Sociocultural Influences on Young Japanese English Learners: The Impact of Parents' Beliefs on Learning Motivation

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Bibliographic Details
Title: Sociocultural Influences on Young Japanese English Learners: The Impact of Parents' Beliefs on Learning Motivation
Language: English
Authors: Shoko Tanaka (ORCID 0000-0002-3248-8536), Osamu Takeuchi (ORCID 0000-0002-5195-992X)
Source: Journal for the Psychology of Language Learning. 2024 6(1).
Availability: International Association for the Psychology of Language Learning. 1114 W Call Street, College of Education, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL 32306. e-mail: jpll.editors@gmail.com; Web site: http://jpll.org/index.php/journal
Peer Reviewed: Y
Page Count: 15
Publication Date: 2024
Document Type: Journal Articles
Reports - Research
Education Level: Elementary Education
Descriptors: Sociocultural Patterns, English Language Learners, Motivation Techniques, Parent Influence, Parent Child Relationship, Foreign Countries, Children, Parents, English (Second Language), Second Language Learning, Parent Attitudes, Student Motivation, Correlation, Elementary School Students, Parent Participation, Personal Autonomy
Geographic Terms: Japan
ISSN: 2642-7001
Abstract: In this quantitative study, we investigated the relationships between parenting and young learners' English learning--specifically parents' sociocultural influence on elementary school children's motivation--within the framework of self-determination theory (SDT). We surveyed 212 dyads of Japanese parents and their children (8-12 years old) and used structural equation modeling to elucidate the causal relationship between parents' attitudes and children's motivation for their second language (L2) learning, which is English as a foreign language learning context in this study. We found that parental involvement in children's English education positively impacted children's perceived competence in L2 learning and their interest in other countries, improving their L2 learning motivation. This demonstrates that parental involvement is a significant predictor of young learners' L2 motivation in Japan. We also identified a discrepancy between children's and parents' perceptions. Parents believe their involvement in children's L2 learning is autonomy-supportive behavior, while children do not always perceive this. We conclude that parental involvement in children's home L2 learning supports children's learning motivation. Our final model expands the SDT framework for language learning and covers both parenting and language learning research realms, improving our understanding of how parental attitudes and behavior influence children's L2 learning.
Abstractor: As Provided
Entry Date: 2024
Accession Number: EJ1432796
Database: ERIC
Description
Abstract:In this quantitative study, we investigated the relationships between parenting and young learners' English learning--specifically parents' sociocultural influence on elementary school children's motivation--within the framework of self-determination theory (SDT). We surveyed 212 dyads of Japanese parents and their children (8-12 years old) and used structural equation modeling to elucidate the causal relationship between parents' attitudes and children's motivation for their second language (L2) learning, which is English as a foreign language learning context in this study. We found that parental involvement in children's English education positively impacted children's perceived competence in L2 learning and their interest in other countries, improving their L2 learning motivation. This demonstrates that parental involvement is a significant predictor of young learners' L2 motivation in Japan. We also identified a discrepancy between children's and parents' perceptions. Parents believe their involvement in children's L2 learning is autonomy-supportive behavior, while children do not always perceive this. We conclude that parental involvement in children's home L2 learning supports children's learning motivation. Our final model expands the SDT framework for language learning and covers both parenting and language learning research realms, improving our understanding of how parental attitudes and behavior influence children's L2 learning.
ISSN:2642-7001