Chinese Language Learning Among African Foreign Students:the Relationship Between Motivational Beliefs And Language Learning Strategy Use

Language is a foremost tool for formal education. Thus, its knowledgeability is an imperative for admittance of students across the world. Without knowledge of the language of instructions, students are usually required to first undergo a period of training before the commencement of their studies. As China has become one of the major routes for foreign students, especially Africans, Chinese language learning is a prerequisite for some of these learners to proceed with their majors. However, challenges are imminent considering the different factors involved in foreign language learning. Accordingly, learners are ought to possess certain motivational beliefs and use some strategies in order for them to avoid failure or dropout.The main purpose of this study was to investigate the motivational beliefs and language learning strategy use by first year African foreign students in China who were learning Chinese as a foreign language during the academic year2012-2013. Specifically, it was intended to ascertain their preferred motivational beliefs and strategies and to examine the relationship between these beliefs and strategy use as well as investigate whether there existed gender differences in their Chinese language learning.A cross-sectional quantitative research design was adopted. A total of114participants from five renowned Universities in Wuhan, China took part in the research. As measurements, Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire (MSLQ) developed at the University of Michigan by Paul Pintrich and his colleagues (Pintrich, Smith, Garcia,&McKeachie,1991; reprinted in VanderStoep&Pintrich,2003) and Strategy Inventory for Language Learning (SILL) by Rebecca L. Oxford (1990) were employed. Data analyses were conducted using SPSS17.0.Several statistical techniques including One-way repeated-measures ANOVA, independent samples t-test, correlation analysis, and regression analysis were considered. The results showed that the motivational belief component, task value was the most preferred belief followed by self-efficacy for learning and performance. Extrinsic goal orientation was established to be the least possessed belief. For strategy use, metacognitive and social strategies were found to be the most frequently used strategies by participants, while affective strategy component was reported to be the least strategy used. The result also showed significant relationships between motivational beliefs and language learning strategies of participants. Appertaining gender, the result unearthed somewhat insignificant differences between male and female participants. Other results, in addition, indicated that58.8%of the participants think Chinese language is difficult to learn. In more results, participants’ region, SES, age, degree, funding type, and language backgrounds showed little or no significant impact relative to the two constructs. Based on the findings, a number of conclusions as well as some practical recommendations for action relative to the enhancement of Chinese language learning and education are advanced.