Stereotypes and Language Learning Motivation: A Study of L2 Learners of Asian Languages

✍ Scribed by Larisa Nikitina

• Publisher: Routledge
• Year: 2020
• Tongue: English
• Leaves: 137
• Edition: 1
• Category: Library

✦ Synopsis

This book explores stereotypes that learners of six Asian languages― Japanese, Mandarin, Korean, Myanmar, Thai and Vietnamese―hold about the target language country, its cultures and people.

Some of the findings, such as the language learners’ mental images of Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam, are presented here for the first time. Recognizing that stereotypes, and attitudes embedded in them, have an impact on people’s actions and behavioural intentions, this book examines whether and how the country stereotypes held by the students influenced their motivation to learn the target language. Besides providing worthwhile insights into the content and structure of the country stereotypes and their relationship with language learning motivation, this book offers methodological and theoretical advancements. Drawing on intellectual heritage of Russian psychologist Lev Vygotsky (1896-1934) the book highlights how the concepts of word meaning (znachenie slova) and word sense (smysl) could be fruitfully employed in studies on stereotypes that people learning a foreign language hold about a target language country.

This book will appeal to all readers interested in stereotypes that people have about foreign countries and also to educators and researchers who study language learning motivation.

✦ Table of Contents

Cover
Half Title
Title Page
Copyright Page
Dedication Page
Contents
List of figures
List of tables
List of abbreviations
Introduction
Stereotypes: a ubiquitous construct
Structure of the book
References
1 Stereotypes as a research focus
Stereotypes: the origins of the construct
Stereotypes as an interdisciplinary construct
Issues in research on stereotypes
Definitions and approaches
Stereotype content: country and national stereotypes
Stereotype formation: internal and external processes
Stereotype accuracy
Individual and consensual stereotypes
An overview of methodological approaches in research on stereotypes
Exploring stereotype content: structured and unstructured approaches
Structured approaches: check-lists and percentage estimates
Unstructured approaches: the free-response technique
Measuring stereotypes: criteria for consensus
Assessing stereotype valence and salience
Research on country stereotypes in applied linguistics
Research focus, aims, methodologies and gaps in studies on stereotypes held by language learners
References
2 Motivation, attitudes and stereotypes in L2 research: connecting the dots
Motivation in applied linguistics research: an overview of literature
Goal setting in language learning: instrumental and integrative orientations
The construct of attitude in psychology and applied linguistics
Attitude: etymology and definitions
Research on attitudes in the field of applied linguistics
Stereotypes, attitudes and L2 motivation: connecting the dots
How applied linguistics research can contribute to the scholarship on stereotypes
References
3 A mixed-methods approach to link country stereotypes and L2 motivation
The aim of the study, its research questions and research design
The need for mixed-methods approaches in research on country stereotypes, language attitudes and L2 motivation
The research instrument
The open-ended question
The closed-ended items to measure L2 motivation
Sampling method and the participants
Data collection and organization
Analysis of the qualitative data
The content analysis
The coding process
The assessments of stereotype salience and accuracy
Analysis of the quantitative data
The calculation of mean valence (MV)
The calculation of composite mean valence (CompMV)
The statistical analysis
The analysis of L2 motivation: exploratory factor analysis (EFA)
The reliability analysis: Cronbach’s alpha
The correlation analysis: Spearman correlation test
The regression analysis
References
4 Findings on language learners’ country stereotypes and their relationships with L2 motivation
Language learners’ mental images of the target language countries
Language learners’ mental images of China
Consensual stereotypes of China
Categories of images of China
Language learners’ mental images of Japan
Consensual stereotypes of Japan
Categories of images of Japan
Language learners’ mental images of Korea
Consensual stereotypes of Korea
Categories of images of Korea
Language learners’ mental images of Myanmar
Consensual stereotypes of Myanmar
Categories of images of Myanmar
Language learners’ mental images of Thailand
Consensual stereotypes of Thailand
Categories of images of Thailand
Language learners’ mental images of Vietnam
Consensual stereotypes of Vietnam
Categories of images of Vietnam
A discussion of the findings on the language learners’ mental images of the target language countries
Findings from the analysis of the stereotype content
Finding on the attitudes embedded in the mental images of the target language countries
Findings from the statistical analysis: relationships between the country stereotypes and L2 motivation
Dimensions of the students’ L2 motivation: results from the exploratory factor analysis (EFA)
Findings from the correlation analysis
Findings from the regression analysis
References
5 Wider implications and conclusions
Summary of the main findings
Methodological, theoretical and pedagogical implications
Directions for future research and practice
Conclusions
References
Appendix 1 Questionnaire on country images and L2 motivation
Appendix 2 Findings on language learners’ country stereotypes
Appendix 3 SPSS codes for the regression analysis
Glossary
Index