Language Learning Motivation: a Study of the Learning Orientations of Vocational Students

The study described in this book was conducted among marketing students at a vocational institution in South Africa. The vocational context is a very specific one which is currently undergoing major changes worldwide. Studying English as part of the vocational package is new to South Africa, and has posed some challenges: chief among these ? student attitudes towards learning English to support their academic progress. To explore some of these attitudes, a mixed-method approach was used. The aim was to include as many motivational variables to determine which ones were most influential in determining students? motivational orientations. A framework comprising four levels ? the language level, the individual level, the classroom level and the programme level - was developed to accommodate the myriad of variables. Various theories were explored in an attempt to explain the findings of the study, including self-determination theory, expectancy-value theory, goal theory and achievement theory. The framework was then used to plot those variables that emerged as most significant in this specific context ? an approach which yielded some surprising results.