Close Menu

Caribbean Journal of Education

A Look at Personality Motivation and Foreign Language Learning in an Officially Monolingual Content

Pages: 
26-42
Publication Date: 
January 1981
Issue: 
Abstract: 

Research and theory elaborated by Gardner specify the importance of motivation to second/foreign language acquisition and proficiency irrespective of geographical or cultural context, although the precise correlates of motivational intensity tend to vary with the particular cultural setting. Further, motivation appears to be a more significant predictor of second/ foreign language achievement in contexts where the target language is not used by a high percentage of the population. Gardner interprets the role of specific attitudes and orientations, such as the integrative and instrumental orientations, to be supporters of motivational intensity, and states that other factors, for example, personality, may contribute to the total language acquisition process. Broader theoretical review by the present author suggested the likelihood of finding relationships between personality variables and the integrative and instrumental orientations to second language learning; for example, relationships between these orientations and the personality variables of degree of psychological differentiation (field dependence vs field independence) and dogmatism. The author examined these sub-motivation relationships for 170 high-school students studying French as a foreign language in Jamaica, an officially monolingual country where French is used by an extremely small proportion of the population Analyses of variance supported three of four hypotheses. As anticipated, field dependent students scored significantly higher on the instrumental orientation than field independent students. Significant interaction effects on two of the dependent variables indicated other interesting dynamics in Jamaica Differential treatment, during foreign language teaching, of the personality types discussed is recommended subject to further confirmation of present results.

To access the journal articles, create an account and login.

Top of Page