Language Learning Motivation of EFL Learners in Japan-A Cross-Sectional Analysis of Various Learning Milieus

This study explores the types of language learning motivation possessed by Japanese EFL learners from diverse learning milieus. Research on L2 motivation has long been conducted within the paradigm of social psychology. However, the revival of interest in L2 motivation in the 1990s shows a clear shift to an educational focus in which L2learners' cognitive and affective characteristics and classroom considerations have become major areas of concern. Following this trend, the present study employed a 50-item motivational questionnaire based on several motivational components from educational and social psychology. The questionnaire was administered to 1,027 participants from various learning contexts. Exploratory factor analysis confirmed six motivational factors and the follow-up multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) indicated that some factors are characteristic of certain language learning milieus, while others are common to all situations. The results are discussed in terms of the motivational characteristics of EFL learners inJapan.