Gender, Self-Motivating Strategies Use and Foreign Languge Grade

Abstract

There is a need empirical data concerning gender differences in students` self-regulation of foreign language learning motivation. Therefore two research problems were formulated: do male and female foreign language learners differ in terms of self-motivating strategies use? Is foreign language grade related differently with foreign language learning motivation and self-motivating strategies use in men and women? Two instruments were constructed: Self-motivating Strategies Inventory consisting of 27 items measuring planning (alpha=0,77), focusing attention (alpha=0,73), generating positive emotions (alpha=0,73) and imagining consequences of actions (alpha=0,69) and Foreign Language Motivation Scale (alpha = 0,70). Data were collected from upper secondary school and university students (182 women and 113 men). The results showed that men significantly less frequently than women use self- motivating strategies such as: planning learning [t =3,58; p<0,001], focusing attention on learning [t =2,93; p<0,010;] and visualizing consequences of one`s actions [t=4,37; p<0,001]. Foreign language motivation proved to be a significant mediator in the relationship between self-motivating strategies use and foreign language grade in men (Sobel`s test p< 0,010) but not in women. Male students with low foreign language motivation who rarely used self-motivating strategies had lower average foreign language grade than male participants from remaining three subgroups characterized by: low foreign language motivation and frequent self-motivating strategies use (p<0,02), high foreign language motivation and rare self-motivating strategies use (p<0,01) as well as high foreign language motivation and frequent self-motivating strategies use (p<0,01). Practical conclusions from the research concerning foreign language teaching will be presented.



Author Information
Anna Studenska, University of Silesia, Poland

Paper Information
Conference: ACLL2013
Stream: Language Learning

This paper is part of the ACLL2013 Conference Proceedings (View)
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To cite this article:
Studenska A. (2013) Gender, Self-Motivating Strategies Use and Foreign Languge Grade ISSN: 2186-4691 – The Asian Conference on Language Learning 2013 – Official Conference Proceedings https://doi.org/10.22492/2186-4691.20130202
To link to this article: https://doi.org/10.22492/2186-4691.20130202


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