Towards mastery and performance:

The stakes for the University of Ghana Language Learner

Abstract

Previous studies on the motivation of students studying foreign languages in the Ghanaian context have focused on students' perceptions about the languages they are studying and how these affect their motivation. Most of the studies showed that learners at the tertiary level are most likely to be extrinsically motivated. Although studies on students' perception of foreign language learning in recent years have gradually shifted their focus to the goals pursued by the learner, not much attention has been given to the learner's desired goals or learning orientation at the University of Ghana. This paper aims to study how students enrolled in French and Kiswahili at the University of Ghana manage their motivation regarding their learning orientation, individual goal settings, and institutional goals. The study will focus on third-year students to enable us to understand their journeys throughout their studies. Using a mixed-method approach, the study adopts items from 3 motivational orientation tools: Learning -Orientation/Grade-Orientation Scale (LOGO), Goal Orientation and Learning Strategies Survey (GOAL-S), and Patterns of Adaptive Learning Scales (PALS).