The Role of Future Self-guides in Thai University Students’ Motivation to Learn English and Chinese

Abstract

The study aimed to examine the role of future self-guides to explain Thai university students’ motivation to learn English and Chinese as well as their perceptions. The mixed method was adopted to collect both quantitative and qualitative data at a university in southern Thailand. Online questionnaires were distributed to 136 students to collect quantitative data to measure the level of students’ motivation to learn English and Chinese, the relationships between students’ English-related and Chinese-related future self-guides and the relationships between their future self-guides and motivated learning behaviors. The follow-up interviews were conducted with 15 English majors and 15 Chinese majors to collect qualitative data to investigate the students’ perceptions on their future self-guides in motivating them to learn English and Chinese. The results show that students’ motivations to learn English and Chinese were highly regulated by their future self-guides. It was found that students’ English-related and Chinese-related future self-guides were significantly different and positively correlated to each other. It was also found that Ideal Self/Own, Ideal Self/Other, Ought-to Self/Own, and Ought-to Self/Other were significantly and positively correlated with English and Chinese learning behaviors. Ideal Self/Own was the component that most correlated with motivated learning behaviors for both English and Chinese majors. The interview data revealed three major themes related to their future self-guides, i.e. the instrumental value of target languages, significant others’ expectations, and perceived self-obligations. The study concludes with pedagogical implications and recommendations for further research.