Foreign Language Learning Motivation Research Articles

Language learning among higher education students: an analysis on motivation

Intrinsic motivation in language learning is ideal to attain successful foreign language learning according to experts (Del Castillo, 2010; Gilakjani et al.,2010). In order to measure its impact at university level, this paper shows the results of a quantitative study conducted at KU Leuven during the academic year 2021-2022 on motivation in foreign language learning. A total of 479 students participated in a survey designed for this purpose. The methodology was based on a multivariate analysis using the statistical package SPSS v. 25. The research findings show that university students have essentially instrumental motivation for learning foreign languages (FL), which implies that their desire to acquire a second language (L2) is limited to practical purposes. On the other hand, the study has identified a representative segment of students, referred to as “incidental students”, who are characterised by not having any clear motivation (neither instrumental nor integrative) for FL. The results lead to recommendations for curricular adaptation to enhance intrinsic motivation in foreign language teaching and learning at university level.

Age of onset, motivation, and anxiety as predictors of grammar and vocabulary outcomes in English as a foreign language learners with developmental language disorder

IntroductionLike children with typical language development, their peers with developmental language disorder (DLD) are expected to learn English as a foreign language (EFL). For pupils without DLD, it is well-established that amount of informal exposure to English outside of the classroom, starting age of EFL instruction and motivation are strong positive predictors of EFL learning rate and/or achievement, whereas anxiety is negatively related to performance. This paper is the first attempt to investigate how these predictors of EFL performance operate in learners with DLD. MethodsParticipants were nineteen Dutch-speaking 7th graders with DLD learning English as a school subject at a specialist education facility in the Netherlands. English receptive grammar and receptive vocabulary were measured twice, with a four-month interval. Foreign language learning motivation, anxiety and (length and amount of) informal exposure to and instruction in English were measured via questionnaires. ResultsThe participants did not show any progress on English vocabulary and grammar. At Time 1, vocabulary and grammar scores were positively related to starting age of EFL instruction and negatively related to anxiety. For vocabulary, achievement was also positively predicted by attitudes towards English lessons. Only the relationship between starting age of instruction and vocabulary outcomes was visible at Time 2. Amount and length of informal exposure to English did not predict performance, which is in stark contrast to the patterns observed in EFL learners with typical language development. ConclusionsWe conclude that children with DLD benefit from a later onset of foreign language lessons, whereas length and amount of out-of-school exposure to English are less important in the context of DLD, possibly due to difficulty with implicit learning.

The Importance of Motivation in Foreign Language Learning

Motivation is one of the most important factors in foreign language teaching and learning. It can be defined as the driving force that stimulates and sustains an individual's behavior toward a particular goal or objective. Motivation is a complex construct that can be influenced by various factors, such as personality, cultural background, social environment, and personal experiences. It is essential for language teachers to recognize the importance of motivation in language learning and incorporate motivational strategies into their teaching practices. This can lead to more effective and efficient language learning and a greater sense of engagement and ownership over the learning process for learners. In this paper, we will explore the importance and intricate facets of motivation in foreign language teaching and learning, including the diverse motivational models, types and orientations, and how they affect language proficiency.

Foreign language learning motivation and the socioeconomic status of Czech lower secondary students: An analysis of mediating factors

The relationship between socioeconomic status (SES) and students’ English as a foreign language (EFL) learning motivation is an under-researched topic. However, with growing concerns about how SES affects students’ academic behaviors and educational outcomes, an investigation of this topic is needed. Applying the L2 motivational self-system theory, we explore, on a sample of 664 Czech lower secondary students, the effect of SES on students’ EFL learning motivation and examine whether this effect can be explained by students’ attendance at elite schools and their families’ use of English while traveling abroad. Structural equation modeling was used to analyze the data. The findings suggest that SES plays an important role in both students’ L2 learning experience and ideal L2 self. We found that children of parents with higher SES levels are more likely to attend elite schools and experience trips abroad with their family where English is used to communicate, which can largely explain the effect of SES on students’ L2 learning experience and L2 ideal self. Future research into the factors that contribute to language learning motivation among students from different SES levels could further shed light on how the motivation gap can be closed.

