A Descriptive Study of Kiswahili as a Foreign Language Learners ' Motivations: HUFS Case Study

Abstract

This study is a descriptive account of 40 Kiswahili as Foreign Language (KFL)students of Hankuk University of Foreign Studies in South Korea of the2009/2010 academic year. A questionnaire was administered to thesestudents, after they agreed to take part in the study. The study is guided byCohen and Dörnyei ' s (2002) process motivations and by Brown ' s (1981)traditional intrinsic and extrinsic motivations. The findings indicate that thestudents were variously motivated, although there was predominance ofactional motivations over pre- and post-actional ones. Moreover, the majorityof students were intrinsically motivated to learn KFL mainly within the globalmotivation framework, and others were integratively and instrumentallymotivated. It was concluded that, given the dynamic nature of leanermotivations, the role of a foreign language teacher is sustaining and,whenever possible, strengthening such motivations.