Understanding Interactions between Language Learning Motivation and Medium of Instruction

Principal Investigator

Dr. Mairin Hennebry, The University of Hong Kong

 

Co-Investigator

Dr. Andy Xuesong Gao, The University of Hong Kong
Dr. Angela Gayton, University of Edinburgh

 

Objectives

This study proposes to achieve the following objectives:

1. To develop an understanding of good practice in motivational language teaching that teachers engage within diverse mediums of instruction;
2. To understand the nature of students’ motivation for language learning across and within language streams;
3. To understand the interactions between language learning motivation, language self-efficacy and individual learners’ traits;
4. To understand the interaction between teachers’ motivational language teaching practices and learners’ reported language learning motivations.

 

Significance for Hong Kong and beyond

Hong Kong English language teachers frequently cite motivation as a key problem of Hong Kong students and are frustrated by the lack of research-based guidance on motivational language teaching practice; a concern that has also been raised in the research literature. This study seeks to inform teaching practice and language education policy by developing a comprehensive picture Hong Kong learners’ motivations for learning English, the practices used by English language teachers in Hong Kong to motivate students to learn, and an understanding of the interaction between the two. The findings will inform teaching practice and particularly teacher education for motivational language teaching.  The findings can also inform language policy at societal and classroom levels in Hong Kong and other educational contexts.