A Review of Research on the Effect of Digital Learning on Foreign Language Learning Motivation

A Review of Research on the Effect of Digital Learning on Foreign Language Learning Motivation

Reviewing Learning Styles and Learning Motivation in Second Language Acquisition

Second language learners encounter particular difficulties as a result of the impact of technological advancement and globalization, which has always been a matter of concern with regard to second language acquisition. Due to these challenges, second language learners should raise their own proficiency and adaptability to provide learning guidance for future employment. This paper reviews the findings of learning styles and learning motivation in the field of second language acquisition. Learning styles have different effect on English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners and learning motivation also influence their behaviors from extrinsic to intrinsic goals. Studies suggest that different learning styles perform well in different aspects of language studying. Intrinsic learners perform better than extrinsic learners. Within more learning styles, EFL students act more motivated in language learning and generally perform well in their academic achievement. Drawing from previous studies, the author proposes EFL learners should find their preferred learning styles and try their best to transfer their extrinsic goals to intrinsic goals in foreign language learning.

Optimization of Independent Work in Foreign Language Learning: Experience With Using Moodle

One of today’s priority tasks of higher education is training specialists that can independently search for and assimilate knowledge. The paper examines independent work as a substantial factor in self-education and learning and cognitive activities in management students and covers the organization of students’ independent work in the study of foreign languages. The study demonstrates that independent work, which used to be carried out immediately during practical classes under the teacher's supervision, in consultations, or in the library can now be organized in a new educational environment. The authors analyze the forms, means, and types of independent work and propose ways to improve the process of foreign language learning by optimizing the work of management students as part of self-study using the Moodle learning management system. It is established that the independent work of management students in studying a foreign language using Moodle contributes to the development of important skills. These include obtaining necessary information and evaluating and applying the available information to effectively solve management problems and communicate in a foreign language. The efficiency of students’ independent work is found to increase when it is organized as a cohesive course created based on a methodologically organized educational information environment. The assimilation of educational material by means of Moodle in the organization of the educational process majorly increases the efficiency of learning, simplifies the perception of learning materials, increases motivation for foreign language learning, and positively affects its outcomes.

Does Song Effective for EFL Students’ Listening Skill?: (A Pre-Experimental Study at Junior High School Level)

Listening ability is one of the important language skills for students in understanding foreign languages. However, students often have difficulty in developing their listening skills. Therefore, the use of songs as a tool in foreign language learning has become popular among educators and researchers. This study aims to examine the effectiveness of using songs in improving students' listening skills. In this study, a quantitative method was applied through one group pre test and post test. In the study there were 25 students as samples in the study and each of them was in grade 9. The instrument used in collecting data is a test. The results of this study show that the use of song can effectively improve students' listening skills in English. This can be seen from the mean difference between pre test (57.8) and post test (81.6). The use of songs can improve students' listening comprehension and skills through several ways, such as improving vocabulary recognition skills, practicing context understanding, and increasing students' motivation and interest in foreign language learning. However, the effectiveness of using songs in foreign language learning depends on certain factors, such as the suitability of songs with learning objectives, the suitability of songs with students' ability levels, and the way of teaching carried out by teachers or instructors.

