attitudes towards global english

Department of English University of Vienna

ATTITUDES TOWARDS GLOBAL ENGLISH The Role of Motivation and Identity in Second Language Acquisition with a focus on attitudes towards a global English community among students in Austria

Department:

Department of English

Program:

BA

Studienkennzahl:

A-033 612

Course Title:

Proseminar Linguistics 2

Supervisor:

Pia Resnik

Author:

Sarah Kresser

Matrikelnummer:

1409154

E-mail:

[email protected]

Semester:

WS 2016/17, 02.03.2017

Table of Contents I. List of Abbreviations ............................................................................................................ II. List of Figures ....................................................................................................................... III. Abstract .............................................................................................................................. 1 IV. Main Body........................................................................................................................... 1 1. INTRODUCTION ...................................................................................................................... 1 2. THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK .................................................................................................. 2 2.1. Integrativeness............................................................................................................... 2 2.2. International Posture ..................................................................................................... 2 2.3. Imagined communities .................................................................................................. 2 2.4. Possible Selves .............................................................................................................. 3 2.5. The L2 Motivational Self System ................................................................................. 3 2.6. Investment ..................................................................................................................... 4 2.7. Types of Motivation ...................................................................................................... 4 3. THE STUDY ........................................................................................................................... 5 3.1. Method .......................................................................................................................... 5 3.1.1. Participants ......................................................................................................... 5 3.1.2. Instruments ......................................................................................................... 6 3.2. Results: descriptive presentation ................................................................................... 6 3.2.1. Identification with English-speaking communities ............................................ 6 3.2.2. Motivation........................................................................................................... 7 3.3. Discussion ..................................................................................................................... 8 3.3.1. Interpretation....................................................................................................... 8 3.3.2. Limitation ........................................................................................................... 8 4. CONCLUSION ......................................................................................................................... 9 V. Bibliography...................................................................................................................... 11 VI. Appendix......................................................................................................... 12

I. List of Abbreviations L1...............................................................................................................First / native language L2........................................................................................................ Second / foreign language L3.......................................................................................................................... Third language L4........................................................................................................................ Fourth language L5........................................................................................................................... Fifth language SLA ................................................................................................ Second language acquisition

III. ABSTRACT According to recent studies (Peng 2014; Dörnyei 2009) students' identification with a certain linguistic group can essentially influence their motivation to learn a second language. Due to the fact that English is seen as increasingly detached from its original Anglophone community and culture, language learners might experience a lack of identification potential. To compensate for this shortcoming, the concept of an imagined community can serve as a sort of substitution for the actual collective (Peng 2014). So far, attitudes towards Englishspeakers as an international linguistic group have already been examined, particularly often among students from Asian countries, such as China and Japan (Dörnyei 2009); however, the situation in German-speaking countries has not been investigated in detail yet. For this purpose, a standardized, quantitative survey has been conducted among 80 students of English at the University of Vienna; the questionnaire used was adopted from surveys originally designed in the context of the Self-Determination Theory (Khazaie & Mesbah 2014; Noels et al. 2000; Yashima 2002). The aim of this study was to examine the Austrian language learner's attitude towards English-speakers as a global community, which eventually indicated that a positive international posture tends to influence their intrinsic motivation to learn English as a second language positively.

IV) MAIN BODY 1.

Introduction

As a consequence of increasing globalization, second language (L2) learners of English are currently confronted with a rapidly changing environment. One consequence can be seen in the frequent use of English as the primary language of international communication, regardless of the speakers' first languages; as a result of this separation of language and linguistic community, many L2 learners of English are facing a lack of contact to native speakers and, hence, a lack of identification (Peng 2014). Considering the crucial role that identity plays within the context of second language acquisition (SLA), a theoretical overview on related concepts and the shift of focus they have undergone shall be given in the following chapter (Ushioda & Dörnyei 2009a). Among these, the constructs most central to this paper are those of international posture (chapter 2.2), imagined communities (chapter 2.3) and intrinsic motivation (chapter 2.7).

