LINGUIST List 19.1149: Applied Ling/Psycholing: Guilloteaux: 'Motivating Language Le...'

LINGUIST List 19.1149

Sun Apr 06 2008

Diss: Applied Ling/Psycholing: Guilloteaux: 'Motivating Language Le...'

Editor for this issue: Evelyn Richter <evelynlinguistlist.org>

1. Marie-José Guilloteaux, Motivating Language Learners: A classroom-oriented investigation of teachers' motivational practices and students' motivation

Message 1: Motivating Language Learners: A classroom-oriented investigation of teachers' motivational practices and students' motivation
Date: 05-Apr-2008
From: Marie-José Guilloteaux <mariegnu.ac.kr>
Subject: Motivating Language Learners: A classroom-oriented investigation of teachers' motivational practices and students' motivation
E-mail this message to a friend

Institution: University of Nottingham Program: School of English Studies Dissertation Status: Completed Degree Date: 2007

Author: Marie-Jose Michelle Guilloteaux

Dissertation Title: Motivating Language Learners: A classroom-oriented investigation of teachers' motivational practices and students' motivation

Dissertation URL: http://etheses.nottingham.ac.uk/archive/00000271/

Linguistic Field(s): Applied Linguistics Psycholinguistics
Subject Language(s): English (eng)
Dissertation Director:
Zoltán Dőrnyei
Dissertation Abstract:

The teacher's use of motivational strategies is generally believed toenhance student motivation, yet there is scant empirical evidence tosupport this claim. This classroom-oriented investigation focused on howthe motivational practices of EFL teachers in South Korea related tostudents' L2 motivation and motivated classroom behavior. In a first phase,the motivation of over 1,300 students was measured by a self-reportquestionnaire, and the use of motivational strategies by 27 teachers in 20different schools was examined with a classroom observation instrumentspecifically developed for this investigation, the Motivation Orientationof Language Teaching (MOLT). The MOLT scheme, along with a post hoc ratingscale completed by the observer, was used to assess the teachers' use ofmotivational strategies. The MOLT follows the real-time coding principle ofSpada and Fröhlich's (1995) Communication Orientation of Language Teaching(COLT) scheme, but uses categories of observable teacher behaviors derivedfrom Dörnyei's (2001) motivational strategies framework for foreignlanguage classrooms. The results indicate that the language teachers'motivational practice is directly linked to increased levels of thelearners' motivated learning behavior and their motivational state. In asecond phase, three high- and three low-motivation learner groups (selectedfrom the initial sample) were compared in order to uncover the students'interpretations and understandings of the quality of their L2 instructionalcontexts in relation to their motivation and motivated classroom behavior.Results based on quantitative and qualitative datan (which were obtainedusing three new instruments specifically designed for this study) indicatedthat the motivational practices coexisting with different levels ofmotivation were woven into the contents and processes of L2 instruction andinstruction in general. These contents and processes seemed to stem fromteachers' and students' beliefs about what counts as learning in the L2classroom and what is the best way to learn an L2.

This Year the LINGUIST List hopes to raise $60,000. This money will go to help keep the List running by supporting all of our Student Editors for the coming year. See below for donation instructions, and don't forget to check out our Fund Drive 2008 LINGUIST List Circus and join us on our many shows! http://linguistlist.org/fund-drive/2008/ There are many ways to donate to LINGUIST! You can donate right now using our secure credit card form at https://linguistlist.org/donation/donate/donate1.cfm Alternatively you can also pledge right now and pay later. To do so, go to: https://linguistlist.org/donation/pledge/pledge1.cfm For all information on donating and pledging, including information on how to donate by check, money order, or wire transfer, please visit: http://linguistlist.org/donate.html The LINGUIST List is under the umbrella of Eastern Michigan University and as such can receive donations through the EMU Foundation, which is a registered 501(c) Non Profit organization. Our Federal Tax number is 38-6005986. These donations can be offset against your federal and sometimes your state tax return (U.S. tax payers only). For more information visit the IRS Web-Site, or contact your financial advisor. Many companies also offer a gift matching program, such that they will match any gift you make to a non-profit organization. Normally this entails your contacting your human resources department and sending us a form that the EMU Foundation fills in and returns to your employer. This is generally a simple administrative procedure that doubles the value of your gift to LINGUIST, without costing you an extra penny. Please take a moment to check if your company operates such a program. Thank you very much for your support of LINGUIST! -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------