it requires much attention for second language learning and teaching to be successful, the students should be motivated and the teacher needs to employ teaching methods that motivate the students in acquiring their target language. This research was conducted at the University of Zimbabwe Confucius Institute which is the main center for teaching and learning of Chinese language and culture in Zimbabwe and concluded that students who are motivated are easy to teach and can perform better without much assistance from the instructor. The paper discusses the role played by motivation in the acquiring of second language, which is Chinese language, and the impact it has in improving the target language by students. Usually the teaching methods and criteria used by the teachers to reward or motivate the students are the ones which determine the students’ performance in the second language learning. Without motivation students easily quit or lose interest in the target language. However, although motivation plays a pivotal and unreplaceable role in the second language learning and teaching, it is easily forgotten and not given much attention. This paper will also focus on showing the impact motivation has in the second language learning and teaching, and how the University of Zimbabwe students are being motivated to acquire Chinese as a second language. Most teachers know and are aware of the importance of motivation in second language learning, but easily neglected in the actual teaching and learning process. Motivation provides the primary impetus to initiate learning the L2 and the driving force to sustain the long and often tedious learning process. The University of Zimbabwe students who are learning Chinese are motivated well but there is still need for review of the teaching methods and the frameworks being used, since the majority of the students complained about the methods used in class.
Highlights
In the recent years China’s economy has been growing so fast, this has come as a result of the expansion and increase in trade by Chinese companies with other countries of the world
The government of China has set up a national office which is responsible for the spreading and promotion of Chinese language
Chinese language is promoted through the National Office for Teaching Chinese as a Foreign Language
Summary
In the recent years China’s economy has been growing so fast, this has come as a result of the expansion and increase in trade by Chinese companies with other countries of the world. The number of people learning Chinese language is increasing very fast, according to a recent report from the Xinhua News Agency, there are currently “more than 100 million foreign speakers and learners of Mandarin worldwide with 350,000 foreigners studying Chinese language in 746 Chinese universities last year.” (14/July/2014). In 2003 due to Zimbabwe’s economic situation which was crumbling down due to the targeted sanctions which were imposed by the western countries, Zimbabwe introduced the ‘look east policy’. According to the Xinhua News Agency at first, only 30 students enrolled to learn Chinese language at that time and the number has risen so fast with the year 2013 recorded more than 3000 students have been enrolled and have studied Chinese language at the University of Zimbabwe
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