International Perspectives on Motivation ― Language Learning and Professional Challenges

The global importance ascribed to English might lead us to assume that the need to learn English is unquestionable and that therefore student motivation is not a problem. In reality, however, local classroom experiences and practices suggest that issues of student (and teacher) motivation are high on the agenda despite or rather because of the significant status English has in educational policy and curricula, high stakes gatekeeping exams and the professional job market. This book brings together motivation-related practical concerns and debates from diverse international contexts and educational settings, and from the perspective of writers who are practitioners as well as researchers. The collection shows how these locally produced insights and issues can have wider global significance, resonating with the experiences and concerns of English teachers and learners across the world. Each chapter concludes with selected 'engagement priorities' offering pointers for discussion and exploration for teachers and teacher educators.

EMA USHIODA is Associate Professor in the Centre for Applied Linguistics at the University of Warwick, UK. She has been working in language education since 1982. Her main research interests are language motivation, learner autonomy, sociocultural theory and teacher development, and she has given numerous talks, in-service courses and workshops for language teachers from different parts of the world. She has also published widely, particularly on the topics of motivation and autonomy. Book publications include Learner Autonomy 5: The Role of Motivation(Authentik, 1996); Motivation, Language Identity and the L2 Self(co-edited with Zoltan Dornyei, Multilingual Matters, 2009); Teaching and Researching Motivation(co-authored with Zoltan Dornyei, Pearson Education, 2nd edition, 2011).