Kata Csizér

Ten commandments for motivating language learners: results of an empirical study

The question of how to motivate language learners has been a neglected area in L2 motivation research, and even the few available analyses lack an adequate research base. This article presents the results of an empirical survey aimed at obtaining classroom data on motivational strategies. Two hundred Hungarian teachers of English from various language teaching institutions were asked how important they considered a selection of 51 strategies and how frequently they used them in their teaching practice. Based on their responses we have compiled a concise set of ten motivational macrostrategies, which we have called the ‘Ten commandments for motivating language learners’. On the basis of the frequency data, we also discuss which of the commandments tend to be particularly underutilized in the language classroom.

The Effects of Intercultural Contact and Tourism on Language Attitudes and Language Learning Motivation

This article investigates attitude-mediated contact effects on language learners’ motivational disposition by addressing the question as to whether increased intercultural contact through tourism will lead to enhanced language attitudes and language learning motivation. The analysis is based on empirical data gathered in a repeated cross-sectional survey of 8,593 13- and 14-year-old Hungarian pupils in a national sample, stratified according to regions and dwelling types whose contact parameters were specified through objective census data and expert panel judgments. The results reveal a curvilinear contact-attitude relationship, with the highest contact group/locality being associated with some of the lowest attitudinal and motivational measures.

The Relationship of Intercultural Contact and Language Learning Motivation among Hungarian Students of English and German

Abstract In this paper we report the results of a questionnaire survey conducted with 1777 Hungarian primary school children aged between 13 and 14 studying English and German. In our research we investigated the differences in the motivational and intercultural contact measures as well as determinants of motivated behaviour between learners of English and German. Our results indicate that students of English have a more positive attitude towards the native speakers of the language they study than learners of German, and children who study English have higher levels of linguistic self-confidence, invest more energy into language learning and receive more support from their environment than students of German. Our findings also reveal that learners of English experience more frequent direct written contact and contact through media products than learners of German. For both groups of language learners the results indicate that students with high levels of motivational intensity engage in various types of intercultural contact more frequently than students who invest less energy into language learning. Our findings seem to suggest that it is motivational intensity rather than the language being studied that affects what factors predict how much energy students are willing to invest in language learning.

The language learning experiences of students with dyslexia: lessons from an interview study

Abstract Our interview study investigated what experiences Hungarian students with dyslexia have in the language learning group and concerning the general behavior, the instructional methods and assessment techniques of their language teachers. Long qualitative interviews were conducted with 15 students of different ages who studied foreign languages in a variety of educational settings. Our results indicate that the participants generally had negative experiences when studying in groups, especially if the number of students in the group was high, but they enjoyed when they received special attention and the rate of progress was adjusted to their needs. Students with dyslexia were found to be highly appreciative of clear and well-structured explanations and frequent revision opportunities. The students’ views confirm the high importance of applying motivational teaching strategies in teaching foreign languages to students with dyslexia and the existence of an indirect link between teachers’ attitude to dyslexia, teacher behavior, and language learning effort.

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.

An investigation into the relationship of foreign language learning motivation and sign language use among Deaf and hard of hearing Hungarians

Abstract The aim of this study is to point out the relationship between foreign language learning motivation and sign language use among hearing impaired Hungarians. In the article we concentrate on two main issues: first, to what extent hearing impaired people are motivated to learn foreign languages in a European context; second, to what extent sign language use in the classroom as well as outside school shapes their level of motivation. The participants in our research were 331 Deaf and hard of hearing people from all over Hungary. The instrument of data collection was a standardized questionnaire. Our results support the notion that sign language use helps foreign language learning. Based on the findings, we can conclude that there is indeed no justification for further neglecting the needs of Deaf and hard of hearing people as foreign language learners and that their claim for equal opportunities in language learning is substantiated.

