TOPIC Is Language Learning Motivation Theory Realism or Imperialism?

1. TOPICIs Language Learning Motivation Theory Realism or Imperialism? In this presentation, I my quantitative research published in TESOL Q. that brings into question the underlying assumptions of Western-based language learning motivation theory.

2. Is Language Learning Motivation Theory Realism or Imperialism? Presented by Clyde A. Warden, Ph.D.

3. Research Motivation • Previous research we found different attitudes and perspectives among the students of different departments towards English learning. • Motivation determines the extent of active, personal involvement in L2 learning. • Cultural differences should be included. • Issues may include: • Differences of educational systems • Learning conditions • Learning styles • Needs for language use in the job market • Purposes for learning a language.

4. Western Theory VS Eastern Reality • Most EFL research centers on English majors. • SLA theory is based on immigrants to English speaking regions. • Imported motivation theory assumes the supremacy of the integrative motivation (Gardner). • Different contexts of EFL in Asia include: • Educational policy: English treated as standardized required class with objective standards. • Cultural traditions: Instruction in native language often centers on memorization and testing (teacher-centered). • Limited educational resources: large class size and heavy teaching loads. • Limited contact time: 2-4 hours of English a week.

5. Motivation in SLA • Gardner and Lambert: affective predisposition toward the target linguistic-cultural group determines success. • Integrative Motivation: a high level of drive on the part of the individual to acquire the language of a valued second-language community in order to facilitate communication with that group. • Including: • interest in foreign languages • desire to interact with the target language community • attitudes toward the target language community • Dornyei (1990): studied students with no predisposition toward the target language. • Instrumental motivation: where the learner's interest in learning the foreign language is associated with the pragmatic, utilitarian benefits of language proficiency, such as a better job or a higher salary.

6. EFL Learning Motivations • Dornyei study found motivations proceeding the integrative motivation. INSTRUMENTAL NEED FOR ACHIEVEMENT ATTRIBUTIONS ABOUT PAST FAILURES INTEGRATIVE • Instrumental and Need for achievement are related to intermediate skill attainment and Integrative to advanced skill attainment. REQUIRED

7. Many Motivations--Same Results • Numerous different motivations may exist in EFL learning settings. • All these motivations may be useful and lead to success. • Learning motivations can be: • activated, enhanced, and taken advantage of by the teacher. • Learning motivations may be resistant to: • radical modification by the teacher. • exposure to foreign (not understood) motivations

8. Research Questions • Do three distinct, measurable motivation groups exist among EFL non-major English students in Taiwan? (integrative, instrumental, required) • What is the relevant importance played by these motivations for EFL non-major English students? • Can membership in these motivational groups be predicted or influenced by actual environmental use of English in the past, present, or future?

9. The Study • Survey administered to 2000 students. • Respondents: • Non English majors • Attending required English classes • University and college level • Including majors from: chemistry, industrial design, finance, management, accounting, insurance, engineering, and computer science • Average age: 20 (SD 5.05) • Female: 67% Male: 33%

10. Part 1Criterion Set Part 2Predictor Set EnvironmentUse Integrative Self SkillEstimate Instrumental Required Expectancy Research Design • Survey Design: The predictor set was further delineated temporally, by asking each question for the past, present and future

11. Analysis Procedure • Factor Analysis: discover the existence of motivational groups. • Canonical Correlation: regression with multiple independent and dependent variables. • Describe relationships between criterion set and predictor set.

12. EFL Non-Majors Criterion Set ? Instrumental Required Integrative Criterion Set Factor Results • Exploratory Factor Analysis: • Purified loadings

13. EFL Non-MajorsEnvironmentUse Past Future Present Environment Use Set Factor Results • Exploratory Factor Analysis: • Purified loadings

14. Factor Correlation • Factor Correlation

15. Canonical Correlation Analysis

16. Conclusions • The existence of an integrative motivation in Taiwan non-major students is not supported. • Instrumental and Required motivations found • Two temporal orientations supported • Required motivation is more influenced by the predictor set variables of Expectancy, Environment Use, and Skill. • Previous failures may decrease confidence in future use of language.

18. English as a Product • English is a profit generator for Taiwan cram schools. • A type of product that has utility for the customers purchasing it • Understanding just what the utility of acquiring English language skill is to the customers can give an insight to what motivations are actually at work.

19. Research Perspective • This research attempts to uncover the reasons behind studying English for students who are not English majors. • To understand how these motivations may combine and resulting implications, marketing Exchange theory is applied.

20. Applying Marketing Theory • The sorting stage of marketing

21. Marketing Concepts Contrasted

22. Marketing Approaches within an EFL Context

23. Restricted Exchange • Language learning behavior that fits into this model would most likely be such things as purchasing of dictionaries and electronic translation tools, language instruction books and other materials, test preparation materials, and cram schools. • These products are sold by a firm with the goal of exchanging value with a consumer who considers the products of some value. • Beyond that exchange, the seller has no further involvement with any other parities.

24. Generalized Exchange • Within Taiwan language learning, a good example of generalized exchange are private and public firms contracting language training for employees. • Firm A contracts language instructor B to train employee C who then adds value to firm A.

25. Complex Exchange • An example, language student A enters in an exchange with teacher B at university C in order to obtain a better position at company D. • Within each exchange a bi-directional value exchange takes place, but at no time is it the main motivation for the exchange process. • In other words, if company D did not exhibit any benefit for from student A’s language learning, the process would lose utility and thus not be pursued.

26. Implementing Marketing approach can include: • Improved understanding of the utility of English to students through surveys similar to the one performed in this study. • Surveying of the employment environment to find just what language skills are most useful in increasing opportunities for employees. • Increasing teacher understanding of just how a required English class can be designed to fit with the students area of study.

27. Present Study Constructs • self-determination: average combined values of strength of self-determination and outcome valence. • Proposed self-determination construct where Si = the skill obtainment potential for behavior i, SDi = strength of self-determination in behavior i, Vj = the valence of outcome j, n = the number of outcomes

28. Motivation Constructs Combined for Study

29. Study’s motivation model • The central question of this experiment is just how large an influence is played by class instruction between environmental use and orientation (this combination is here labeled fit) and what is the nature of the sociocultural context.

30. Different Educational Tracks • For this study, students were contrasted who were from two different educational tracks. • The first group is made up of students at a university of technology. • The second group was made up of students in the professional track.

31. Results • Purified VARIMAX rotated results • Vocational total explained variance of 73 percent. • Professional track total explained variance of 61 percent.

32. Results • Purified factor analysis of environment use set vocational track

33. Fit Construct • To better understand the relationships between the two sets of data, the motivation set and the environment use set, canonical correlation analysis was undertaken

34. Canonical loading results (vocational & Professional) • Past/present environment set variables are all negatively related to the motivation set.

35. Motivations & Environmental use

36. Differences Between Educational Tracks

37. Model Testing • The model obtained a level of fit of .98 with a chi-squared of 108.5 and 98 degrees of freedom. • The probability level of the model is .22.

38. Conclusions • Overall, the motivation model is supported. • This study suggest is that the very success of the required motivation may be contributing to a problem. • Avoiding the wholesale importation of methods and assumptions from North America and re-examining local needs and contexts. • Avoiding overemphasis on what is important to the teacher and understanding what is important to the students.

39. Conclusions • Irregardless of educational track or previous usage patterns, Taiwan students tend to perceive business related to English to be most important in obtaining both instrumental and required goals in the future. • However, rarely are imported teaching materials directed towards obtaining the goals Taiwan students want in either the required or instrumental areas.