The current study seeks to understand the multi-faceted desires of language learners through the theoretical lens of imagined communities (Norton, 2001). Particularly, the study focuses on the learners of Korean language—one of the less commonly taught languages in the U.S. that has received relatively less attention in previous literature on second language motivation. The study analyzed and compared the narratives told by eleven Korean language learners in a post-secondary language program, and identified four types of imagined communities: Communities of K-pop Culture, Communities of Professionals, Communities of Korean Family and Relatives, and Communities of ethnic Koreans. The study found that these imagined communities were not restricted to a specific region or an ethnic group but encompassed various populations connected through the use of Korean language. The study also found variability within what has been readily labelled as heritage motivation (or motivation related to heritage), as well as striking differences between heritage language learners and non-heritage language learners in terms of their scope of imagination. (University of Pennsylvania)
1. Introduction
2. Second Language Learning Motivation and Imagined Communities
3. Korean Language Learners in Post-secondary Institutions in the U.S.
4. Methodology
5. Results
6. Discussion
7. Conclusion and Implications
References