Examining the affective domain in college students' learning English as a Foreign Language in Korea : relationships among academic motivation, intercultural sensitivity, and English achievement /
This study examined language learning motivation and intercultural sensitivity that affect English achievement of college students who are learning English as a Foreign Language (EFL) in Korea. The study aimed to develop a model that provides the possible causal relationships among motivation, inter...
| Main Author: | |
|---|---|
| Format: | Thesis Book |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
[Place of publication not identified] :
[publisher not identified] ;
2003.
|
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://proxy.library.tamu.edu/login?url=http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?did=765674581&sid=1&Fmt=2&clientId=2945&RQT=309&VName=PQD |
| Summary: | This study examined language learning motivation and intercultural sensitivity that affect English achievement of college students who are learning English as a Foreign Language (EFL) in Korea. The study aimed to develop a model that provides the possible causal relationships among motivation, intercultural sensitivity, and English achievement. Four hundred thirty-seven students enrolled in an English course participated in the study. The data were collected by administering modified versions of the Academic Motivation Scale and Intercultural Sensitivity Scale and a Background Information Questionnaire. Descriptive statistics, factor analysis, reliability coefficients, correlation coefficients, structural equation modeling analysis, MANOVA, and ANOVA were used to address the research questions. The results indicated that Korean students were highly extrinsically motivated to learn EFL. The salience of extrinsic motivation mirrored the EFL context of higher education and the job force environment in Korean society. Those who communicate with an international language, typically English in Korea, can look forward to having a wider range of employment opportunities and high-paying jobs. Likewise, only a moderate level of intercultural sensitivity toward cross-cultural interaction revealed typical characteristics of EFL contexts, indicating a lack of cross-cultural experiences of the target language community to have a cross-cultural sensitivity. The findings of the study provided clear evidence that motivation and culture are important factors in learning a second/foreign language (L2) and that there are causal relationships among intercultural sensitivity, motivation, and English achievement. The most striking finding was that students' level of intercultural interaction was the single best predictor of their English achievement, followed by intrinsic motivation. These causal path findings, from intrinsic motivation and intercultural interaction to English achievement, were consistent across gender and academic majors. The path models among intercultural sensitivity, motivation, and English achievement differed greatly across gender and academic majors. The findings in the MANOVA and ANOVA suggested that females and humanities majors were more motivated to learn English and more interculturally sensitive, and that they outperformed males and science/engineering students in English achievement. The findings of the study had educational implications for teaching L2 learners to enhance their intrinsic motivation and intercultural sensitivity in learning a L2. |
|---|---|
| Item Description: | Vita. "Major Subject: Curriculum and Instruction". |
| Physical Description: | xv, 184 leaves : illustrations ; 28 cm. Issued also on microfiche from University Microfilm Inc. |
| Bibliography: | Includes bibliographical references (leaves 155-165). |