Gardner's Model Of Foreign Language In Hong Kong

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Learning Motivation
Extensive research in language learning motivation has been conducted over the past three decades. Most early researches were conducted under Gardner’s (1985) model of foreign language acquisition and two types of language learning motivation he proposed – integrative motivation and instrumental motivation. According to Gardner (1985), a learner with integrative motivation desires to interact with speakers of the target language and to be one part of the target community, whereas a learner with instrumental motivation is usually motivated by external benefits the target language may bring, such as being qualified for higher education or gaining enhanced career opportunities.
Gardner's model has been challenged by later …show more content…

In many countries, English is a compulsory subject in primary and secondary school, and people try very hard to do well in English since being proficient in English is an important criterion for higher education admission and employment.
This is particularly true in Hong Kong, a postcolonial city of Britain. English is one of the official languages in Hong Kong and it holds a high prestige in the local society. Studies show that Hong Kong students strive for good English grade and many of them are more instrumentally motivated (e.g. Cheng, 1998; Lai, 1999; Wong, 2013). Lai (1999) identifies a strong career-related motivation of learners in Hong Kong. Wong (2013), on the other hand, finds public exam is the main motivator for students. Kirkpatrick (2010) agrees with Wong’s statement and further points out that the language policy of local tertiary institute – six out of eight government-funded tertiary institutes adapt only English as the media of instruction – adds enormous stress on secondary school students. Cheng‘s (1998) study, however, shows students also learn English for entertainment-related

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