“Same” or “Different”? A Comparative Examination of Classroom Factors in Second Language Settings

Abstract: Although research in the field of second language learning and the practice of foreign language teaching are increasingly predicated on the recognition of individual learner differences, only limited attention has been given to the question whether language learners display significant fluctuations over time in terms of, for instance, attitudes, behaviors, or perceptions concerning their language learning motivation, and whether any such “fluctuations” indicate significant shifts in the learner profile. Nor has there been much significant research dedicated to the question whether language learners differ in their behavior or attitudes towards or perceptions of the second language (L2) classroom depending on their learner or proficiency level or the language they are learning. Although there is thus a tendency in L2 motivation research to emphasize commonalities rather than differences over time and over different L2 learning settings, the present study undertakes to examine whether and to what extent significant differences exist between learners of French, German, and Spanish with respect to a range of motivational or motivation‐related factors and whether the factor time has any significant effect in this. Although the emerging “learner group profiles” confirm stability rather than change, and similarities rather than differences, the findings nevertheless highlight some differences across languages that seem to suggest that while similarities across groups may prevail in a specific socioeducational setting, certain elements of the L2 learning project are of greater immediacy to the learner than others and may thus be more susceptible to variation depending on which language is learned. Such areas may therefore require the particular attention of the teacher and the adjustment of universaiist assumptions about foreign language learning to a language‐specific context.