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In order to examine these abstract concepts in more detail, a quantitative survey (chapter 3.1) was conducted within the course of this research and distributed among 80 students of English at the University of Vienna. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between the identification potential (chapter 3.2.1) of a global English community among students in Austria and their intrinsic motivation (chapter 3.2.2) to learn English as a second language.

2.

Theoretical Framework

In the early days of SLA Research, Corder (1967: 164) famously stated that "given motivation, it is inevitable that a human being will learn a second language if he [or she] is exposed to the language data". Therefore, a student's individual motivation to learn a foreign language can be said to play an essential role in their successful learning process. In order to explain this abstract concept in more detail, the interrelationship between motivation, the self and identity has to be considered as well; however, these terms have been discussed intensively over the past five decades, particularly among scholars from the fields of linguistics and psychology, which has ultimately led to a shift of focus (Ushioda & Dörnyei 2009a). To investigate reasons for and development of this paradigmatic shift, a brief overview of different postures regarding motivation, the self and identity, similarly outlined by Ushioda and Dörnyei (2009a), shall be given below.

2.1. Integrativeness Up until now, the concept that gained most recognition within the field of L2 motivation is that of the integrative motive by Gardner and Lambert (1973: 143); according to their definition, it "implies that successful second-language acquisition depends upon a willingness (or desire) to be like valued members of the 'other' language community". Moreover, Gardner and Lambert (1973) explicitly highlight the fact that other linguistic groups are represented through the use of their language and, further, that a positive social attitude towards these groups can facilitate the L2 learning process. As a result, they have brought social identification to the core of the integrative concept (Ushioda & Dörnyei 2009a).

2.2. International posture More recently, the increasing globalization of the English language has put on a new spin on the integrative concept; in particular, scholars of applied linguistics pointed out that the use of English might no longer root in one specific community of speakers only (Ushioda & Dörnyei 2

2009a). Therefore, Yashima (2002) attempted to provide a broader understanding of integrativeness and coined the term international posture, origined from the context of Japanese learners of English. According to her definition, this concept includes "interest in foreign or international affairs, willingness to go overseas to stay or work, readiness to interact with intercultural partners, and, [sic!] one['s] hopes, openness or a non-ethnocentric attitude toward different cultures" (Yashima 2002: 57).

2.3. Imagined communities A concept closely intertwined with this understanding of identity is that of imagined communities. In contrast to communities existent in an individual's immediate environment, such as one's neighborhood or workplace, there is no direct interaction with particular members of these imagined communities; instead, Kanno and Norton (2003: 241) describe them as "groups of people, not immediately tangible and accessible, with whom we connect through the power of the imagination". In reference to national identity, they further argue that imagined ties can go beyond spatial and temporal boundaries, and even if one may never meet most of the nations' members, this does not make them less real to the individuum (Kanno & Norton 2003). As imagined communities often involve imagining future relationships and affiliation, this concept can have a strong effect on one's investment and can, consequently, enhance the language learning process essentially (Kanno & Norton 2003).

2.4. Possible selves As a result of the more general approaches to the English-speaking community, a shift from the external reference group to the internal domain of the self took place (Ushioda & Dörnyei 2009a). As Dörnyei and Csizér (2002) expressed it, motivation is not dependent on actually, or imaginatively, integrating into an external linguistic collective, but rather on the internal process of identification, transpiring within the individual. To investigate this matter further, linguists incorporated the psychological theory of possible selves, which serve as the "individuals' ideas of what they might become, what they would like to become, and what they are afraid of becoming", hence, connecting the self-concept with motivation (Markus & Nurius 1987: 157).

2.5. The L2 Motivational Self System Later on, Dörnyei (2009: 13) expanded the psychological conceptualization of possible selves, by integrating its two key concepts in the L2 context: The ideal self, which "refers to 3

the representation of the attributes that one would ideally like to possess" and the ought self, referring "to the representation of attributes that one believes one ought to possess". Furthermore, he added a third component, namely the L2 Learning Experience, "which concerns situated, 'executive' motives related to the immediate learning environment and experience" (Dönyei 2009: 13). As a result, Dörnyei (2009) established a new model, labeled the L2 Motivational Self System, consisting of the (1) the ideal L2 self, (2) the ought-to L2 self and (3) the L2 learning experience.

