MILE5000 Chap.7 Motivation Across Multiple Languages
Motivation Across Multiple Languages
The monolingual bias in motivation research
The conceptual reading in this cluster argues that motivation research has studied one target language at a time. The dominant models take no account of other languages a learner speaks or is learning, and studies involving two languages have compared them rather than asking how they interact.
It proposes instead that the ideal selves for different languages interact and that higher-order multilingual self-guides can emerge from that interaction.
Two scenarios
When the ideal selves for two languages compete for limited resources, one can become dominant, and a contentedly bilingual self may emerge: comfortable with a first language and the dominant global language, and indifferent to more.
When they complement each other, an ideal multilingual self may emerge and strengthen motivation for the new language.
The reading uses construal-level theory to argue that such abstract, distant selves can still motivate, and suggests turning a contentedly bilingual self into a feared one.
A third language in an English-medium programme
A mixed-methods study of 66 international students in a Japanese university programme taught in English found that the ideal L2 English self predicted grades, that international posture went with English but not Japanese, and that Japanese motivation related to nothing measured.
Interviews explained why: students rarely needed Japanese outside class, found courses demanding, and in one case dropped Japanese to protect a scholarship.
English and a third language studied together
A survey of 232 students in Chinese programmes that combine English with Spanish, French, Japanese or Turkish found the English and multilingual ideal selves strongly related, each predicting effort on its own language.
International posture predicted English effort only and mediated neither effect, which the authors read as English remaining the gatekeeper to the international community.
What this chapter covers
- 01
The monolingual bias in motivation models
- 02
Emergence and higher-order self-guides
- 03
Contentedly bilingual and ideal multilingual selves
- 04
Why an abstract future self can motivate
- 05
International posture
- 06
Third-language motivation in an English-medium programme
- 07
English and a third language in simultaneous programmes
Worked example · free
Design a test of the harmonious scenario
- 2State the hypothesis in terms of the constructs.
- 2Describe the sample and the measures.
- 2Name the result that would count against the hypothesis.
Key terms
- Ideal Multilingual Self
- A self-guide reflecting an aspiration to be or become multilingual, said to emerge when language-specific ideal selves complement each other.
- Contentedly Bilingual Self
- An emergent self-guide of someone comfortable with a first language and the global language and indifferent to further languages.
- International Posture
- A leaning towards belonging to an imagined global community in which English serves as the shared language.
- Construal Level
- The degree of abstraction with which a future event or self is mentally represented, higher for more distant selves.
- English-medium Instruction
- Teaching academic subjects through English in a country where English is not the main language.
Motivation Across Multiple Languages FAQ
What is an ideal multilingual self?
It is a self-guide representing a learner's aspiration to be or become someone who uses several languages. The conceptual reading proposes that it emerges when the ideal selves for different languages complement rather than compete with each other, and that it then strengthens motivation for each new language.
Does English crowd out motivation for other languages?
The two field studies suggest it depends on context. In the Japanese English-medium programme, Japanese motivation was weak and unrelated to outcomes, but the authors found little direct competition, because Japanese never became an equal contender. In the Chinese programmes the English and multilingual selves were positively related, though international posture translated into English effort only.
Why can an abstract image of the future still motivate?
The conceptual reading draws on construal-level theory: distant future selves are represented abstractly, and abstraction focuses attention on the essence of an experience and on core values. It illustrates this with students who described their multilingual futures figuratively, while conceding that such students are often outnumbered by those without the desire or opportunity.
Assessment move
Write a short paragraph describing your own languages as either competing or complementing each other, then identify which of the two field studies your situation most resembles. Using yourself as a case makes the constructs concrete and gives you a realistic example for a discussion post or a project rationale.
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