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Cited by 148EFL/ESL Teaching and LearningSecond Language Learning and TeachingSecond Language Acquisition and Learning

Motivation and second foreign language proficiency: The mediating role of foreign language enjoyment

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Zhang, Huiyu, Dai, Ying, Wang, Yingchong·2020·Sustainability
DOI 10.3390/su12041302
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Abstract

Inadequate research attention has been paid to the learning of a third language. For this reason, this study explores senior English major students’ learning of additional foreign languages in seven universities in Shaanxi Province, China. The study examines the relationship between the participants’ motivation and language proficiency through a questionnaire, and the collected data are analyzed using hierarchical linear regression analysis. The results identify that the participants’ instrumental and integrative motivations positively influence their second foreign language proficiency. Further analysis reveals that the connection between the participants’ motivation and language proficiency is mediated by foreign language enjoyment. These findings form the basis of our suggestions for the sustainable learning and teaching of foreign languages in universities.

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  • Prior research has found greater FLE associated with higher self-perceived competence in the target language.

    “Greater FLE in the FL class has been associated with lower foreign language anxiety (FLA; Dewaele & MacIntyre, 2016), greater willingness to communicate (WTC) in the target language (TL; Khajavy et al., 2018), higher academic achievement in the FL classroom (Jin & Zhang, 2021), and higher self-perceived competence in the TL (Zhang et al., 2020).”

    From Taking stock: A meta-analysis of the effects of foreign language enjoyment (2022) · cites this paper as Zhang et al., 2020

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Cited by

Sorted by citations

Authors
Zhang, H., Dai, Y., & Wang, Y.
Affiliations
  • Zhejiang University (CN)
  • Beijing Foreign Studies University (CN)
Corresponding author
Wang, Yingchong
ORCID
Venue
Sustainability
Publisher
MDPI AG
Published
2020-02-11
Volume
12
Issue
4
Pages
1302
ISSN
2071-1050 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.3390/su12041302
OpenAlex
W3006126147
Cited by
148
References
2
Citations by year
2026: 10 · 2025: 32 · 2024: 31 · 2023: 26 · 2022: 26 · 2021: 16 · 2020: 7
FWCI
87.32
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • Sustainability (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • RePEc: Research Papers in Economics (submittedVersion)
  • DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
Funders
  • National Natural Science Foundation of China (71872165)
  • Humannities and Social Science Research Foundation of Chinese Ministry of Education (18YJC630241)
  • Research Fund of Chinese Language Commission (YB135-95)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Arts and Humanities › Language and Linguistics › EFL/ESL Teaching and Learning
  • Social Sciences › Arts and Humanities › Literature and Literary Theory › Second Language Learning and Teaching
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Developmental and Educational Psychology › Second Language Acquisition and Learning
Keywords
second foreign language learning, third language acquisition, language learning motivation, instrumental motivation, integrative motivation, foreign language enjoyment, mediating effect, English majors, university language education, Shaanxi

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