A COMPARISON OF VIETNAMESE STUDENTS’ FIRST FOREIGN LANGUAGE LEARNING MOTIVATION AND SECOND FOREIGN LANGUAGE LEARNING MOTIVATION: A CASE OF A UNIVERSITY IN HO CHI MINH CITY

Abstract

The article compared Vietnamese students’ first foreign language learning
motivation and second foreign language learning motivation. The article conducted a survey
using a questionnaire with 45 students of Business Administration (English program) of a
university in Ho Chi Minh City. The results show that students’ first foreign language have
a higher learning motivation than their second foreign language. On the language level, the
first foreign language’s learning motivation is mainly the desire to realize self-worth, the
second foreign language’s learning motivation is mainly the request of others. On the learner
level, students make efforts to learn the first and second foreign languages mainly because of the expectations of their parents. On learning situation level, students’ interest in learning the
first foreign language is determined by their learning results, learning quality and classroom
atmosphere, students’ interest in learning the second foreign language is determined by the
teacher and the classroom atmosphere.