Motivation and identity in a class of young EFL students in Taiwan: Effects of participating in an e-mail exchange with native English speaking students.
Abstract This dissertation focuses on motivation and identity in language learning by studying a class of young (elementary school) EFL learners in Taiwan. The students participated in an e-mail exchange program with a group of similarly aged native speaking students in England. The e...
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| Format: | Dissertation (University of Nottingham only) |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
2014
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| Online Access: | https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/28234/ |
| Summary: | Abstract
This dissertation focuses on motivation and identity in language learning by studying
a class of young (elementary school) EFL learners in Taiwan. The students
participated in an e-mail exchange program with a group of similarly aged native
speaking students in England. The exchange offered the students a more stimulating
way of using their English than their conventional classes, and afforded them the
opportunity of communicating with a group of native speakers that was not present
in their usual EFL environment. The effects of this exchange on student motivation
and identity, with a particular emphasis on Dörnyei’s L2 Motivational Self System
were investigated. The results suggest that the students gained confidence through
the exchange and that their vision of their Ideal L2 Self was strengthened. The
results also support the view that autonomy, motivation and identity are interrelated. |
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