Motivation and Experience in Foreign Language Learning

Until now, there has been relatively little research on the links between motivation and learning experiences within the domain of language learning. This volume attempts to fill that gap. It explores the developmental processes of intrinsic motivation and of autonomy in foreign language learning and investigates the links between learners’ educational experiences and ways in which such learners develop certain types of motivation. The book draws on various sources in educational psychology and philosophy, including Dewey, Vygotsky, Bruner, Deci, Ryan, and Weiner. The book conceptualises language learning motivation and offers an overview of motivation research, both in educational psychology and in language learning. The author reports on research findings from studies of qualitative or interpretative and quantitative approaches, whose participants were EFL Japanese university students, and offers proposals for helping learners to motivate themselves.