Ema Ushioda: Language Learning Motivation: An Ethical Agenda for Research

Ushioda’s book advances an ethical agenda for research by posing a number of critical questions, not only for researchers of language learning motivation, but also for researchers in the field of applied linguistics. In this review, we share our interpretation of what the ethical research agenda advanced by Ushioda means for applied linguists and discuss challenges we may need to address to pursue it. The book consists of eight chapters. The first sets the scene for the development of an ethical agenda in language learning motivation research. In the subsequent seven chapters, Ushioda problematizes the purposes, participants, research contexts, methodological procedures, and pedagogical implications of language learning motivation research before presenting an ethical research agenda and articulating its implementation in language learning motivation research. In the introductory chapter, she asks critical questions of language learning motivation researchers in terms of ‘For what and for whom is our research?’ (p. 7)...