2.6. Investment Another voice that argued in favor of a changing perception of language and identity came from the field of sociolinguistics (Ushioda & Dörnyei 2009a). For instance, Norton (2014: 476) introduced an approach, called investment to signal "the learner's commitment to learn a language". From this perspective, she argues that L2 learners gain cultural capital by investing in a language and, therefore, she implicates that the investment in a foreign language can at the same time be seen as an investment in one's identity.

2.7. Types of Motivation As the cause of investment in an L2, various types of motivation can be identified. For instance, instrumental motivation rather focuses on career-related goals, whereas its counterpart integrative motivation has the attitude towards the L2 speakers and their culture at its core (Nayan et al. 2014). Another well-known motivation theory differentiates between amotivation (equals the lack of motivation), intrinsic motivation and extrinsic motivation: Intrinsic motivation relates to an inner feeling of self-satisfaction when practicing certain activities (e.g. speaking a foreign language or gaining knowledge about the respective culture); in contrast, the latter covers extrinsic goals or rewards, similar to the instrumental type (e.g. good grades or getting promoted) (Nayan et al. 2014).

To conclude, one can say that motivation in the context of SLA is not only closely intertwined with the notions of the self and identity, but also with various scientific fields. Researchers from linguistic as well as psychological backgrounds have called for a rethinking of the notion repeatedly, resulting in a complex concept, not easy to grasp. Yet, this overview should shed some light on the underlying ideas of L2 motivation and provide an explanation of the paradigmatic shift it has undergone.

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3.

The Study

The final aim of the study conducted in the context of this paper is to provide an answer to the research question regarding the influence of a global English community on an Austrian student's intrinsic motivation to learn English as a second language. In order to examine this relationship in more detail, it is essential to investigate different attitudes towards Englishspeaking communities, as well as concepts of motivation and identity. Research Question Which influence does the notion of an imagined global community have on the intrinsic motivation of a student in Austria to learn English as a second language? Hypothesis The more a student in Austria is able to identify themself as a member of the global English community, the more likely their rise in intrinsic motivation to learn English as a second language will be.

3.1. Method The method used for exploring the issues central to this study was a standardized, quantitative survey. More precisely, an online-questionnaire has been designed by using Google Forms and published in a Facebook-group that aims specifically at students of English at the University of Vienna. As a result, the response rate was relatively high and the survey could be closed after 24 hours. For limitting the study to the relevant target group, English not being their first language had been determined as pre-condition for participation.

3.1.1. Participants In total, 80 individuals have participated in the online-survey, among which the majority of 88,8% were female, whereas male were only represented by 11,3%. The participants were between 18 and 35 years old, with 23 being the age average. All of them were either current or former students of English, whereas both have been considered as equally relevant in terms of their interest and background knowledge regarding the topic. A number of nationalities other than Austrian (22,5%) have participated as well; nonetheless, they have all been living or studying in Vienna at some point, so the Austrian perspective can still be seen as represented. The vast majority learned English as their second language (L2) (88,8%), some as their third (L3) (11,2%); mostly from primary (47,5%) or secondary school (28,8%) onwards, 5

with 14 being the latest and 0 the earliest age of acquisition - so apparently, some participants were confronted with the English language long before school entrance (23,8%). Given their linguistic background and early acquisition, the vast majority reports to be highly proficient in the use of the English language and practices it on a daily basis; as a result, 63,8% even regard English as being one of their dominant languages.

