<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p> This paper examines the reasons for study of adult beginner distance learners of Spanish and the relationships between those reasons and motivation maintenance. A survey of 563 Open University UK students found motivational orientations distinct from those of young people in earlier studies. Adult learners who maintained their motivation also demonstrated a greater number of reasons for study. Their motivation embraced intrinsic and extrinsic, integrative and instrumental orientations, short-term and long-term ambitions, and an L2 self both ideal and realistically attainable. During their course module they focused more consistently than others on the language skills they had targeted, and expressed increased enjoyment of the learning experience. This study suggests that achieving ‘softer’ short-term goals encourages persistence towards longer-term goals which reflect the ideal L2 self.</p></abstract>

This paper examines the reasons for study of adult beginner distance learners of Spanish and the relationships between those reasons and motivation maintenance. A survey of 563 Open University UK students found motivational orientations distinct from those of young people in earlier studies. Adult learners who maintained their motivation also demonstrated a greater number of reasons for study. Their motivation embraced intrinsic and extrinsic, integrative and instrumental orientations, short-term and long-term ambitions, and an L2 self both ideal and realistically attainable. During their course module they focused more consistently than others on the language skills they had targeted, and expressed increased enjoyment of the learning experience. This study suggests that achieving ‘softer’ short-term goals encourages persistence towards longer-term goals which reflect the ideal L2 self.

Sticking with Spanish: Reasons for Study and Motivation Maintenance in Adult Beginner Distance Language Learners

The Open University, Faculty of Education and Language Studies Walton Hall, Milton Keynes, MK7 6AA, United Kingdom [www.open.ac.uk]

European Journal of Open, Distance and E-Learning

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

This paper examines the reasons for study of adult beginner distance learners of Spanish and the relationships between those reasons and motivation...

Sticking with Spanish: Reasons for Study and Motivation Maintenance in Adult Beginner Distance Language Learners

Published Online: Mar 03, 2015

Page range: 40 - 60

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/eurodl-2014-0018

Keywords
motivation, reasons for study, motivational orientations, beginner language learners, adult learners

© 2015

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Sticking with Spanish: Reasons for Study and Motivation Maintenance in Adult Beginner Distance Language Learners

Published Online: Mar 03, 2015

Page range: 40 - 60

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/eurodl-2014-0018

Keywordsmotivation, reasons for study, motivational orientations, beginner language learners, adult learners

© 2015

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Keywords
motivation, reasons for study, motivational orientations, beginner language learners, adult learners