Motivating and demotivating factors for Chinese as a foreign language learners in a British CLIL program

Abstract

This study investigates Mandarin Chinese learners’ motivation in a Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) program in a British secondary school from the perspective of learning environment, learner engagement, and learner identities. Fifteen pupils who are learning Chinese as a foreign language (CFL) have been interviewed individually or in a focus group. The results indicate that the context of L2 learning and pupils’ learning experience contribute to their sustained motivation. More specifically, the nature of the CLIL subjects, teachers and their teaching methods, peers, tasks, and examinations all play an important role in motivating or demotivating students. Pedagogical implications have been discussed with suggestions for maintaining students’ motivation in CLIL programs. This article fills the gap in the field of motivational study by bridging the learning of CFL and the CLIL context.

Pengaruh Model RADEC (Read, Answer, Discuss, Explain, Create) dan Motivasi Belajar Terhadap Keterampilan Menulis Teks Eksposisi Siswa

“…Di sisi lain, di kelas kontrol, murid berdorongan belajar tinggi tidak mendapat rangsangan dari metode pembelajaran tertentu, sehingga mereka tidak dapat mencapai prestasi yang lebih baik. Sebagaimana yang dikemukakan oleh Blumenfeld et al (2011); Guilloteaux & Dornyei (2008); dan Zheng et al (2023) murid membutuhkan dorongan ketika kurang dorongan, namun ketika murid sudah mempunyai dorongan tinggi, guru hanya perlu menjaga dan memelihara dorongan tersebut dengan memanfaatkan berbagai metode pengajaran. Pilihan guru untuk menerapkan model pembelajaran RADEC telah menunjukkan kemajuannya dalam mengikuti dan memperluas inspirasi murid.…”

A Review of a Malaysian Public University Students’ Motivational Behaviour in Learning a Foreign Language

“…However, students' motivational issues in learning Chinese as a foreign language is one of the significant concerns raised by current studies. Zheng et al (2023) believed that it is necessary to reconsider the suitability of teaching methods and the framework being employed in teaching Chinese as a foreign language to address students' low learning motivation. There are also other factors that need to be carefully considered such as tasks, peers, and examination which could easily affect students' motivation or demotivation in learning Chinese as a foreign language (Zheng et al, 2023).…”

“…Zheng et al (2023) believed that it is necessary to reconsider the suitability of teaching methods and the framework being employed in teaching Chinese as a foreign language to address students' low learning motivation. There are also other factors that need to be carefully considered such as tasks, peers, and examination which could easily affect students' motivation or demotivation in learning Chinese as a foreign language (Zheng et al, 2023). Similarly, in the Malaysian context, Chua and Mohammad Affiq Kamarul Azlan (2019) stated that students would only be motivated to learn Chinese as a foreign language if the teaching matches students' demands.…”

Language Learning Motivations among Turkish Learners of Chinese as a Foreign Language: A Survey of Five Universities in Turkey

“…As a result, the Chinese language has emerged as one of the world's most important languages [2]. While previous studies on foreign language learning motivation have primarily focused on major languages such as English, relatively scant attention has been given to the motivation for learning Mandarin Chinese [3]. Due to the growing economic, cultural, and educational cooperation between China and Turkey, Turkish university students are becoming increasingly interested in the Chinese language and culture, leading to a steady growth in the number of students studying Chinese [4].…”