3.1.2. Instruments For the validation of the hypothesis regarding the relationship between identity and intrinsic motivation, these abstract concepts had to be operationalized. Here, the notion of identity served as the independent variable, whereas intrinsic motivation was assumed to be dependent on it; both variables were measured by 5-point-Likert scales, ranging from "strongly agree" to "strongly disagree" for determining their manifestations. In order to measure the degree of identification, this study focused on the students' attitudes towards a global English community in terms of their international posture (chapter 2.2). As indicated in a previous study by Yashima (2002: 59), this concept can be divided into the three components "intergroup approach-avoidance tendency", "interest in international activities" and "interest in foreign affairs". In this case, the original questionnaire had been slightly adapted by emphasizing the English-speaking world in this rather broad, international context; moreover, the items were reduced to a total of twelve statements to assess identification with a global English-speaking community. The second concept under investigation was that of intrinsic motivation (chapter 2.7); additionally, the extent to which the opposite was the case, had to be considered as well. For this purpose, the three dimensions "a-motivation", "extrinsic motivation" (consisting of the sub-components "external regulation", "identified motivation" and "introjected regulation") and "intrinsic motivation" (including "intrinsic motivation-knowledge", "intrinsic motivationaccomplishment", and "intrinsic motivation-stimulation") were adopted from a previous study by Khazaie and Mesbah (2014: 103). All six sub-categories as well as the dimension "amotivation" were expressed by three items each, resulting in a total of 21 statements to measure motivation.

3.2. Results: Descriptive presentation 3.2.1. Identification with English-speaking communities Regarding the participants' identification in terms of international posture, the component "intergroup-avoidance tendency" was the most significant among the three sub-categories: 6

The vast majority of 92,8% showed a positive attitude towards speakers of English by either strongly (74,5%) or at least rather agreeing (18,3%) with statements that involved interaction with English-speaking foreigners. Furthermore, three out of four participants appeared to be rather "interested in foreign affairs", whereas only few claimed to be less invested (8,8%). The results of the third category indicated that 71,5% showed "interest in foreign activities or vocations", only 7,8% did not. In addition, more than half of them (62,5%) would like to work in an international (English-speaking) context and 40% seriously consider living in an English-speaking environment. Summing up all results regarding identity, it can be said that 79,8% have rather positive attitudes towards English-speaking communities; therefore, it can be assumed that the majority of the participants is likely to consider themselves as part of it, so some degree of identification can be confirmed present.

3.2.2. Motivation In reference to motivation, only the most striking numbers of the broader dimensions of amotivation and extrinsic motivation will be presented, whil intrinsic motivation will be displayed in more detail. Presumably, students of English show a strong motivation to learn and further improve English as their L2; accordingly, 87,9% disagreed with all statements conveying a-motivation. Among the sources of external motivation, external regulation seemed to be the weakest force; in contrast, introjected regulation (such as "I think it is good for my personal development") was seen as crucial to L2 learners. Even if a total of 47,1% appeared to be extrinsically motivated (37,6% were not), this does not necessarily exclude intrinsic motivation. Thus, an even more significant percentage (74,2%) showed tendencies of intrinsic motivation, particularly the aspect of stimulation could be viewed as essential here. Intrinsic stimulation primarily refers to experiencing feelings of joy when speaking or listening to the English language (Khazaie & Mesbah 2014), which was agreed to by 81,6% of respondents. Also, the category of knowledge showed significant results with 77,5% agreeing to statements similar to enjoying "acquiring knowledge about the English-speaking communities and their way of life". Although 63,3% were motivated by the accomplishmentcategory (e.g. "accomplishing difficult exercises in English"), this aspect seemed to be less essential in comparison. In conclusion, the majority of 74,2% of the participants showed a tendency of being intrinsically motivated and only 9,6% were rather not. As pointed out above, intrinsic and extrinsic motivation are not mutually exclusive dichotomies; yet, the students of English in Austria appeared to be stronger intrinsically motivated.

