ERIC Number: EJ1134801
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2015
Pages: 18
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-2083-5205
EISSN: N/A
Parental Visions of Their Children's Future as a Motivator for an Early Start in a Foreign Language
Rokita-Jaskow, Joanna
Studies in Second Language Learning and Teaching, v5 n3 p455-472 2015
This paper reports on the qualitative part of a project investigating parental educational aspirations as manifested by enrolling their children (aged 3-6) into very early L2 instruction. The concept of educational aspirations is widely studied in educational psychology as well as in sociology and pedagogy. In SLA, these aspirations can fit in the new framework of imagery and creating visions as they are a part of an ideal L2 self. Data analysis concludes that parental visions towards their children's achievement reflect self-efficacy beliefs; in other words, those parents who were unsuccessful foreign language (FL) learners themselves hoped that by starting early their children would learn lingua franca English well and this would help them achieve educational and vocational success, which indicates an instrumental motive. By contrast, those parents who were successful language learners were positive about their children's future plurilingual attainment, not necessarily voicing the necessity of "an early start." They believe languages contribute to overall emotional and cognitive growth, which shows more intrinsic and integrative motives. These findings suggest that the differences in ultimate FL attainment may start very early and are rooted in the social (family) context.
Descriptors: Parent Attitudes, Second Language Learning, Second Language Instruction, Self Efficacy, Cognitive Development, English (Second Language), Qualitative Research, Preschool Children, Academic Aspiration, Imagery, Emotional Development, Family Environment, Social Environment, Educational Psychology, Socioeconomic Status, Self Concept, Kindergarten, Multilingualism, Semi Structured Interviews, Foreign Countries
Adam Mickiewicz University Department of English Studies. Faculty of Pedagogy and Fine Arts, Ul. Nowy Swiat 28-30, 62-800 Kailsz, Poland. e-mail: ssllt@amu.edu.pll; Web site: http://ssllt.amu.edu.pl/
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Kindergarten; Primary Education; Early Childhood Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Poland
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A