Supplementing the elementary foreign language course of study with a self-determination framework

Abstract

Teachers and teacher educators often look to the course of study (CoS) for elementary foreign languages (MEXT, 2008) for guidelines on how to conduct the newly implemented curriculum for 5th and 6th grade students. In comparison with other levels of education, the current CoS places a greater emphasis on students’ affect and motivation. In order to provide teachers with a clear theoretical framework for improving students’ motivation, this paper seeks to use the self-determination theory (SDT) of motivation to supplement the course of study. Recognizing connections between the larger motivational perspective offered by SDT and the practices and principles outlined in the CoS, teachers and researchers may develop strategies for building learning motivation and positive affect for the foreign language.