This book is informed by pupils' perceptions of the foreign language learning experience: attitudes brought from primary school; from home; visits abroad; the classroom. What are the implications of these for teachers? The author provides practical strategies to enhance (a) the enjoyment of the in-class experience and (b) the status of modern languages on the curriculum.

Due to its theoretical and educational significance within the language learning process, the study of L2 motivation has been an important area of second language acquisition research for several decades. Over the last few years L2 motivation research has taken an exciting new turn by focusing increasingly on the language learner’s situated identity and various self-perceptions. As a result, the concept of L2 motivation is currently in the process of being radically reconceptualised and re-theorised in the context of contemporary notions of self and identity. With contributions by leading European, North American and Asian scholars, this volume brings together the first comprehensive anthology of key conceptual and empirical papers that mark this important paradigmatic shift.

Taking three different perspectives, this book looks at primary school children's language learning motivation and language attitudes. In adopting a longitudinal perspective, the book fills a research gap and provides a macro-level analysis of motivational development over time. It reveals a surprising amount of stability in primary school children's motivational and attitudinal development. The comparative perspective looks at the learners' affective dispositions with regard to English (theorized as a 'global language') and French (theorized as a 'national language'). The comparisons between global language and national language are relevant across the world, especially in situations where instruction in languages other than English struggles to get attention. The results reveal sizeable differences between the two languages, with children being substantially more motivated to learn English than to learn French. Finally, the explanatory section identifies key antecedents of the learners' motivational and attitudinal dispositions - and thereby opens up paths for intervention relevant for those working in the field of language instruction.

This volume presents the results of the largest ever language attitude/motivation survey, involving over 13,000 teenage language learners in Hungary on three successive occasions: in 1993, 1999 and 2004. The results are not confined to the European environment but have wider implications concerning attitude change, motivational dynamics and language globalisation.

This book synthesises current theory and research on L2 motivation in the EFL Japanese context carried out by internationally recognized researchers and upcoming researcher-educators working in various educational contexts in Japan. Topics covered include the issues of cultural identity, demotivation, language communities, positive psychology, possible L2 selves and internationalisation within a key EFL context. The studies in the book utilise a wide variety of research methodologies aiming to narrow the gap between theory and practice and examine L2 motivation in primary, secondary and tertiary education. This volume will be of interest to research/teacher professionals who are currently engaged in active ESL/EFL practice, EFL educators, researchers, and teacher-trainers both inside and outside Japan, who are interested in research on L2 motivation in general and within the Japanese context in particular, as well as graduate and postgraduate researchers.

Drawing on quantitative and qualitative data from teachers and students in Hong Kong’s secondary schools, this book examines critical questions in relation to language learning motivation and instructional contexts. Readers are provided with a critical overview of developments in theory and research on language learning motivation and the potential to further extend these developments. Grounded in the Douglas Fir Group conceptualization of language learning, the book explores the complex interplay of diverse factors that shape learners’ motivation. It offers a unique window into the situated nature of language learning motivation in the macro, meso, and micro contexts of a Chinese heritage society. In so doing, it brings the Chinese voice into the theorization of this important language learning construct. Potential future research avenues are suggested, and implications for policy and practice are discussed. This book will be a useful resource for academics and postgraduates interested in the fields of English as a second language (ESL), English language teaching, language teaching and learning.

This handbook offers an authoritative, one-stop reference work for the dynamic and expanding field of language learning motivation. The 32 chapters have been specially commissioned from the field’s most influential researchers and writers. Together they present a compelling picture of the motivations people have for learning languages, the diverse ways we can research motivation, and the implications for promoting and sustaining learners’ motivation. The first section outlines the main theoretical approaches to language learning motivation; the next section presents ways in which motivation theory has been applied in practice; the third section showcases examples of motivation research in particular contexts and with particular types of language learners; and the final section describes the exciting directions that contemporary research is taking, promising important new insights for academics and practitioners alike.

In this thought-provoking book, Ema Ushioda asks why we research language learning motivation, whose interests the research serves, and who ultimately benefits. Examining the major theoretical and research developments in this vibrant field from its origins to the present day, the author interrogates the goals and values driving academic inquiry, and argues for a more socially conscious and socially responsive orientation to researching language learning motivation. The book challenges this research field to contribute to critical movements in applied linguistics to address globally and locally relevant societal issues where language and motivation matter. “Ema Ushioda’s compelling, authoritative and timely book re-writes the story of L2 motivation research through the ethical lens. Her probing reflection is not meant to soothe but to ask difficult questions about why we research and for whom. It is impossible to imagine future L2 motivation scholarship that does not treat them seriously.” Maggie Kubanyiova, Professor of Language Education, University of Leeds Ema Ushioda is a Professor and Head of the Department of Applied Linguistics at the University of Warwick Oxford Applied Linguistics Series Advisers: Anne Burns and Diane Larsen-Freeman

One of the most active areas in the field of second language acquisition, language learning motivation is a burgeoning area of research. Yet the plethora of new ideas and research directions can be confusing for newcomers to the discipline to navigate. Offering concise, bite-size overviews of key contemporary research concepts and directions, this book provides an invaluable guide to the contemporary state of the field. Making the discussion of key topics accessible to a wider audience, each chapter is written by a leading expert and reflects on cutting-edge research issues. From well-established concepts, such as engagement and learning goals, to emerging ideas, including contagion and plurilingualism, this book provides easy to understand overviews and analysis of key contemporary themes. Helping readers understand a field which can appear highly technical and overwhelming, Researching Language Learning Motivation provides valuable insights, perspectives and practical applications.

This book provides an overview of second language (L2) motivation research in a specific European context: Hungary, which has proved to offer an important laboratory for such research, as a number of major political changes over the past 30 years have created a changing background for L2 learning in an increasingly globalized world. The book provides an overview of theoretical research on L2 motivation, together with detailed information on large-scale L2 motivation studies in Hungary. Further, it presents a meta-analysis of the most important investigations, and qualitative data on teachers’ views regarding success in L2 learning. In turn, the interdisciplinary nature of L2 motivation is taken into account and relevant antecedent constructs to L2 motivation are investigated. Lastly, the book outlines possible future directions for L2 motivation research.