AsiaTEFL Logo        The Journal of Asia TEFL
   
The Journal of Asia TEFL
Articles By Subject
Current Issue
Past Issues
Special Issue
Information of the Journal
Editorial Board
Submission Guidelines
Ethical Guidelines
Manuscript Submission
Journal Order
Search
Today 715
Total 3,791,816
Past Issues
Go List

Volume 13 Number 2, Summer 2016, Pages 72-161   


 http://dx.doi.org/10.18823/asiatefl.2016.13.2.5.138 PDF Download
   

A Quasi-Longitudinal Study on English Learning Motivation and Attitudes: The Case of South Korean Students

    Tae-Young Kim & Yoon-Kyoung Kim


This quasi-longitudinal study explored changes in motivation and attitudes of Korean high school English learners from 2002 to 2010. A total of 1,471 students completed the same questionnaire in 2002 (364 students), 2006 (673), and 2010 (434). Nine motivational factors were observed over the years: instrumental, extrinsic, intrinsic, cultural-exchange, heuristic, international posture, selfdevelopment, competitive, and amusement motivation. Among the factors, competitive motivation was increasingly influential in the students' EFL learning, and demonstrated a significant, positive correlation in 2006 and 2010. On the other hand, despite the globalization of English, the role of international posture became less dominant for Korean high school students. The overall explanatory power of motivational/attitudinal factors for proficiency gradually decreased over the years. Based on the findings, it is suggested that English teachers help EFL learners reflect on their personal meanings of learning English instead of excessively focusing on competition with peers.

Keywords: English learning motivation, learner attitudes, competitive motivation, international posture, quasi-longitudinal study