An International Comparison of Socially Constructed Language Learning Motivation and Beliefs

Abstract

In our global economy, it is important to understand all factors influencing successful language learning. A survey of more than 6,000 university students in Canada, Japan, and France revealed differences in language learning beliefs, attitudes, and motivations in the three countries. Learners in Canada and France exhibited primarily instrumental and integrative motivation, respectively, whereas learners from Japan displayed a different form, social capital motivation, in which knowledge of a foreign language carries value in and of itself. Knowledge of these different forms of motivation has pedagogical and political implications for language teachers.

The Impact of Study Abroad on Students' Self‐Efficacy Perceptions

“…Given the prominence of Gardner and Lambert's socio-educational model of second language acquisition, it is not surprising that most research into the impact of study abroad on motivation has focused on the notion of "choice motivation" (why do people choose to enroll in an FL course abroad? ), confirming Gardner and Lambert's prediction that study abroad participants exhibit higher levels of integrative motivation and therefore tend to achieve higher levels of proficiency (Koul, Roy, Kaewkuekool, & Ploisawaschai, 2009;Kouritzin, Piquemal, & Renaud, 2009). While choice motivation is certainly important in explaining why learners undertake the study of an FL, this factor alone is insufficient to explain why learners persist (or desist) in their language learning endeavors over time (Dörnyei, 2001).…”

Learner Attitudes, Perceptions, and Beliefs in Language Learning

“…These researchers found, in a study of elementary and middle school Arabic learners in Israeli schools, that learners who studied spoken Arabic (rather than the literary form of Modern Standard Arabic) displayed more positive attitudes toward the Arabic language, its culture, and its speakers, with more motivation to learn the language (Donitsa‐Schmidt et al, ). Other studies, like the Horwitz () study cited above, have offered evidence that learner attitudes, perceptions, beliefs, and related concepts differ considerably from country to country (see also Kouritzin, Piquemal, & Renaud, ). The investigation of learning situations other than the university FL programs of North America is vital to creating a realistic and vivid picture of the true nature of environmental influences on learner attitudes, perceptions, and beliefs.…”

Examining the Relationship of Motivation, Attitude, Anxiety and Achievement in English Learning among Elementary School Students in Taiwan

“…Instrumental motivation plays the role of potential pragmatic benefits for language learning (i.e. job hunting or promotion) (Kouritzin, Piquemal & Renaud, 2009); it can be said that if learners realize the potential pragmatic gains of acquiring the target language in their situation, they are willing to take actions to improve their language proficiency.…”