A Longitudinal Study of Motivation in Foreign and Second Language Learning Context

Abstract

Although motivation has been one of the most commonly studied subjects in second and foreign language learning in recent decades, it still remains an enigma for learners and teachers. This longitudinal study aimed to follow a student (N=1) studying German in both second and foreign language environment for three years. The study was descriptive, idiographic and phenomenographic in nature with the support of interpretive phenomenological analysis. Interview and diary methods were used to collect data about the nature of motivation of the participant. The study contained seven dimensions of motivation to interpret the data. The results showed that the participant was adversely affected by lack of linguistic self-confidence and the problem of milieu and that an individual’s own efforts to reach high motivation might be insufficient without taking external factors into consideration. It was also found that a long observation of motivation has a dynamic, chaotic and complex nature.