A Survey of the Foreign Language Learning Motivation among Polytechnic Students in China

A Survey of the foreign language (English, French and Japanese) learning motivation among polytechnic students in China has been made.In the Study I (English learning motivation); participants are 200 freshmen from Shenzhen Polytechnic, Guangdong province.Descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, multiple regression, independent t-test, and ANOVA were conducted.Results indicate that: students study English for integrative, instrumental, and requirement reasons; orientations are predictors of learners' motivation; positive English learning or using experience of other family members increases students' motivation, and students with higher entry exam scores also demonstrate higher motivation.In the Study II (French and Japanese learning motivation), interviews were conducted with 70 first-year students.After similar questionnaire and same analysis method like the Study I, it was found that both groups share more characteristics than they differ in the process learning a second language.The main difference in integrative orientation is greater in French & Japanese than English.