TY - JOUR
T1 - A comparative analysis of Japanese language learners’ motivation in Australia and Korea
AU - Nakamura, Toshiyuki
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2016, © 2016 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.
PY - 2018/10/2
Y1 - 2018/10/2
N2 - A growing amount of research has recently focused on the significant role of second language learners’ future self-representations in their learning motivation. This article analyses Japanese language learners’ motivational characteristics, utilizing data collected from interviews with 26 university students in Australia and South Korea. A comparison between these two contrastive social contexts revealed that interest in Japanese language/culture may be a vital source for motivational intensity to learn the language in both Australian and Korean contexts, whereas the role of L2 self does not appear to be identical in both contexts. Many Australian learners’ positive learning experiences seem to help evolve their initial interests in Japanese language/culture and construct their ideal/feared self-images as Japanese users, which contribute to their high motivational intensity to learn the language. On the other hand, some Korean learners’ learning experiences appear to have a negative impact on the construction of their ideal Japanese self-representations in the future, and thus, lead to their low motivational intensity. This article also points to the importance of understanding the learners’ perceived distance from the target language and culture, and how this may play both a motivating as well as a de-motivating role.
AB - A growing amount of research has recently focused on the significant role of second language learners’ future self-representations in their learning motivation. This article analyses Japanese language learners’ motivational characteristics, utilizing data collected from interviews with 26 university students in Australia and South Korea. A comparison between these two contrastive social contexts revealed that interest in Japanese language/culture may be a vital source for motivational intensity to learn the language in both Australian and Korean contexts, whereas the role of L2 self does not appear to be identical in both contexts. Many Australian learners’ positive learning experiences seem to help evolve their initial interests in Japanese language/culture and construct their ideal/feared self-images as Japanese users, which contribute to their high motivational intensity to learn the language. On the other hand, some Korean learners’ learning experiences appear to have a negative impact on the construction of their ideal Japanese self-representations in the future, and thus, lead to their low motivational intensity. This article also points to the importance of understanding the learners’ perceived distance from the target language and culture, and how this may play both a motivating as well as a de-motivating role.
KW - Japanese language
KW - L2 Motivational Self System
KW - L2 self
KW - interest in language/culture
KW - motivational intensity
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84980030917&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1080/17501229.2016.1213267
DO - 10.1080/17501229.2016.1213267
M3 - Article
SN - 1750-1229
VL - 12
SP - 316
EP - 329
JO - Innovation in Language Learning and Teaching
JF - Innovation in Language Learning and Teaching
IS - 4
ER -