EL Spanish language learning in the us: Exploring learners’ attitudes and motivation in two sociocultural contexts
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.32870/vel.vi8.79Keywords:
Attitudes, context, motivation, learning, SpanishAbstract
In this study, we explore the attitudes, expectations, and motivation of college-level learners of Spanish in two distinct contexts in the US: Southwest Texas and Southern Minnesota. Based on the role that Spanish plays in the current socio-cultural climate, perceptions of the language and its culture, and results from a survey questionnaire, we argue that national discourses and deeply held social beliefs about Spanish and its speakers affect, in expected and unexpected ways, students’ motivational drive to learn Spanish in formal instructional settings.
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