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3.3. Discussion 3.3.1. Interpretation Analyzing the results described above, students of English in Austria seem to have a rather positive attitude towards English-speaking communities and are, hence, presumed to identify with them more likely. By assuming that the independent variable of identification is therefore applicable to the majority of these L2 learners, its influence on their motivation can then be examined further. As stated earlier, the large proportion appeared to be motivated by intrinsic factors, with stimulation being the most significant one, followed by desire of knowledge, and accomplishment. Although extrinsic motivation was present as well, intrinsic motivation remained to be the more dominant reason for learning English as a second language; nonetheless, it should be emphasized that these concepts are not mutually exclusive. Consequently, the high degree of identification with the L2 community can be said to influence the variability of motivation, particularly, by increasing intrinsic stimuli. However, this statement is specific to the survey in question and cannot be regarded as a generalization for all L2 learners of English.

3.3.2. Limitations For the critical discussion of the study, some contextual limitations need to be addressed in detail; for instance, the techniques of sample selection, as well as of questionnaire design and evaluation were among the issues raised. First of all, the number of participants cannot be regarded as representative for all L2 learners of English in Austria; furthermore, the sample was not truly randomized, as the online-survey was accessible to a specific group of students only. Still, the decision of focusing on this target-group can be legitimized by the assumption that the independent variable (identification) was quite likely to be present among them. Unfortunatley, a certain level of motivation to learn English could also be seen as inherently existent; however, this could just as well have been of extrinsic nature. For future research, a comparison between students of English and L2 learners without academic background in this field would be of relevant interest. Moreover, nationalities other than Austrian were represented within the responses, which was the reason why the target-group central to the research question had to be changed to "students in Austria" (instead of "Austrian students"), which made the place of residence and university the determinative aspect. Possible distortions of the results, due to different national perspectives towards English, could have been prevented by inital elimination of other nationalities from the sample.

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Other issues to discuss regard the questionnaire design; for instance, some items within the questionnaire were criticized to be expressed in non-scientific terms (e.g. section 6, question 4). However, the exact wording was found in various academic studies, so its use might be defended due to the connection to the audience that such an informal language provides. Accordingly, the vast majority of participants had no further issues with the survey design and claimed the questions to be easy to understand. Apart from that, the lack of definition when using the term "English-speaking communities" within the survey could be seen as problematic. The reason for leaving the term open to interpretation was to avoid influencing the participants by already pre-formed notions of what constitutes these communities. Although the study might have been more effective by narrowing the term to a precise characteristic of global imagined communities, an attempt to examine individual associations among people in Austria provided interesting, even if not crucial, insights. In reference to the instruments, the 5-point-Likert scale constituted a practical tool, which is used frequently in scientific surveys. When it came to evaluating the results, however, an even number of choices would have been preferred; as this would force the indifferent respodents to choose one side of the dichotomies, it might have resulted in a more straightforward interpretation of their tendencies. Furthermore, the evalutation of the results was limited to describing dominant tendencies without statistical means, so the actual correlations between the variables might not have been tested sufficiently. Thus, the question whether the majority of those who are said to identify with the English-speaking communities equals the majority that shows intrinsic motivation, remains largely unanswered. In addition, it should be pointed out that far more concepts are involved in influencing identity than that of international posture only. Consequently, further research regarding interrelated concepts of motivation, identity and the self (see chapter 2) is required in this context.

4.

Conclusion

In conclusion, it can be said that many contextual factors significantly influence the role of motivation and identity in second language acquisition. In an attempt to answer the research question on the influence of an imagined global community on the intrinsic motivation of students in Austria to learn English as a second language, positive tendencies could be revealed. As results have shown, the majority of students in Austria appear to identify as part of the global English-speaking community and, further, they show a tendency of being motivated intrinsically to learn English as an L2. Thus, the hypothesis regarding their rise of intrinsic motivation due to identification can be validated - at least within the context of this 9

survey. As various limitations need to be considered, additional research is recommended to improve the validity of the hypothesis in question. Nonetheless, this paper made a first attempt to gain insight in attitudes among students in Austria towards English-speakers as a global imagined community.

