In the Midst of Contexts Foreign Language Learning Motivation and Anxiety in Five Different Secondary Schools

Abstract

This study deals with secondary school students’ L2 learning motivation and anxiety. For the investigation of this interrelation, quantitative methods were used: students (n=1019) from five different secondary schools were surveyed. The aim of this research was to explore how individual learner differences influence L2 learning in different educational settings in Hungary, including metropolitan and elite secondary schools, vocational schools, church-run secondary schools and secondary schools in the countryside. Our results show that there are differences among the motivation levels and anxiety levels of students from different types of schools. The results also suggest that learners’ immediate learning environments have a significant impact on their attitudes towards L2 learning. This study can serve as input for the further development of teaching strategies at the institutional level: results can help different types of schools to find ways to support and aid their students’ language learning in a more effective way. The results could also serve as a starting point for further research aimed at deepening the understanding of L2 learning processes and improving L2 teaching practices.