ERIC Number: EJ1154124
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2017
Pages: 15
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1750-1229
EISSN: N/A
Looking Back, Looking Forward, Living in the Moment: Understanding the Individual Temporal Perspectives of Secondary School EFL Learners
Begic, Ines; Mercer, Sarah
Innovation in Language Learning and Teaching, v11 n3 p267-281 2017
Every individual has a different perspective on time, known as "temporal perspective". A person's orientation and attitude towards time can have a profound effect on their behaviour and motivation. In Second Language Acquisition, a variety of work has considered learners and their behaviours from various temporal perspectives. However, to the best of our knowledge, there has been hardly any research explicitly examining the temporal perspectives of language learners. Given the profound effect these perspectives may have on how learners engage with present learning experiences, interpret their pasts, set goals and are motivated, we consider it important to introduce this variable into understandings of language learner psychology, especially in regard to discussions of learner motivation. In this study, we report on a questionnaire designed to capture the time orientations and attitudes of EFL learners towards their English language learning. Data were collected with secondary school pupils in Austria and Croatia and reveal some of the variations in two key dimensions of temporal perspectives as well as the need for domain-specific considerations in this area. The paper closes with a discussion of the implications of the study's findings for pedagogical practice and future research.
Descriptors: Time Perspective, English (Second Language), Second Language Learning, Second Language Instruction, Questionnaires, Student Attitudes, Secondary School Students, Foreign Countries, Learning Motivation, Teaching Methods, Comparative Analysis, Statistical Analysis, Cross Cultural Studies
Routledge. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 530 Walnut Street Suite 850, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Tel: 215-625-8900; Fax: 215-207-0050; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research; Tests/Questionnaires
Education Level: Secondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Australia; Croatia
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A