Education Commons^™

English Learning Demotivation Studies In The Efl Contexts: State Of The Art, Yoon-Kyoung Kim, Tae-Young Kim

Dr. Tae-Young Kim (김태영, 金兌英)

This paper reviews the studies conducted on English learning demotivation in the EFL contexts. Demotivation research in the EFL contexts is significant given the learners’ less opportunities to use the target language outside school and consequent difficulties in maintaining their interest in learning it. In order to look into how this issue of demotivation has been addressed, the previous EFL demotivation studies are analyzed based on (a) their research methods and (b) perspectives on the definition of demotivation. The research methods adopted by the previous research include quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods. In terms of different underlying assumptions on what …

The Effect Of Languaging On Korean Students' L2 Learning Motivation: A Classroom-Based Mixed Methods Approach, Tae-Young Kim

Dr. Tae-Young Kim (김태영, 金兌英)

This paper focuses on the effect of languaging activity on students' L2 learning motivation. Swain (2006, p. 98) defines languaging as "the process of making meaning and shaping knowledge and experience through language." To date, most of languaging research investigated its impact on L2 learners' cognition. I endeavor to extend its original notion to the domain of motivation. Based on Dörnyei's (2009) L2 Motivational Self-System, the effect of languaging on students' L2 selves and their teachers' reflection will be investigated in this paper.

In Spring 2012, three English teachers implemented four different languaging conditions for their students: 1) written languaging …

Elementary School Students' Foreign Language Learning Demotivation: A Mixed Methods Study Of Korean Efl Context, Tae-Young Kim Dr., Hyo--Sun Seo

Dr. Tae-Young Kim (김태영, 金兌英)

This mixed methods study investigates Korean elementary school students’ foreign language learning demotivation and their teachers’ perception of student demotivation. A questionnaire was conducted with 6,301 elementary school students from Grades 3 to 6 to examine their motivational changes. This revealed a decrease in all motivational constructs – instrumental, intrinsic, integrative, parental/academic extrinsic motivations – as the students advanced throughout the school grades. The findings were further analyzed by using interviews and open-ended questionnaires with 17 English teachers. They attributed the students’ demotivation to three elements: 1) the negative impact of the English teacher such as incongruence with students’ needs, …

Korean Efl Students' Amotivation To Learn English: An Activity Theory Analysis, Tae-Young Kim

Dr. Tae-Young Kim (김태영, 金兌英)

By using Dörnyei’s (2009) L2 motivational self-system, this qualitative study investigates 39 Korean EFL students’ amotivation of English learning, or the lack of motivation. Theoretically, the study was guided by Leont’ev’s (1978) activity theory, which emphasizes the unique mediation between the individual (as an active agent representing ontogenetic human development) and the social domain. I argue that an AT perspective can coherently explain students’ amotivation by paying attention to the students’ socioeducational contexts. Particularly, hakbul, or degreeocracy widespread among students and parents in Korea, is attributed to be the major reason for student amotivated but sustained English learning.

The research …

The L2 Motivational Self System And Perceptual Learning Styles Of Chinese, Japanese, Korean, And Swedish Students, Jin-Suk Yang, Tae-Young Kim Dr.

Dr. Tae-Young Kim (김태영, 金兌英)

This paper explores the perceptual learning style, ideal L2 self, and motivated L2 behavior of Chinese, Japanese, South Korean, and Swedish high school students. Guided by Dörnyei’s (2005, 2009a) L2 motivational self system, this quantitative study extends Al-Shehri’s (2009) and Tae-Young Kim’s (2009a) research by reinterpreting the role of perceptual learning styles in the creation of learners’ ideal L2 self and the maintenance of their motivated L2 behavior. The statistical analysis found that learners’ perceptual learning styles (i.e., visual, auditory, and kinesthetic styles) were significantly correlated with their ideal L2 self and motivated L2 behavior. However, the results of the …

The Effect Of Korean Secondary School Students' Perceptual Learning Styles And Ideal L2 Self On Motivated L2 Behavior And English Proficiency, Yoon-Kyoung Kim, Tae-Young Kim Dr.

Dr. Tae-Young Kim (김태영, 金兌英)

In this study, 495 Korean secondary school students' visual, auditory, and kinesthetic preferences, ideal L2 self, motivated L2 behavior, and English proficiency were analyzed based on questionnaire surveys. Identifying possible effect of the participants' perceptual learning styles and ideal L2 self on their motivated L2 behavior was followed by an investigation of all variables' impact on English proficiency. The influence of the visual learning style and the ideal L2 self on motivated L2 behavior indicates that the students' visual style preference contributes strongly to the forming of a vivid ideal L2 self, which in turn results in a higher level …

An Activity Theory Analysis Of L2 Motivational Self-System: A Case Study Of Korean Esl Learners, Tae-Young Kim Dr.

Dr. Tae-Young Kim (김태영, 金兌英)

This study makes theoretical refinements by re-interpreting L2 motivational self-system from an Activity Theory (AT) perspective. I analyze longitudinal data obtained from four Korean ESL learners in Toronto. The findings suggest that the dynamism in ESL motivation can be systematically explained by longitudinal AT system models with L2 motivational self-system.

Korean Elementary School Students' English Learning Demotivation: A Comparative Survey Study, Tae-Young Kim Dr.

Dr. Tae-Young Kim (김태영, 金兌英)

This study explores Korean elementary school students’ decreased motivation for English learning by analyzing the questionnaire data obtained from 6,301 students in a large city in South Korea. The students’ school grades and their prior experience in private institutes were considered as the major factors behind the decrease in their motivation. There was a statistically significant and consistent decrease in the students’ satisfaction with their English learning experience; expectation of ultimate success in English; and intrinsic/extrinsic motivation and integrative/instrumental motivation. Prior experience in attending private institutes had a substantial impact on the students’ motivation. Those who attended private institutes (hakwons) …

Sociocultural Dynamics Of Esl Learning (De)Motivation: An Activity Theory Analysis Of Two Adult Korean Immigrants, Tae-Young Kim Dr.

Dr. Tae-Young Kim (김태영, 金兌英)

This study examines the longitudinal trajectories of two Korean ESL immigrants’ L2 learning motivation from an Activity Theory perspective. Two highly skilled immigrants participated in the monthly semi-structured interviews over a period of 10 months. The research questions are as follows: (1) How does the relationship between ESL learners and their perceived social contexts affect and shape the way in which their ESL learning motivation develops? (2) How can the factors affecting the changes in ESL learning motivation be explained from an Activity Theory perspective? The recurring themes in the monthly interview data were coded and aligned to Engeström’s (1999a) …

Reductionism, Activity Theory, And L2 Motivation Research: Toward New Concepts And Definitions, Tae-Young Kim Dr.

Dr. Tae-Young Kim (김태영, 金兌英)

This paper focuses on the theoretical foundation of second language (L2) learning motivation from a Vygotskian Activity Theory (AT) perspective. In general, previous L2 motivation research adopted either psychometric or sociological approaches, which have not fully considered the mediational process between individual learners and their meaningful environments. Since L2 motivation reflects learners’ histories and sociocultural contexts, it is crucial to approach this from an AT perspective. After critiquing current L2 motivation research using Valsiner and van der Veer’s (2000) argument of downward/upward reductionism, I introduce the notion of L2 motivation as social mediation and discuss the applicability of AT to …