Perceived obligation and language learning motivation: a preliminary inquiry into the individual versus group obligation orientations of Japanese EFL high school students and their motivation to learn English

Language learning motivation has been a topic of interest for researchers and teachers alike for several decades, but the theoretical grounding and most subsequent research has been concentrated in Western second language learning contexts using a framework that effectively recognizes only two kinds of motivation. Research that breaks away from this framework and examines motivation in non-Western foreign language learning contexts are few indeed. Because past studies into the motivation of language learners has been conducted mostly in the West, they are often based on Western assumptions, one of which being that the learner is an individualist. However, cultures in the East are based on collectivistic principles where the progress of the individual is often not as important as the progress of the group. Researchers have yet to explore collectivists’ approaches to language learning and their motivation orientations. This study, in attempt to expand the currently popular motivational framework, used a questionnaire and a series of interviews with Japanese high school seniors and English teachers in order to gain an understanding of the language learning motivation these students possess and if they are competitive and hence more individualistic as they try to gain ability to pass their university entrance examinations or if they remain collectivistic and are cooperative with their classmates in their language learning endeavors. Results indicate that Japanese high school seniors are overall instrumentally motivated because the closest goal at hand is their passing the examinations. However, these students often have other long-term goals for their language learning but are unable to concentrate on them because of the importance of the examinations. Also because of the examinations, the students in general become individualistic in their approach to language learning and will seek ability to pass the examinations, thereby becoming competitive with their classmates, yet they will not lose their cooperative stance toward others and will maintain their friendships despite the competition they encounter.