Learning Japanese as a Foreign Language in the Context of an American University: A Qualitative and Process‐Oriented Study on De/Motivation at the Learning Situation Level

Abstract

Motivation plays an important role in foreign language learning. To investigate factors that influence motivation level, the researcher surveyed 102 students studying Japanese at the University of Washington and interviewed 10 of them. From their responses, the researcher identified four de/motivational factors: (1) teachers, (2) feedback, (3) difficulty of the class, and (4) feeling of progress. These findings also suggest that the impacts of these factors occur at different levels, take different forms, and have different strengths. The study also discusses the psychology of students underlying the influence of these de/motivational factors. Furthermore, students most frequently mentioned “teachers” and “feeling of progress,” which partially agrees with four previous related studies. Finally, the researcher briefly discusses the teachers’ perspective.

What Motivates Chinese University Students to Learn Japanese? Understanding Their Motivation in Terms of ‘Posture’

“…This begs answers to questions such as why these language learners were motivated to learn Japanese despite unfavorable sociopolitical conditions. So far, limited research has examined what motivates language learners to learn Japanese in comparison with English (except for studies such as Humphreys & Miyazoe-Wong, 2007;Mori & Calder, 2015;Nomura, Kataoka, & Mochizuki, 2019;Nomura & Yuan, 2019;Northwood & Kinoshita Thomson, 2012;Tanaka, 2013;Tsang, 2012). Research on what motivates Japanese language learners can help enrich the current understanding of language learning motivation and further develop the relevant theorization (e.g., Boo et al, 2015;Duff, 2017;Gao & Lv, 2018;Lv et al, 2017).…”

Changes in Affective Profiles of Postsecondary Students in Lower‐Level Foreign Language Classes

“…Motivation is a highly complex and dynamic process, influenced by learners' subjective experiences with the immediate learning situation as well as the wider social context (Clément, ; Gardner, ; Ushioda, ). No matter how complex differences in motivation may be, however, the instructor's role in motivating students is vital and powerful (Dörnyei, ; Tsang, ). In fact, recent research has suggested that the instructor's use of motivational techniques and strategies is extremely important because it powerfully influences how much effort students are willing to invest in learning the language (e.g., Bernaus & Gardner, ; Guilloteaux & Dörnyei, ; Papi & Abdollahzadeh, ; Tsang, ).…”

“…No matter how complex differences in motivation may be, however, the instructor's role in motivating students is vital and powerful (Dörnyei, ; Tsang, ). In fact, recent research has suggested that the instructor's use of motivational techniques and strategies is extremely important because it powerfully influences how much effort students are willing to invest in learning the language (e.g., Bernaus & Gardner, ; Guilloteaux & Dörnyei, ; Papi & Abdollahzadeh, ; Tsang, ). In order to improve motivation in lower‐level students, first, instructors need to be informed of potential motivation problems in the course of their learning and then encourage learners to develop effective motivational strategies, internalize positive attitudes, and develop good study habits.…”

“…Dörnyei also emphasized that instructors need to communicate regularly with their students about their expectations and about students' progress in a supportive manner with the goal of helping the students to believe that, with effort, they can achieve their individual and group goals. 5 While good work should be consistently acknowledged and praised, it is critical that all students know that the instructor cares about them; will help them analyze their strengths, weaknesses, and overall progress toward their goals; and will provide feedback and help them develop specific strategies with suggestions to improve their knowledge and skills (Tsang, 2012). Furthermore, in order to maximize motivation in FL classrooms, FL departments should support instructors' efforts to make the curriculum relevant to the students' needs and interests.…”

Exploring the dynamics of motivation for learning Japanese among Chinese learners: an elicited metaphor analysis

“…Motivation plays an important role in foreign language learning (Tsang 2012;Lee, Yu, and Liu 2018). In recent years, increasing attention in language learning motivation research has been directed toward exploring 'contextual and dynamic aspects of .…”