Motivation, identity and ELF in a SA context

Abstract

In the context of Study Abroad (SA), where English has become the international language of communication, researchers have called for a more refined analysis of students’ personal motivations, and the effects that an intensified globalisation has on such. One aspect of this globalisation is the spread of English as a Lingua Franca (ELF), which has led to an exponential increase in learners of English, and has consequently changed the learner’s motivations for learning as well as the way they identify with the language. The present study investigates the motivation and identity of undergraduate Spanish-Catalan bilinguals, learning English, as well as either German or French, comparing those spending a SA in an English speaking country with those in a German or French speaking country. The thesis adopts a cross-sectional, mixed-methods approach, combining quantitative and qualitative research tools in order to gain a more detailed picture of the role of ELF in SA.