A SCALE DEVELOPMENT STUDY ON MOTIVATION SOURCES OF SPORT SCIENCES GRADUATES IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE LEARNING

Introduction: The motivational challenges faced by sport science graduates in foreign language learning are one of the focal points of research in this field. Foreign language learning is an important factor for sports science graduates. Because sport is an international field and requires communication, language skills are needed. However, lack of motivation affects the language learning process. Lack of motivation is an obstacle that sport sciences graduates face in foreign language learning. This situation leads to problems such as inattention, apathy and low level of success. The reasons for lack of motivation include difficulties in adapting to the requirements of language learning, lack of belief in language learning skills, lack of extrinsic motivation and difficulties in the language learning process. This is among the findings that sport science graduates are highly demotivated by the lack of knowledge to understand the advantages of language learning in their sport careers. Results: A supportive learning environment for sport sciences graduates should be provided and students are not given the opportunity to observe their progress in the language learning process. It is also among the results that the variety of learning materials and activities to increase motivation and the factors for interesting and interactive activities are not formed. It is among the results of the research that interactive methods that encourage active participation in language learning are not used. It is seen that participants in academic life do not work with real-life examples to improve their language skills. In addition, methods such as setting goals and tracking progress are not used by the participants for motivational purposes. Conclusion: It is a common problem that sport science graduates face a lack of motivation in foreign language learning. Various approaches such as awareness-raising activities, a supportive learning environment and interactive teaching strategies should be used to overcome this challenge. Increasing sport science graduates' motivation to learn a language has been shown to be a crucial factor for improving their language skills and expanding opportunities in their sport careers.

The Relationship between University Students’ Foreign Language Learning Motivation and Anxiety

Generally, when motivation is high, the anxiety of a person is reduced and success is increasing. One of the subjects related to learning in general, and language learning in particular, is related to "anxiety". The study is aimed at determining relations between foreign language learning motivation and anxiety of students. 305 students were involved in the relational survey model of the research. The participants of the research are students of B1 level who study in language preparation of Kyrgyz-Turkish Manas University. Data of the study were collected with the Motivation in Learning Turkish as a Foreign Language Scale and, Anxiety in Learning Turkish as a Foreign Language Scale. We used the descriptive statistics, t-test, ANOVA, and Pearson correlation coefficient for data analysis. The participants have the highest degree of motivation in the dimension of instrumental motivation and the lowest degree of motivation in the dimension of cultural motivation. Views of the participants on the internal motivation, instrumental motivation, and motivation to learn Turkish as a foreign language differ from each other according to their gender and views on instrumental motivation and their mother tongue as well. The participants feel the highest degree of anxiety in listening and having the lowest degree of motivation in writing. There are negative and significant relationships between the participants' internal motivation and their motivation to learn Turkish as a foreign language along with their anxiety about speaking, writing, and learning Turkish as a foreign language.

The correlation between foreign learners' motivation to learn Vietnamese and learning outcomes: A case study in Hanoi, Vietnam

This article examines the correlation between Vietnamese language learning motivation and learning outcomes among foreign learners in Hanoi. A simple random sampling method was used to collect data from 307 foreign learners studying at several universities and language centers in Hanoi. The study found a strong positive correlation between foreign language learning motivation and their learning outcomes. It also revealed that learner interest and self-awareness play crucial roles in determining their motivation to learn. The article draws important conclusions about the role of motivation in Vietnamese language learning outcomes, as well as other factors that may affect learner motivation. Based on the study findings, it proposes that teachers use appropriate teaching methods and classroom organization to cultivate and enhance learner motivation.

The Role of Cognitive Engagement in Mediating the Relationship between Foreign Language Learning Motivation and Intercultural Effectiveness among Indigenous College Students

The Role of Cognitive Engagement in Mediating the Relationship between Foreign Language Learning Motivation and Intercultural Effectiveness among Indigenous College Students

Predictors of nursing students' intentions to participate in an internationalization-at-home program: The roles of expectancies for success and subjective task value

