English Learning Motivation of Korean Local University Students

The purpose of this study is to examine the motivational aspects of Korean local university students who are taking the required English course in three different levels. A total of 784 students participated in this study and answered the Questionnaire asking about students' L2 learning motivation. Five motivational components that are most often discussed in L2 motivational research are investigated: Integrativeness, Promotion - based Instrumentality, Prevention- based Instrumentality, Ideal L2 Self, and Ought- to L2 Self. Learners' Motivated Learning Behavior is used as a criterion measure. Out of the five scales, Integrativeness showed the highest mean values in all three levels. The beginner s tudents had high Prevention- based Instrumentality compared to other levels. The correlation analysis among the motivational scales shows that Prevention- based Instrumentality and Ought- to L2 Self were highly correlated and Integrativeness and Ideal L2 Self also showed high correlation. Even though the students showed the highest mean value in lntegrativeness, the motivational scale that predicts the beginner and intermediate students' motivated learning behavior most strongly was Ideal L2 Self and for the advanced students Promotion- based Instrumentality was the strongest predictor of students' motivated learning behavior.