Types of Motivation for Learning Business Foreign Language

Abstract

Knowledge of foreign languages has become a necessity for employees in the global society, therefore, learning business foreign languages is crucial for successful work and cooperation with international market. Motivation of learners is the most important factor for learning a foreign language, thus the elements of motivations influence business foreign languages learning as well. The research attempted to bridge the research gap in the field of motivation for learning business foreign languages, and demonstrate which types of motivation encourage employees in Slovene companies. 13 in-depth interviews, performed with employees in different Slovene companies, presented an intertwinement of extrinsic and intrinsic motivation for learning a business foreign language, which can be put at the central part of the continuum, i.e. the intermediate level between extrinsic and intrinsic motivation. The interviewees started attending courses in Business English or Business German because of the personal wish to gain new knowledge, to upgrade previously obtained general foreign language knowledge
or to improve their current knowledge of business foreign language. Additionally, they joined the courses due to the nature of their work and company requirements, since the company organised the courses, and they were also encouraged by their colleagues.