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Full-Text Articles in Bilingual, Multilingual, and Multicultural Education

Beliefs And Motivations Of Foreign Language Learners, Noriko Okura Jan 2016

Beliefs And Motivations Of Foreign Language Learners, Noriko Okura

Online Theses and Dissertations

This study examines the Eastern Kentucky University students’ current characteristics, purposes, and expectations for learning Japanese and/or Spanish language. A survey was conducted to collect data on EKU students’ demographics, as well as motivations and foreign language learning beliefs. Two hundred thirty eight students completed the questionnaire that includes a modified version of Horwitz’s (1988) “Beliefs about Language Learning Inventory” (BALLI). Descriptive statistics including means, standard deviations, and frequencies were utilized to analyze the BALLI items. Results indicated that EKU students’ demographics are diverse. Students in Japanese and Spanish language classes differed primarily in their language beliefs related to their …


Intercultural Learning Perspectives Of World Language Educators In Kentucky, Ernest Luke Mcclees Jan 2016

Intercultural Learning Perspectives Of World Language Educators In Kentucky, Ernest Luke Mcclees

Online Theses and Dissertations

A line has become blurred between intercultural interactions and daily personal interactions. The once long distance for trade, travel and communication is at its’ smallest gap. However, “American graduates have been cited as being culturally deprived and linguistically illiterate, compared to students from other countries” (2013 Kentucky Standard for World Language Proficiency). For educational leaders to improve this current educational inadequacy, it is important to understand teachers’ intercultural beliefs and how they impact their classroom practices. What is not known is the present state of world language teachers’ global competence understanding and what they perceive to be best practices to …