An Overview of L2 Motivation Research in Hungary

The aim of this article is to introduce the Hungarian L2 motivation scene in detail. Hungary is a monolingual country, where people do not speak foreign languages unless they learn them at school, hence the need for L2 motivation research became apparent in the late 1980s when after nearly 40 years of communist rule, the privileged status of the Russian language, as the first and often only foreign language to be learnt, was abolished overnight. The results of research projects carried out in the past 20 years are presented in this article in terms of four distinct learners’ groups: young learners, secondary school students, university students and adult language learners. As for the research directions having received considerable attention in Hungary, they can be summarized as follows: the influence of language- and language-related attitudes on L2 motivation within diverse geographical and educational settings; the impact of intercultural contact on L2 motivation; the issues related to students’ selves and their relationship with L2 learning; age-related differences in L2 learning and motivation; and the role of English as a increasingly global language and its impact on L2 motivation. Concerning possible future research directions, researchers should consider taking a more classroom-oriented focus and investigate the motivational impact of the micro-context within which students are actually learning L2s, they should also concentrate on special needs students; and longitudinal research projects should investigate the dynamic nature of L2 motivation.

The Challenge for Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Students to Learn Foreign Languages in Special Needs Schools.

Deaf and hard-of-hearing (D/HH) learners have the right to equal access to knowledge and information which entails equal opportunities in learning foreign languages (FLs). As part of a larger project, the present study aims at exploring how students in eight specialised institutions across Hungary perceive the challenge of learning a FL. Following the principles of qualitative research, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 31 14–19-year-old D/HH learners. A purposive sample aiming at maximum variety was selected from a cohort of over 100 learners with the help of a previously validated questionnaire that focuses on D/HH learners’ FL learning motivations, strategies and beliefs. The interviews tapped into the following five topics: (1) the importance of learning a FL; (2) beliefs about the FL and about learning it; (3) learning modalities; (4) motivated learning behaviour and the use of learning strategies; (5) future goals and the envisaged role of the FL in the participants’ future. Our results indicate that in spite of low levels of initial motivation, many of the interviewed D/HH learners aspire to work abroad, where they hope to use the FL learnt. A frequent source of difficulty seems to be respondents’ perceived gaps in their own abilities to learn FLs; however, most participants claim that by seeking help and studying harder they can overcome these obstacles. It is also noteworthy that several of our participants find their knowledge of Hungarian inadequate for learning another spoken language. While producing and comprehending speech in the FL is a real challenge, learning to read and write is identified as an attainable goal. The use of Hungarian Sign Language for enhancing in-class communication seems both necessary and inevitable.

Individual Differences and Micro-argumentative Writing Skills in EFL: An Exploratory Study at a Hungarian University

An extensive body of literature has been generated on the written argumentation produced by EFL students; however, research studies have not merged analytical perspectives from rhetorical, informal reasoning, and pragma-dialectic perspectives to analyze students’ argumentative writing. Furthermore, the relationship between individual differences (ID) variables and argumentation has received limited attention. In this study, we aimed to investigate high-achieving students’ ID variables profile (Dornyei, The psychology of the language learner: Individual differences in second language acquisition. Lawrence Erlbaum, Mahwah, 2005; Dornyei, The psychology of second language acquisition. Oxford University Press, Oxford, 2009; Schmitt, An introduction to applied linguistics. Arnold Publishers, London, 2002) and written argumentation skills. The study involved the top 30% of 140 first-year English language majors from Budapest. A standardized questionnaire was constructed to collect data on university students’ motivated learning behavior, language-learning selves, anxiety, and self-efficacy as well as on their learning styles and self-regulation. Timed argumentative essays written by students were used to analyze written argumentation skills. The analytical tools employed in the analysis of argumentation skills were the taxonomy of argumentative theses (Tanko and Tamasi, A comprehensive taxonomy of argumentative thesis statements: A preliminary pilot study. Working papers in language pedagogy, 2, 1–17. Available online at: http://langped.elte.hu/WoPaLParticles/W2TankoTamasi.pdf, 2008), the justificatory argument model (Toulmin, The uses of argument. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 2003; Toulmin et al., An introduction to reasoning, 2nd ed. Collier Macmillan, New York, 1984), and the typology of complex argumentation (Van Eemeren et al., Argumentation analysis, evaluation, presentation. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Mahwah, 2002). The ID profile of high achievers revealed that they are highly motivated learners with a strong ideal L2 self. Although this marked ID profile is reflected in their written argumentation skills, they also have weaknesses that need to be addressed in academic skills courses in order to further improve the quality of their argumentation. (This research was supported by the Hungarian Scientific Research Fund (OTKA K83243).)