Linking motivation and pedagogy: The case of newly-arrived Hong Kong students

Many studies have investigated the topic of motivation to leam English from among Chinese students, including the impact of different social factors (e.g., teachers and parents); however no studies have yet examined which particular motivational components exhibit primary influence. This paper therefore endeavours to fill this research gap by pinpointing which particular factors most motivate newly-arrived Hong Kong (TMAHK hereafter) students to leam English by adopting a quantitative paradigm. A questionnaire was designed based on an adaptation of Dörnyei's motivational framework. This study focuses on students who had arrived in Hong Kong from Mainland China to unite with their families over the past 10 years. As a result of analysing how specific aspects of certain motivational factors influenced leaming, a relevant pedagogy for NAHTC students can now be advised. Results show that social integration and desire for success were the most influential motivational sub-components for this particular group of English language students. Copyright © 2012 De La Salle Univers-Sty, Philippines.