An exploration of the L2 motivation of Korean university students : a thesis presented in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Applied Linguistics at Massey University, New Zealand

Abstract

What motivates people to study language is a complex question. This study is an exploration of the motivation to learn English of a group of students at a women’s university in Seoul, South Korea. English is highly valued in Korean society and Korean students devote many hours to studying English. These facts provide a rich backdrop for this study. Both quantitative and qualitative data were collected. A questionnaire was used to provide background information and to contextualise two rounds of semi-structured interviews. The data was interpreted by applying the L2 Motivational Self System (Dörnyei, 2005, 2009), of which two of its components, the ideal L2 self and the ought-to L2 self, provided a number of insights. The findings suggest that certain characteristics of Korean culture and society have a significant effect on English language learners’ processes of goal formulation, learning behaviours and learning outcomes. For example, it was found that English is a form of cultural and linguistic capital (Bourdieu, 1977, 1984) in Korea, which has several important implications. This study attempts to address a dearth in qualitative research in the domain of L2 motivation in the Korean context and aims to further our understanding in this field.