Multilingual Selves and Motivations for Learning Languages other than English in Asian Contexts: (24 Psychology of Language Learning and Teaching)

This edited volume focuses on the experiences of individuals learning languages other than English (LOTEs) in a range of Asian contexts that have traditionally been under-represented in the literature. Aligning with the 'multilingual turn' in SLA, it views learners as individuals of a multilingual society with unique, complex, heterogenous and dynamic identities. The chapters explore the learners’ motivational trajectories, multilingual identities and their conceptualisations of the 'ideal multilingual self'. This volume enhances our critical understanding of language learning motivation through empirical findings and conceptual insights from studies of motivation in specific regions in Asia, including Greater China, Indonesia, Japan, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Pakistan and Syria. Providing insight into the multilingual identities of individuals learning LOTEs, it will appeal to students and scholars in second language acquisition, researchers in language learning motivation and policymakers in language education.

Table of Contents:
Figures and Tables Contributors Acknowledgements Abbreviations Xuesong (Andy) Gao: Foreword Chapter 1. Anas Hajar and Syed Abdul Manan: Introduction Chapter 2. Alastair Henry: Language Learning Motivation and the Multilingual Turn Chapter 3. Ning An and Yongyan Zheng: Negotiating Agentive Selves in Arabic Learning: A Case Study of Arabic Learners at a Chinese University Chapter 4. Tianyi Wang: The Construction of Ought-To Multilingual Selves and their Roles in Shaping Chinese Language Learners’ LOTE Motivation Chapter 5. Chika Takahashi: Japanese Learners’ LOTE Motivation and Persistence in Learning: Focusing on the Influence of English Chapter 6. Tae Umino: Exploring International Students' Experiences of Learning Japanese in Japan through Multimodal Language Learning Histories Chapter 7. Anas Hajar and Syed Abdul Manan: Identity, Investment and Language Learning Strategies: Voices of Undergraduate Students Learning Korean in Kazakhstan Chapter 8. Raan Hann Tan and Larisa Nikitina: Indonesian Students’ Mental Images of Portugal and their L2 Motivation Chapter 9. Stefanie Pillai and Roshidah Hassan: Multilingual Language Profiles, Perceptions and Motivations within the Context of Majoring in a Foreign Language in Malaysia Chapter 10. Muhammad Yasir Khan, Liaquat Ali Channa and Muhammad Mohsin Khan: Understanding Pakistani University Students’ Motivations for Learning Chinese in Pakistan: A Bourdieusian Perspective Chapter 11. Anas Hajar: Understanding Challenges, Strategy Use and the Ideal Multilingual Self of Internally Displaced Syrians on the Syria–Turkey Border Chapter 12. Yeji Han: L2 Selves as a Source of Emotional Discomfort: A Self-Discrepancy Perspective Chapter 13. Amy S. Thompson: Current Understandings and Future Directions in L2 Motivation Research Index

About the Author :
Anas Hajar is Associate Professor of Multilingual Education at Nazarbayev University, Kazakhstan. He is particularly interested in motivational issues in language learning and intercultural engagement and also works in the areas of internationalisation, education abroad, language learning strategies and shadow education. He is the author of International Students' Challenges, Strategies and Future Vision (Multilingual Matters, 2019). Syed Abdul Manan is Associate Professor of Multilingual Education at Nazarbayev University, Kazakhstan. His research interests include sociolinguistics, language policy and planning, mother tongue-based bi/multilingual education, World Englishes and linguistic landscapes.

Review :
This volume brings together a timely contribution from authors offering insightful perspectives on motivation from Asia. Whilst there’s a great number of studies looking at motivation with a particular regard for English learning, this new volume provides a much-needed, diverse collection examining the motivation to learn languages other than English. The fascinating reality of life for most of the world, including those living in Asian contexts, is multilingual. The contributions to this collection present imaginative narratives and compelling data that illuminate the complex motivations that drive individuals to embrace learning diverse languages and that shape their multilingual selves. Readers and scholars who, like me, think, feel, and live in numerous languages and cultures will be captivated by the insights of this rich collection. Encompassing a wide range of Asian settings and target languages, this collection offers illuminating insights into motivation and multilingualism, and the interplay of agency, self, identity, and social context. The volume is a valuable addition to the expanding field of research on motivation for learning languages other than English. ...the book is a valuable resource for researchers interested in multilingualism and the psychology of language learning in the Asian context and beyond. It should be considered as an essential read for LOTE motivation enthusiasts. In addition, it would acquaint researchers with new geographical dynamicsand educational contexts thatextend far beyond Asia. This volume sets thestage for further investigation into LOTE learners’ motivation across diverse global contexts and suggests that multilingual learners will soon become the dominant population of language motivation research.