How do Heritage Language Learners Perceive their Language?

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to investigate affective factors, including language attitudes and learning motivation, and behavioural factors, of ethnic Korean students attending a Korean school in Japan and whose dominant language is mainly Japanese. In regard to behavioural factors, in this paper as in previous studies, it was observed that the figures declined with generation of descent. On the other hand, in regard to affective factors, it was observed that third generation speakers maintained their motivation and that their attitude towards the heritage language was at least as positive as that of the previous generation. This result indicates that behavioural and affective factors do not necessarily decline at the same time. In addition, we found that female students were more superior to male students in most of the factors related to learning. This superiority appears to be a result of the difference in expectations with regard to social behaviour. Furthermore, we tentatively assume that the relationship between language attitudes and learning motivation is one of cause and result. The result of a path analysis indicates that motivation towards learning the heritage language is derived from the subconscious. Moreover, of the affective factors, the factors of 'interest, concern, identity' and that of 'integrative, intrinsic motivation' were found to be essential for an individual to make progress in learning the heritage language.