BackgroundInternationalization-at-home programs are a unique opportunity for those who had been planning to study abroad to learn global clinical practices and cultures at home. However, the factors influencing the motivation of students to join such programs remain unexplored. ObjectiveTo investigate the relationship among expectancies for success, subjective task value, and the intention to participate in an internationalization-at-home program, and to identify key factors predicting such an intention among undergraduate nursing students. DesignA descriptive correlational design with a predictive approach was adopted. MethodsA total of 522 undergraduate and postgraduate nursing students in a Hong Kong university participated in the study. Intention to participate in the program was assessed using the Comprehensive Relative Autonomy Index. Expectancies for success and subjective task value were assessed as potential predictors. A multiple linear regression analysis was adopted to examine the predictive effects. ResultsThe participants were aged 17–31 years (mean = 20.95, SD = 2.39). Those who reported having previously participated in the program (β = 0.10, p-value = .014), greater intercultural communication competence (β = 0.14, p-value = .003), greater perceived social competence (β = 0.11, p-value = .031), and a higher subjective value of the program (β = 0.28, p-value<.001) expressed a greater intention to join the program. Collectively, the three variables accounted for 14.7 % of the variances in intention to participate in the program. ConclusionsCultural self-efficacy, intercultural communication competence, perceived social competence, individual interest, foreign language learning motivation, and subjective value of the program were found to be key factors predicting the intention of nursing students to participate in internationalization-at-home. Future studies can provide interventions to address these factors and enhance the benefits of internationalization-at-home programs.

Reflecting the Study of Foreign Language Learning Motivation in China from 2012 to 2021

This paper reviews the articles on foreign language learning motivation published in the core journals of Peking University and on CSSCI in the past decade from 2012 to 2021. The articles are collected from 31 journals, mainly from the theoretical research and empirical research on foreign language learning motivation in China, and from the development trend, research content, research object The research methods and tools are statistically analyzed. The results show that the number of studies on foreign language learning motivation in China has generally declined in recent years. Also, the number of empirical research is generally more than that of theoretical research. Then. the number of articles about the relationship between motivation and learning effectiveness is the largest in the research content. The overwhelming majority of the literatures studied by questionnaire alone or jointly; Among the research objects, undergraduates are the major groups that being researched as participants. Finally, this paper reviews the current situation of foreign language learning motivation research in China.

Exploring Factors That Impact on Motivation in Foreign Language Learning in the Classroom

In the study of second language learning, one of the most critical components is unveiling factors that impact on motivation in the classroom. Proficiency in foreign language learning is inextricably tied to motivation, in the understanding that proficiency may not take place if the learners are not strategically motivated. The effectiveness of an L2 learners’ growth may be dependent on various factors that affect motivation in the classroom. This study is an analysis of different factors that influence motivation in foreign language classroom. The study examined how different activities and situations influence the motivation of foreign language learners in the classroom. A total of 119 persons participated in the study, including high school teachers and their students. Questionnaire was used to collect the needed data, and data was analyzed using tables and graphs to discuss the factors that affect motivation in the classroom. Teaching strategy and style of learning, feedback, reward, group, class environment, technology, and punishment are the factors measured. The findings of the study indicate that teaching strategy and learning style exert huge impact on motivation, with over 39.50% of the response rate. This is closely followed by feedback and reward with about 19.32% and 12.60% respectively. The study further revealed that group has the least influence on motivation, with 2.52% value, which is lower than the impact of class environment that stands at 7.56%. It is concluded that both learners and teachers of foreign language accept that teaching strategy and learning style is the most significant factor that impacts on motivation. It is recommended for further studies to use larger study sample from different schools to explore these factors and ascertain their degree of impact on motivation in foreign language teaching and learning.

Language Learning Motivation of Form Six Students Preparing for MUET in Kota Kinabalu

his quantitative study investigates the language learning motivation (LLM) adopted by form six students in preparation for the Malaysian University English Test (MUET) in Kota Kinabalu. The subjects were 306 form six students enrolled in the Malaysian University English Test (MUET) in Kota Kinabalu. The instrument for data collection was a 27-item six-point Likert scale Language Learning Motivation Questionnaire (LLMQ) which was adapted from Foreign Language Learning Motivation Questionnaire (FLLMQ). Descriptive statistics using SPSS v 28 were used to analyse the data. Results indicated that generally, the students were highly motivated to learn English in preparation for MUET. Students’ motivation orientation in learning English was sociocultural followed by knowledge. These results offer useful practical instructional implications concerning the students’ motivational orientations in the English language and MUET classroom.

