Abstract
While study-abroad students generally prefer destinations where the local language relates to their personal, academic, or professional pursuits, the Czech Republic ranks as the 25th most popular destination for U.S. study abroad, signalling an interest in exploring beyond traditional language choices. This study addresses the gap in the literature on learning a less commonly taught language in the study abroad setting, which is unrelated to the student’s major fields of study (Czech). Over thirteen weeks, data were gathered through a qualitative methodology involving initial questionnaires, learner diaries, and semi-structured interviews with a sample of five students. Drawing on the L2 Motivational Self System (L2MSS), the research underscores the impact of the L2 learning experience and the construct of the ideal L2 self on motivation. Findings revealed a general increase in motivation for learning Czech throughout the semester, accompanied by a decline in the ideal Czech self by the end and an indicative enhancement in the ideal multilingual self-concept. This study additionally emphasizes the vital role of mandatory language courses in augmenting motivation, particularly when aligned with learners’ objectives. These insights broaden the understanding of motivational dynamics in acquiring languages other than English (LOTEs), highlighting the necessity for continued exploration of the multilingual motivational self-system within study-abroad contexts.
Funding source: Filozofická fakulta, Univerzita Karlova
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Research funding: This work was supported by the Filozofická fakulta, Univerzita Karlova.
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© 2024 Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin/Boston
Artikel in diesem Heft
- Frontmatter
- Introduction
- Striking a comfortable balance in the act of modern language teaching and learning
- Research Articles
- Shared leadership strategies for languages education. A case of project-based learning at CLC in Poznan University of Technology
- Group work and translanguaging as coping strategies for content learning in English-medium higher education contexts
- Translanguaging in content assessment: voices, experiences and practices of EMI university students
- Exploring the functions of lexical bundles in undergraduate opinion paragraphs for pedagogical use
- Influence of dynamic assessment on Taiwanese undergraduates and graduate students’ academic writing of research proposals
- Utilizing peer evaluation as a collaborative learning tool: fostering autonomy satisfaction in English presentation classes
- Enhancing speaking agility: unveiling Indonesian lecturers’ hybrid teaching experiences in oral communication skills
- Focus on form, forms, or meaning in grammar instruction: a study of Pakistani university EFL teachers’ cognition and practices
- U.S. students learning Czech in study abroad: motivational dynamics
- Delivering a pilot Institution Wide Language Programme (IWLP) at an Irish University: teachers’ perspectives
- Investigating the plurilingual profiles and linguistic repertoires of student language teachers: issues of SLA, multilingual assessment, and the role of L2 Italian in a localized Greek context
Artikel in diesem Heft
- Frontmatter
- Introduction
- Striking a comfortable balance in the act of modern language teaching and learning
- Research Articles
- Shared leadership strategies for languages education. A case of project-based learning at CLC in Poznan University of Technology
- Group work and translanguaging as coping strategies for content learning in English-medium higher education contexts
- Translanguaging in content assessment: voices, experiences and practices of EMI university students
- Exploring the functions of lexical bundles in undergraduate opinion paragraphs for pedagogical use
- Influence of dynamic assessment on Taiwanese undergraduates and graduate students’ academic writing of research proposals
- Utilizing peer evaluation as a collaborative learning tool: fostering autonomy satisfaction in English presentation classes
- Enhancing speaking agility: unveiling Indonesian lecturers’ hybrid teaching experiences in oral communication skills
- Focus on form, forms, or meaning in grammar instruction: a study of Pakistani university EFL teachers’ cognition and practices
- U.S. students learning Czech in study abroad: motivational dynamics
- Delivering a pilot Institution Wide Language Programme (IWLP) at an Irish University: teachers’ perspectives
- Investigating the plurilingual profiles and linguistic repertoires of student language teachers: issues of SLA, multilingual assessment, and the role of L2 Italian in a localized Greek context