Are you interested in understanding your student motivation to learn foreign languages?
We are members of a three-year project (FY 2022-FY2025) funded by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT). We have created a questionnaire—the Linguaculture Motivation Profiler (LMP)—that identifies patterns of resistance towards language learning. We are looking for teachers who may be interested in learning more or using our instrument.
What is the Linguaculture Motivation Profiler?
The LMP is a questionnaire with 45 items (see here https://forms.gle/TkUdomngD5J5WQRD7) that identifies resistance, engagement and mixed states of students studying foreign languages. Students are often not aware of their inner feelings towards foreign language learning. They may struggle with mixed emotional states, such as “surface engagement” (e.g. I like English. It’s cool!) together with “deep resistance” (e.g. I’m not motivated. I’m a terrible language learner.). These unconscious patterns are frustrating for both teachers and students.
The LMP helps both students and teachers to better understand patterns of motivation. Students do a quick online survey in class and teachers are able to immediately share and talk about the results. This can be an excellent starting point for teachers to create syllabi or individual classes mindful of students’ needs, and encourage student reflection, discussion, or teacher interventions. The LMP can also be used during the term to see how students are perceiving their English learning over time. It can help get out of a vicious circle of sincerely wanting learning to happen even as learners struggle to feel motivated.
Want to try out the LMP?
The LMP is freely available for anyone who is interested. This also helps us gather data to gain further insights into the psychology of motivation. Please join us! To learn more and/or try the LMP contact Gabriela Schmidt at gabriela.ibaraki( at )gmail.com.
Research team: Robinson Fritz, Joseph Shaules, Sumiko Miyafusa, Gabriela Schmidt
Visit our HP: https://japanintercultural.org/linguaculture-resistance/
Research article in English
Research article in Japanese
Thanks to MEXT for supporting this research:
Project 1: Principal Investigator Joseph Shaules 17K02982 Linguaculture Resistance and its Effects on Learner Motivation https://kaken.nii.ac.jp/ja/grant/KAKENHI-PROJECT-17K02982/
Project 2: Principal Investigator Robinson Fritz 22K00714 Profiling mixed motivation: An inquiry into learner resistance and engagement in foreign language learning