English Language & Literature Teaching (영어어문교육)
- Volume 17 Issue 3
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- Pages.213-235
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- 2011
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- 1226-2889(pISSN)
A Survey of Japanese University Students' Future Use of English Goal Orientations
- Uehara, Suwako (Kanagawa University) ;
- Richard, Jean-Pierre Joseph (Kanagawa University)
- Received : 2011.07.15
- Published : 2011.09.30
Abstract
The aim of this study is to present preliminary results from an ongoing large-scale study of English-language future goal orientations held by Japanese university students. The work here involves an investigation of learners in multiple disciplines, from five universities, both public and private, in the Kanto-region of Japan, and their perspective on their future use of English. The results summarize written essays on L2-goal orientations. Preliminary results indicate Japanese learners (n = 629) as a whole have disparate L2-learning goals; however, these can be summarized into four broad categories: career, personal life, study, and general; and early findings indicate that most learners (63.56%) are oriented to career or personal goal orientations, while others are oriented to study and general. These early results help us to gain a better understanding of the future goals of Japanese university learners and their views of English usage in the future.