Vogiatzis, Thomas;
(2024)
Motivation in British adult learners of Greek as a foreign language: a Case Study analysis of adult learners at a language centre in London.
Doctoral thesis (Ph.D), UCL (University College London).
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Abstract
This study investigates the complexities faced by British adult learners studying Greek at a language institution in London. It aims to explore the intersection between learners’ motivation and sociological factors, contributing to the limited research on adult foreign language acquisition, particularly Greek. The research focuses on how learners perceive their motivation as well as the sociological factors that affect their language learning journey. The study employs a qualitative Case Study methodology to provide in-depth descriptions of participants' Greek learning experiences. It focuses on how learners perceive the development of their autonomy, competence, and relatedness, and how these perceptions, influenced by sociological factors, contribute to their success or challenges in learning Greek. Participants’ insights revealed the central role of satisfying psychological needs in fostering motivation and overcoming barriers posed by socio-economic conditions and other sociological factors. The findings reinforce Ryan and Deci’s claim that intrinsic motivation emerges when learners’ psychological needs — autonomy, competence, and relatedness — are adequately fulfilled. However, social and economic struggles often pose challenges to maintaining motivation. The study identifies the need for relatedness playing a critical role in the satisfaction of the other two needs in some cases, highlighting the interconnectedness of these psychological factors. Motivation, when nurtured through the satisfaction of these interconnected psychological needs, enables learners to overcome external struggles and achieve optimal language learning outcomes. This research emphasises the importance of designing person-centred language programs that account for learners’ backgrounds, motivations, and needs and calls for further research into British adult language learning to better understand the motivational struggles British adult learners face.
| Type: | Thesis (Doctoral) |
|---|---|
| Qualification: | Ph.D |
| Title: | Motivation in British adult learners of Greek as a foreign language: a Case Study analysis of adult learners at a language centre in London |
| Open access status: | An open access version is available from UCL Discovery |
| Language: | English |
| Additional information: | Copyright © The Author 2024. Original content in this thesis is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0) Licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/). Any third-party copyright material present remains the property of its respective owner(s) and is licensed under its existing terms. Access may initially be restricted at the author’s request. |
| UCL classification: | UCL UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Education UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Education > UCL Institute of Education UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Education > UCL Institute of Education > IOE - Curriculum, Pedagogy and Assessment |
| URI: | https://discovery-pp.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10199733 |
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