Language Learning Motivation Among Malay Students Learning Mandarin As A Foreign Language
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Date
2010-12
Authors
Tan, Teow Ghee
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Universiti Sains Malaysia
Abstract
Much research has been done to identify language learners’ motivation for learning foreign languages in different contexts, but little information is available on Malay undergraduates’ motivation for studying Mandarin as a foreign language. The present study investigated language learning motivation among Malay students learning Mandarin as a foreign language in a public university in Malaysia. The study focused on the relationship between language learning motivation and other variables: course level, gender, metacognitive language learning strategies and achievement. A total of 860 students from three course levels participated in the study. They answered a questionnaire which elicited information on: (a) participants’ background information, (b) language learning motivation, and (c) metacognitive language learning strategies. The data collected were analyzed through descriptive and inferential statistics. Qualitative methods, such as face-to-face interviews and analysis of learners’ essays, were employed to obtain in-depth insights into the quantitative data and for triangulation. The findings showed that among Malay undergraduates, Instrumental Motivation, Intrinsic Motivation, Entertainment and Friendship were influential factors in the learning of Mandarin. Above all, Intrinsic Motivation had a direct influence on achievement in Mandarin. Gender also had a significant influence on Instrumental Motivation, Intrinsic Motivation and Entertainment. The findings also showed that metacognitive language learning strategies mediated the relationship between Instrumental Motivation and Entertainment with achievement in Mandarin. The results suggest that the curricula planners and instructors adjust their pedagogic practices and syllabi in tandem with the types of language learning motivation of the students identified in the present study.
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Keywords
Language learning motivation among Malay students , learning Mandarin as a foreign language