scholarly journals A mixed-method study of language-learning motivation and intercultural contact of international students

2013 ◽  
Vol 35 (2) ◽  
pp. 151-166 ◽  
Author(s):  
Judit Kormos ◽  
Kata Csizér ◽  
Janina Iwaniec
Keyword(s):  
International Students ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Mixed Method ◽  
Learning Motivation ◽  
Mixed Method Study ◽  
Intercultural Contact ◽  
Language Learning Motivation

The influence of second language learning motivation on students' understandability of textbooks

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yuqian Zhang ◽  
Anura De Zoysa ◽  
Kalinga Jagoda
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
International Students ◽  
Foreign Language ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Learning Motivation ◽  
Full Time ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Language Learning Motivation ◽  
Second Language Speakers ◽  
Commerce Students

Purpose The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between the understandability of an accounting textbooks written in English and the language learning motivation of international students. Previous research assumed that native speakers of a language and second-language speakers would understand a given accounting text similarly and little attempt has been made to ascertain any individual differences in users’ capacity to read and understand a foreign language. Design/methodology/approach The 107 participants in this study comprised of full-time English as a Second Language postgraduate commerce students studying at a major Australian university. The authors used two-part questionnaire to examine the motivation of participants and the understandability of an accounting textbook using the Cloze test. Findings The results suggest that most international students have difficulty in understanding the textbook narratives used in this study. Furthermore, the results show that students’ motivation to learn a foreign language impacts on the understandability of an accounting textbook. Practical implications This study will help the educators, textbook publishers and students to understand the needs of ESL students. It is expected to provide guidance for authors and instructors to enhance the effectiveness of the accounting courses. Originality/value The accounting literature shows that there have been efforts by accounting researchers to measure the understandability of accounting texts or narratives. This research provided valuable insights of the learning challenges of international students and valuable recommendations to educators and publishers to enhance the delivery.

scholarly journals Factors Influencing Chinese International Students’ Strategic Language Learning at Ten Universities in the U.S.: A Mixed-Method Study

2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 1891-1913
Author(s):  
Yao Fu ◽  
Crystal Machado ◽  
Zhenjie Weng
Keyword(s):  
International Students ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Learning Strategies ◽  
Mixed Method ◽  
Strategy Use ◽  
Chinese International Students ◽  
Mixed Method Study ◽  
Social Strategies ◽  
Interpretive Analysis ◽  
The U.S

This QUAL-QUAN mixed-method study employed a sociocultural interpretive framework to describe the Language Learning Strategies used by Chinese international students at ten universities in the U.S. During phase one, we used typological and interpretive analysis to identify nine factors that influenced 15 students’ strategy use at four universities. In phase two we employed regression analysis to study the influence of these factors and two others on 117 students’ strategy use at six U.S. universities. While participation and English proficiency level predicted direct strategies like memory, cognitive and compensatory strategies, participation was identified as the sole predictor of indirect strategies, like metacognitive, affective and social strategies. Findings have implications for college administrators, faculty and students.

scholarly journals Chinese Learners of Portuguese and Spanish Majors in Macau: A Comparative Case-Study of Motivation Aspects

2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (8) ◽  
pp. 54
Author(s):  
Oksana Kharlay ◽  
Martin Bagheri ◽  
Jeremy D. Philips
Keyword(s):  
Language Learning ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
Mixed Methods Research ◽  
Learning Motivation ◽  
Target Language ◽  
Comparative Case Study ◽  
Language Community ◽  
Language Learning Motivation ◽  
Chinese Learners ◽  
Integrative Motivation

This study investigated multiple learning motivation aspects of Chinese university students in Macau majoring in Spanish and Portuguese. A mixed methods research was employed by using questionnaires and interviews. 181 learners (96 Portuguese and 85 Spanish majors) were surveyed about ten language-learning motivation dimensions by using a questionnaire. A subset of participants from questionnaires were later given follow-up interviews. Quantitative and qualitative data indicated that the students in these majors had strong intrinsic motivation but limited integrative motivation towards the target language community. Other motivational pull-factors were the heritage connection between the language and the place of study and interest in the pop-culture associated related to the target language. Students reported a decline in motivation during the middle years of study, however, Spanish students’ interest resurged by the end of year three. There was also a gender imbalance, suggesting that career-related aspects of motivations were stronger among males. The results also revealed that language learners had an ideal-self that was multilingual and cosmopolitan but did not aspire to integrate into a specific target-language community.

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