Word Count: 3.280 (Main Body only)

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V. BIBLIOGRAPHY Corder, Stephen P. 1967. "The significance of learner's errors". International Review of Applied Linguistics in Language Teaching, 5(1-4), 161-170. Dörnyei, Zoltán; Czisér, Kata. 2002. "Some dynamics of language attitudes and motivation: results of a longitudinal nationwide survey". Applied Linguistics, 23(4), 421-462. Dörnyei, Zoltán. 2009. "The L2 motivational self system". In Ushioda, Ema; Dörnyei, Zoltán. 2009. Motivation, Language Identity and the L2 Self. Bristol, UK; Buffalo, NY: Multilingual Matters, 9-42. Gardner, Robert C.; Lambert, Wallace. 1973. "Attitudes and motivation: their role in secondlanguage acquisition". TESOL Quarterly, 2(3), 141-150. Kanno, Yasuko; Norton, Bonny. 2003. "Imagined communities and educational possibilities: introduction". Journal of Language, Identity and Education, 2(4), 241-249. Khazaie, Zeinab M.; Mesbah, Zahra. 2014. "The relationship between extrinsic vs. intrinsic motivation and strategic use of language of Iranian intermediate EFL learners". Theory and Practice in Language Studies, 4(1), 99-109. Markus, Hazel; Nurius, Paula. 1987. "Possible selves: the interface between motivation and the self-concept". In Yardley, Krysia; Honess, Terry (eds.). 1987. Self and identity: psychosocial perspectives. Oxford: John Wiley & Sons, 157-172. Nayan, Surina; Krishnasamy, Hariharan N.; Shafie, Latisha A. 2014. "A cross-national study of motivation in language learning". International Journal of Information and Education Technology, 4(2), 194-197. Noels, Kimberly A.; Pelletier, Luc G.; Clément, Richard; Vallerand, Robert J. 2000. "Why are you learning a second language? Motivational orientations and self-determination theory". Language Learning, 50(1), 57-85. Norton, Bonny. 2014. "Identity and language learning: back to the future". TESOL Quarterly, 50(2), 475-479. Peng, Jian-E. 2014. "L2 motivational self system, attitudes, and affect as predictors of L2 WTC: an imagined community perspective". The Asia-Pacific Education Researcher, 24(2), 433–443. Ushioda, Ema; Dörnyei, Zoltán. 2009a. "Motivation, language identities and the L2 self: a theoretical overview". Motivation, language identity and the L2 self. Bristol, UK; Buffalo, NY: Multilingual Matters, 1-8. Ushioda, Ema; Dörnyei, Zoltán. 2009b. Motivation, language identity and the L2 self. Bristol, UK; Buffalo, NY: Multilingual Matters. Yardley, Krysia; Honess, Terry (eds.). 1987. Self and identity: psychosocial perspectives. Oxford: John Wiley & Sons. Yashima, Tomoko. 2002. "Willingness to communicate in a second language: the Japanese EFL context". Modern Language Journal, 86(1), 54-66.

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VI. APPENDIX Questionnaire Design Please note that the format of this draft differs slightly from the original one presented to the participants. This is due to further design options given online, which could not have been taken over. For the purpose of providing full insight, the survey has temporarily been reopened

and

can

be

accessed

under

the

following

link:

https://goo.gl/forms/7G8nBZkrGN8RCdt23

Additionally, a screenshot of the title page has been inserted below to give an idea of what the questionnaire looked like.

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Section 1: Title Page The Role of Motivation and Identity in Second Language Acquisition Thank you for deciding to participate! This questionnaire will take less than 10 minutes to complete.

Section 2: Information for Participants 1 My name is Sarah Kresser and I am a student of English and American studies (BA) at the University of Vienna. I am conducting this survey for my paper in Linguistics on the topic of "Second Language Acquisition".

More precisely, I am interested in the role of motivation and identity when learning English as a second language. So if English is NOT your native language, you are a suitable candidate for this study - please continue to the next page!

Section 3: Information for Participants 2 Participation is anonymous and information will not be communicated to third parties. Data will be used for scientific purposes only and will not be able to be retraced to individuals.

