Examining the role of the learner and the teacher in language learning motivation

Abstract

<jats:p> Effective teaching practice requires that teachers know their students not as ‘faceless average learners’, but as individuals. The most individual of learner characteristics is personality, and yet language education research has made little progress in understanding the role of personality. As the field of language learning motivation seeks to develop frameworks for motivational teaching practice, a richer understanding of learners’ individuality is crucial in shaping practices that respond to learners’ needs. The present study examines the role of learners’ personality and teachers’ practice in shaping motivation and self-efficacy in language learning. Drawing on data gathered from 277 learners of English in Hong Kong, aged 11–14 years, and 24 lesson observations, across 10 classes, the study applies hierarchical multiple regression analysis to reveal a significant role of personality and teachers’ motivational practice in predicting language learning motivation and self-efficacy. Results reveal that while personality variables demonstrated large effect sizes for motivational orientations, teacher practice variables evidenced large effect sizes for language learning self-efficacy. Implications are discussed for theorization of language learning motivation and for teaching practice, with a particular emphasis on language teacher education. </jats:p>

Motivation and Its Impact on Language Achievement: Sustainable Development of Ethnic Minority Students’ Second Language Learning

“…Busse and Walter [50] examined first-year university students in the UK who learned German, and the data showed that there was a strong relationship between second language learning and the learning situation, especially with second language courses and teachers. Hennebry-Leung and Xiao [51] indicated that teachers play an important role in second language learning motivation. Courtney [52] investigated the motivation of language learning and the development of second language level, suggesting that a sudden change of teaching method might have a negative impact on the attitude and motivation of learners in junior high school.…”

" I Didn't Need to Be Shy; I Participated in the Class": A Case Study of WTC Learning Support Among University Studnets in a Remote Area

“…Many experts have noticed aspects that hinder students from communicating in Second Language Learning (Hennebry-Leung & Xiao, 2020;Peng, 2015). the result of this study differs from that of Salam, Ubaidillah, & Putri, (2021) investigation in which their study focused on linguistic and psychological factors affecting students WTC in EFL classrooms such as vocabulary attainment, sentence arrangement, idea construction, self-confidence and motivation provision.…”

Scaffolding Self-Regulation in an Online English Language Course: Utility of Contract Learning

“…In contrast, attributing failure to uncontrollable causes decreases motivation and will lead to defensive decisions. Attributional feedback can influence activity-related emotions, result in positive learning outcomes (Schrader & Grassinger, 2021), and considerably impact the self-efficacy and motivation of learners (Hennebry-Leung & Xiao, 2020). The teacher can change learners' self-reflections constructively and encourage them to have positive retrospective self-evaluations and selfsatisfaction (Dörnyei & Muir, 2019).…”