Open Session
[Zoom] This session is open to anyone
Short Presentation
Motivating Factors in Japanese University EFL Students: A Mixed Method Approach
This presentation reports on an investigation of ESL/EFL learning motivation focusing on two factors: instrumental motivation and integrative motivation. The research design followed a mixed-method, two-phase exploratory approach to collect data from students at 4-year universities (private and public) in Hiroshima, Japan. For the quantitative data, this study utilized a 14-item questionnaire that was adapted from Gardner (see Zanghar, 2012). For the qualitative analysis, semi-structured interviews were conducted, which asked 17 open questions (designed by the author) to elicit more details on their ESL/EFL experiences. The presenter will explain the results and discuss the Japanese attitudes towards ESL/EFL learning and motivation.
TAKAHIRO SHINYA is an educator and a researcher specializing in ESL/EFL education. His research focuses on L2 motivation and intercultural understanding. Takahiro taught ESL in Thailand for 7 years after teaching English at a junior high school in Japan for 3.5 years. Prior to those experiences, he taught Japanese to adults in Nepal for 3 months. Takahiro completed his master’s degree in Finland in 2021 where he chose to look at Finnish education and their attitudes and behaviors toward learning and speaking English.