This article reports on a mixed methods study that examined the effect of reference of comparison (self-referential vs. normative) and regulatory focus (promotion-focused vs. prevention-focused) on willingness to communicate (WTC) among learners of English as a foreign language (EFL). One hundred female English learners were randomly assigned to…

Self-determination theory is one of the most established motivational theories both within second language learning and beyond. This theory has generated several mini-theories, namely: organismic integration theory, cognitive evaluation theory, basic psychological needs theory, goal contents theory, causality orientations theory, and relationships…

In this study, the authors investigated the attitudes of Japanese junior high school students towards studying English from the perspective of the Self-worth Theory. A total of 383 students aged 12 to 15 years participated in the qualitative study. Students were required to write three essays about how they would react under hypothetical…

The past decade has witnessed a surge of research interest in diverse emotions that foreign/second language (L2) learners experience. However, research on L2 boredom is just starting. The current study focuses on foreign language learning boredom (FLLB) and foreign language enjoyment (FLE), and examines how they are associated with a wide range of…

While interest in the learning of a language other than English (LOTE) has increased, research on how to foster learners' motivation towards learning a LOTE is still scarce. With a specific focus on learners' ideal LOTE and multilingual selves, this article reports on an intervention study which employed near peer role model (NPRM) to construct…

As one variant of the conventional flipped model, online flipped learning is increasingly implemented and it becomes important to explore how learners may be ready for it and how learner readiness may relate to motivation, attitude, and support. Informed by a multidimensional conceptualization of learner readiness and motivation and engagement,…

Motivation to learn languages strongly correlates with language achievement, and the school context has a great influence on the motivation of young learners (YLs). A key rationale for the implementation of content and language integrated learning (CLIL) programs, therefore, was pupil motivation. Very few studies have measured motivation in this…

The present longitudinal study investigated the changes of FLE (foreign language enjoyment) and FLA (foreign language anxiety) over time in the foreign language classroom and their relationship with foreign language learning motivation and learners' personality traits. Fifty-five college students completed an FLE/FLA questionnaire after English…

Task modality (oral vs. writing) has been found to affect the production, nature and resolution of the language-related episodes (LREs) produced by adult learners in collaborative interaction, a finding also attested in very recent and still limited research with young learners, a population that deserves greater attention in the literature.…

The present study offers insights on understanding motivation to learn a second language (L2) through implementation of the Exploratory Practice principles within the context of English as a foreign language at a university in Spain, and on discovering opportunities to enhance this. The account sits within the domain of the possible selves and the…

This study investigates the effect of personal investment in the form of learner-generated content (LGC) on the lexical recall of beginning-level learners of Chinese. The study employed a 2 x 2 repeated-measures design with content at two levels -- teacher-generated content or TGC, and learner-generated content or LGC -- and time at two levels…

The present study examines how learners' language mindsets (beliefs about the malleability of language intelligence) and achievement goals predict learners' preferences for different types of corrective feedback (CF). Questionnaire data were collected from 537 learners of Spanish as a foreign language at two North-American universities. Factor…

The 'multilingual turn' has opened up a variety of creative, participatory methods for researchers and educators to explore language learners' linguistic repertoires, language practices and resources, and linguistic experiences. In this article, we draw on data from the English as an additional language (EAL) secondary school classroom context…

Effective teaching practice requires that teachers know their students not as 'faceless average learners', but as individuals. The most individual of learner characteristics is personality, and yet language education research has made little progress in understanding the role of personality. As the field of language learning motivation seeks to…

This study examines the predictive effects of motivational beliefs and self-efficacy on multiple dimensions of self-regulated learning (SRL) strategies in English as a foreign language (EFL) writing. Undergraduate students (n = 389) were recruited voluntarily from four universities in mainland China. They were invited to complete a set of…