Examining EFL Motivation during Online Learning
Keywords:
motivation, foreign language learning, online learningAbstract
EFL motivation is known to be influenced by learners’ perceptions of their future selves, their orientation towards learning, and the target language culture. However, empirical research has been undecided on the relationships among these variables and motivation, especially for more or less motivated learners. To address this gap, 87 Chinese undergraduate university students learning EFL online completed a questionnaire measuring the L2 Motivational Self System (Ideal L2 self, Ought-to L2 self, and L2 learning experience), learning orientation (Promotional instrumentality, Preventative instrumentality, Integrativeness) and cultural contact variables (Attitudes toward the L2 community, Travel orientation, Ethnocentrism, and Fear of assimilation). Descriptive results indicated that participants were moderately motivated to study English. Correlation analysis results for the sample overall showed that motivation moderately correlated with Integrativeness and Attitudes toward learning English and weakly correlated with Promotional instrumentality, Ideal L2 self, and Attitudes toward the L2 community. Results for more motivated learners mirrored the overall sample. For less motivated learners, only the Ought-to L2 self moderately correlated with motivation. These findings suggest that more motivated learners are influenced by an ideal image of themselves integrating within the target-language community, but less motivated learners study out of a sense of responsibility to do so.
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