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Self-determination and Motivated Engagement in Language Learning

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The Palgrave Handbook of Motivation for Language Learning

Abstract

This chapter provides an overview of self-determination theory (SDT), and reviews how it has been incorporated in second language learning research to better understand language learning motivation. Findings from 20 years of empirical studies generally support the premises of SDT, although there are noteworthy gaps in this body of research regarding the motivational process across learners’ ages and ethnolinguistic contexts, as well as regarding the dynamic, time-nested nature of the process. The chapter ends by suggesting future directions for theory development, quantitative and qualitative research, and interventions for teaching.

The manuscript was funded by an Insight Grant from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada to Kimberly Noels. The authors are grateful to Ana Kovic, Jayasree Narayanan, and Joshua Katz for their research assistance.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada

    Kimberly A. Noels, Nigel Mantou Lou, Kathryn E. Chaffee, Ying Shan Doris Zhang & Xijia Zhang

  2. Université Laval, Quebec, QC, Canada

    Dayuma I. Vargas Lascano

  3. Erzincan Binali Yildirim University, Erzincan, Turkey

    Ali Dincer

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  1. Kimberly A. Noels
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  2. Nigel Mantou Lou
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  3. Dayuma I. Vargas Lascano
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  4. Kathryn E. Chaffee
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  5. Ali Dincer
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  6. Ying Shan Doris Zhang
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  7. Xijia Zhang
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Correspondence to Kimberly A. Noels .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. School of Education, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK

    Martin Lamb

  2. Faculty of Humanities, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary

    Kata Csizér

  3. Department of Social and Behavioural Studies, University West, Trollhättan, Sweden

    Alastair Henry

  4. School of Culture, Media and Society, Waseda University, Tokyo, Japan

    Stephen Ryan

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Noels, K.A. et al. (2019). Self-determination and Motivated Engagement in Language Learning. In: Lamb, M., Csizér, K., Henry, A., Ryan, S. (eds) The Palgrave Handbook of Motivation for Language Learning. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-28380-3_5

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