LEARNING MOTIVATION OF FOREIGN LANGUAGE AMONG NON-LINGUISTIC SPECIALTIES’ STUDENTS

The article deals with the issue of the foreign language learning’s motivation among students of non-linguistic specialties. The relevance of the research is due to the ambiguous attitude of non-linguistic specialties’ students to the foreign language subject. We investigate that this is one of the main psychological and pedagogical problems in the framework of the research of psychological and pedagogical conditions for forming a foreign language learning motivation, based on analysis of the learning motivation. There are also noted the classification of motivation, and reasons contributing to a decrease in the motivation of learning. The article reveals evidence that allows us to determine the development level of the foreign language learning motivation among students of non-linguistic specialties, and its dependence on the psychological and pedagogical activity of the teacher during the educational process. Some of the study’s result, that firstly, show the process of forming a learning motivation, which is related to the implementation of different approaches; and secondly, some important factors affecting the students’ interest in the studied subject are summarized in the article.

Islamic junior high school students’ English proficiency test scores and their L2 motivational self-system: a correlational study

The L2 motivational self-system (L2MSS) has been extensively investigated in multiple contexts. However, few studies have explored its correlation with Islamic junior high English students’ proficiency test results. To fill the void, this study examines the relationship between the L2MSS and English proficiency test scores among Indonesian Islamic junior high school students. Data were garnered quantitatively from 30 students of an Institute for Foreign Language Development at an Indonesian private university through a questionnaire and an English proficiency test and then were analyzed using the SPSS software system. The findings revealed that the correlation between motivation and achievement was statistically insignificant. We obtained the score of three components; ideal L2 self (r = .01, p .05), L2 learning experience (r = -.204, p .05), and ought to L2 self (r = -.343, p .05). The findings suggest that the ideal L2 self showed a very low relationship and the other two demonstrated a negative direction correlation. This study contributes insights into the understanding of the correlation between foreign language learning motivation and its influence on achievement in the Islamic boarding school context. Further research could recruit participants from wider areas with different contexts.

Multilingualism and persistence in multiple language learning

AbstractFor language learners who aspire to become multilingual, commitment involves a personal journey. Defining persistence as a preoccupation with goal‐focused action directed to a desired future state and drawing on research from cognitive psychology and the mental time travel paradigm, this article presents an identity‐based framework of persistence in multiple language learning. In the framework, persistence is supported through the operation of 3 interconnecting processes: (a) the generation of personally meaningful goals aimed at becoming multilingual, (b) the conjuring of mental images that represent states, events, and values associated with being multilingual, and (c) the integration of representations of multilingualism within an unfolding personal history. To illustrate these processes, data from online sources and research literature exploring language learners’ narrative biographies is used. The relevance of the framework is critically assessed in relation to (a) the development of interventions supporting motivation for foreign language learning, (b) the exploration of motivational processes through narrative‐based inquiry, and (c) the varying linguistic, social, and societal contexts in which multiple language learning takes place.

Reflecting the Study of Foreign Language Learning Motivation in China from 2012 to 2021

This paper reviews the articles on foreign language learning motivation published in the core journals of Peking University and on CSSCI in the past decade from 2012 to 2021. The articles are collected from 31 journals, mainly from the theoretical research and empirical research on foreign language learning motivation in China, and from the development trend, research content, research object The research methods and tools are statistically analyzed. The results show that the number of studies on foreign language learning motivation in China has generally declined in recent years. Also, the number of empirical research is generally more than that of theoretical research. Then. the number of articles about the relationship between motivation and learning effectiveness is the largest in the research content. The overwhelming majority of the literatures studied by questionnaire alone or jointly; Among the research objects, undergraduates are the major groups that being researched as participants. Finally, this paper reviews the current situation of foreign language learning motivation research in China.