I would appreciate if you would complete the entire questionnaire, without interruption and in the given order. Please read the questions thoroughly and answer truthfully, to the best of your judgement.

There is no "right" or "wrong" - every answer is of relevance.

Section 4: Attitudes towards English 1 13

On a scale from 1 to 5: To what extent would you agree with the following statements? 1. I want to make friends with international students from English-speaking countries. strongly agree =

1

2

3

4

5 =

•

•

•

•

•

strongly disagree

2. I try to avoid talking to English-speaking foreigners if I can. 3. I would talk to an international student from an English-speaking country if there is one at school. 4. I wouldn't mind sharing an apartment with an international student from an Englishspeaking country. 5. I would help an English-speaker who is in trouble communicating in a restaurant or at a station. 6. I want to live in an English-speaking country. 7. I would rather stay at home. 8. I want to work in an international context. (where you would have to speak English frequently with co-workers, customers/guests or business partners from abroad.)

9. I don't think what's happening in English-speaking countries has much to do with my daily life. 10. I'd rather avoid the kind of work that would send me overseas frequently. (where English would be your main language to communicate)

11. I often read and watch the news about English-speaking countries. 12. I often talk about situations and events in English-speaking countries.

What kind of cultural elements do you associate with the English-speaking community? (These can be any sorts of consumer goods, but also any kind of media texts, customs / traditions, icons, lifestyles, hobbies, sports, music, different kinds of arts etc. - What comes to your mind immediately? Try to be specific.)

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Section 5: Attitudes towards English 2 14

How strongly would you personally associate the following countries with the context of English-speaking communities, their speakers and their cultures? Tick the corresponding field. (Remember that there is no "right" or "wrong" - just go with your guts.)

UK Spain Malta Jamaica Canada Ireland China Malaysia New Zealand Uganda Austria India Sri Lanka France Italy USA Russia Finland Australia Ethiopia

No association at all

Weak association

Rather weak association

Rather strong assosciation

Direct, strong association

No opinion

• • • • • • • •

• • • • • • • •

• • • • • • • •

• • • • • • • •

• • • • • • • •

• • • • • • • •

•

•

•

•

•

•

• • • • • • • • • • •

• • • • • • • • • • •

• • • • • • • • • • •

• • • • • • • • • • •

• • • • • • • • • • •

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(Comment: Order of rows was shuffled.)

Section 6: Why have you started (or continued) studying English as a second language? (Note: this does not only refer to English as a university subject, but to English as a second language in general)

On a scale from 1 to 5: To what extent would you agree with the following answers: 15

1. Because I have the impression that it is expected of me. strongly agree =

1

2

3

4

5 =

•

•

•

•

•

strongly disagree

2. In order to get a more prestigious job later on 3. In order to have a better salary later on. 4. I cannot come to see why I study English, and frankly, I don't give a damn. 5. Honestly, I don't know, I truly have the impression of wasting my time in studying English. 6. I don't know; I can't come to understand what I am doing studying English. 7. To show myself that I am a good citizen because I can speak English as a second language. 8. Because I would feel ashamed if I couldn't speak to my friends from the Englishspeaking community in their native tongue. 9. Because I would feel guilty if I didn't know English as a second language. 10. Because I choose to be the kind of person who can speak more than one language. 11. Because I think it is good for my personal development. 12. Because I choose to be the kind of person who can speak English. 13. For the pleasure that I experience in knowing more about the literature of the Englishspeaking community. 14. For the satisfied feeling I get in finding out new things. 15. Because I enjoy the feeling of acquiring knowledge about the English-speaking community and their way of life. 16. For the pleasure I experience when surpassing myself in English studies. 17. For the enjoyment I experience when I grasp a difficult construct in English. 18. For the satisfaction I feel when I am in the process of accomplishing difficult exercises in English. 19. For the pleasure I feel when hearing English spoken. 20. For the joyful feeling that I experience while speaking English. 21. For the satisfaction I feel when hearing English spoken by native English-speakers.

