Janina Iwaniec

A mixed-method study of language-learning motivation and intercultural contact of international students

The mixed-method study presented in this paper investigates the changes in direct and indirect intercultural contact and language-learning attitudes and effort of international students in the United Kingdom. Seventy international learners of English were asked to fill in a questionnaire three times during one academic year in an international foundation program. An additional 10 students and two of their English language tutors were interviewed at the end of their study period. We analysed variations in language-learning motivation as well as in the frequency and type of contact the learners experienced at three distinct points of time during the international study programme. The results indicate that whereas written and media contact increased in frequency during the academic year, the participants engaged in less frequent spoken contact at the end of the period investigated. The qualitative and quantitative data show that contact experiences, socio-environmental factors and learner internal variables have a dynamic impact on each other and they together can play an important role in the language-learning experiences of international students.

Polish and Finnish teenagers’ motivation to learn English : the role of context

Abstract Language learning motivation has been investigated in a number of contexts (Dornyei and Ushioda 2009). However, there has been only one attempt (Taguchi et al. 2009) at a systematic comparison of models of motivation to learn English by students from different countries. The aim of this study is to investigate the role of context by comparing motivational characteristics and SEM (Structural Equation Modelling) models of language learning motivation of 15-16 year-old students from Finland and Poland. The data from both countries was collected using the same motivational questionnaire with a total of 351 students completing it. A number of differences were identified between the two contexts. Finnish learners scored significantly higher on scales of the ideal L2, intrinsic motivation, knowledge orientation, motivated behaviour and peer pressure, whereas Polish learners reported higher levels of international orientation and parental encouragement. The comparison of models of language learning motivation shows differences in the role of parents and peers, endorsement of goals between the two cohorts. Finally, we discuss the potential reasons behind the differences in motivation between the two contexts and conclude that contexts not only affect motivational characteristics but also the structure of language learning motivation. Keywords: motivation, Polish context, Finnish context Abstract in German Sprachlernmotivation wurde bereits in unterschiedlichen Kontexten untersucht (Dornyei und Ushioda 2009). Allerdings gab es bisher lediglich eine Untersuchung (Taguchi et al., 2009) eines systematischen Vergleichs, in der versucht wurde, Motivationsmodelle beim Spracherwerb der englischen Sprache von Lernern aus verschiedenen Landern zu vergleichen. Ziel dieser Studie ist es, die Rolle des Kontextes durch den Vergleich motivationsfordernder Faktoren und SEM-Modelle (Structural Equation Modelling, Strukturgleichungsmodellen) der Sprachlernmotivation von 15-16 jahrigen Schulern in Finnland und Polen zu untersuchen. Die Daten wurden in beiden Landern anhand des gleichen Fragebogens hinsichtlich Motivation von insgesamt 351 Schulern ausgefullt und gesammelt. Eine Anzahl von Unterschieden konnten zwischen den zwei Kontexten erkannt werden. Finnische Lernende erzielten deutlich hohere Werte auf den Skalen des idealen Sprachenlerners (L2), der intrinsischen Motivation, der Wissensorientierung, des motivierten Verhaltens und des Einflusses der Lerngruppe, wahrend polnische Schuler hohere Werte hinsichtlich internationaler Ausrichtung und elterlicher Unterstutzung bekamen. Der Vergleich der Modelle der Sprachlernmotivation zeigt Unterschiede in Bezug auf die Rolle der Eltern und Gleichaltrigen sowie der gesetzten Ziele der beiden Gruppen auf. Schlieslich besprechen wir die moglichen Grunde fur die Unterschiede bei der Motivation zwischen den beiden Kontexten und stellen fest, dass die Kontexte sich nicht nur auf motivationsfordernde Faktoren, sondern auch auf die Struktur der Sprachlernmotivation auswirken. Keywords: Motivation, polnischer Kontext, finnischer Kontext Abstract in Spanish Se han realizado investigaciones sobre la motivacion en el aprendizaje de lenguas en numerosos contextos (Dornyei and Ushioda 2009). No obstante, solo ha habido un intento (Taguchi et al., 2009) de comparacion sistematica de modelos de motivacion para aprender ingles en estudiantes de diferentes paises. El objetivo del presente estudio es investigar el papel del contexto comparando las caracteristicas motivacionales y los modelos SEM (Structural Equation Modelling, modelo de ecuacion estructural) de motivacion en el aprendizaje de lenguas en estudiantes finlandeses y polacos de entre 15 y 16 anos. En ambos paises los datos fueron recogidos utilizando un cuestionario motivacional con un total de 351 estudiantes que lo cumplimentaron. Asi se pudieron observar numerosas diferencias entre los dos contextos. Los estudiantes finlandeses obtuvieron puntuaciones significativamente mejores en las escalas de un LE ideal, en motivacion intrinsica, orientacion del conocimiento, comportamiento motivado y presion de los pares, mientras que los estudiantes polacos se encontraban en un nivel superior en orientacion internacional y apoyo de los padres. La comparacion de los modelos de motivacion en el aprendizaje de lenguas muestra diferencias en el papel de los padres y los pares, asi como en la busqueda de objetivos entre estos dos grupos. Finalmente, reflexionamos sobre las causas potenciales que se encuentran tras esas diferencias en motivacion entre estos dos contextos y concluimos que los contextos no solo afectan a las caracteristicas motivacionales, sino tambien a la estructura de la motivacion en el aprendizaje de lenguas. Keywords: motivacion, contexto finlandes, contexto polaco

The effects of parental education level and school location on language learning motivation

ABSTRACT Socio-economic status (SES) has been consistently shown to influence students’ educational achievement, but to date, few studies have investigated the role of SES in language learning motivation. This study aims to examine to what extent two indicators of SES, school location and parents’ education, affect motivation of Polish 15-year-olds to study English. The questionnaire, completed by 599 participants, was based on Motivational Systems Theory [Ford, M. 1992. Motivating humans: goals, emotions, and personal agency beliefs. London: Sage Publications.] The results indicate that both school location and parents’ education affect language learning motivation. Students from rural schools and those whose parents have a lower level of education tended to be less motivated than their peers from cities and those whose parents have higher levels of education. The differences concerned the goals the students adopted, their personal agency beliefs, emotional arousal processes, ideal L2 selves and self-regulation. This study highlights the need to raise teachers’ awareness of the issue. From the methodological perspective, it stresses the necessity to ensure sample representativeness in terms of students’ SES when conducting research on affective factors in language learning and calls for more research involving participants from lower SES backgrounds.