Section 7: Background information 16

Finally, some information regarding your personal background is required. Still, your data is only used for statistic means and anonymity will be granted.

Sex • male • female • other: _________________

Age ____

Education level (highest diploma or degree): • compulsory education • apprenticeship • general qualification for university entrance (e.g. Matura/Abitur, A-levels) • certificate program (e.g. 2 years of education to qualify after A levels) • BA / BSc. • MA / MSc. • PhD

University I’m not a student (anymore) • University of Vienna • other: __________________

Study Program • English and American Studies (BA)

English (Teachers’ program)

• other: __________________

Nationality • Austrian • other: __________________

Current residence 17

__________________________

Occupation / profession (in addition to being a student)

__________________________

Is your occupation related to bilingualism or languages in any way? (in addition to being a student of English)

• yes • no • not applicable

Section 8: Linguistic information For detailed evaluation, some information about your linguistic background is required.

Which languages do you know and what order did you learn them in? Language 1 (L1): _______________ Language 2 (L2): _______________ Language 3 (L3): _______________ Language 4 (L4): _______________ Language 5 (L5): _______________

At what age did you start to learn these languages? L1: _____ L2: _____ L3: _____ (optional) L4: _____ (optional) L5: _____ (optional)

In which context did you learn these languages? naturalistic instructed mixture of both (= outside of school) (= school setting) 18

L1 L2 (L3) (L4) (L5)

• • • • •

• • • • •

• • • • •

Which do you consider to be your dominant language(s)? _________________

Section 9: Language skills and habits On the scale from 1 to 5: How would you rate yourself in speaking, understanding, reading and writing in all of the languages in question? (last obligatory section)

Speaking

L1 L2 (L3) (L4) (L5)

1 = poorly proficient • • • • •

2

3

4

• • • • •

• • • • •

• • • • •

2

3

4

• • • • •

• • • • •

• • • • •

2

3

4

• •

• •

• •

5 = fully fluent • • • • •

Comprehension

L1 L2 (L3) (L4) (L5)

1 = poorly proficient • • • • •

5 = fully proficient • • • • •

Reading

L1 L2

1 = poorly proficient • •

5 = fully proficient • • 19

(L3) (L4) (L5)

• • •

• • •

• • •

• • •

2

3

4

• • • • •

• • • • •

• • • • •

• • •

Writing 1 = poorly proficient • • • • •

L1 L2 (L3) (L4) (L5)

5 = fully proficient • • • • •

How frequently do you use each of the languages in question? Never

Every year

Every month

Every week

Every day

L1

•

•

•

•

•

Several hours a day •

L2

•

•

•

•

•

•

(L3)

•

•

•

•

•

•

(L4)

•

•

•

•

•

•

(L5)

•

•

•

•

•

•

With whom do you use each of these languages?

L1 • with friends and family at home • with classmates at school / university • with colleagues at work • with strangers in public • other: ________________________

L2 • with friends and family at home • with classmates at school / university • with colleagues at work 20

• with strangers in public • other: ________________________

(L3) • with friends and family at home • with classmates at school / university • with colleagues at work • with strangers in public • other: ________________________



Do you switch between languages within a conversation with certain people? Never Sometimes Frequently When speaking with friends and family At school / university At work (L4) (L5)

All the time

Not applicable

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

• • •

• • •

• • •

• • •

• • •

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Do you switch between languages within a conversation when talking about certain matters? Neve r

Sometimes

Frequentl y

All the time

Not applicable

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

When speaking about neutral matters When speaking about emotional matters

Section 10: End of Survey This survey has hereby been completed. Thank you for your time!

Feedback (optional)

On a scale from 1 to 5: As how intelligible would you rate the phrasing of the previous questions?

very easy to understand =

1

2

3

4

5 =

•

•

•

•

•

very difficult to understand

Do you have any further suggestions for improving this questionnaire? Can you think of relevant aspects that should have been considered in more detail? -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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Your answers have succesfully been received. Thank you for participating! :)

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