メリトクラシーによる日本人英語学習者の葛藤― 英語学習動機形成過程に及ぼす影響 ―

Abstract

This paper discusses the influence of meritocracy on Japanese learners of English, especially on their formation of motivation while struggling to learn. In the present study, a hypothesis was proposed that Japanese learners of English were influenced by the experiences of English classes in the process of forming their motivation as most of the learners must have received English education at secondary school. Thus, the present study investigates how the learning of English classes would influence Japanese learnersʼ belief in English and attitudes toward learning English, which would lead to the formation of their motivation. This study adopted a qualitative research methodology, and interview constituted the main research method. Seventeen Japanese university students were interviewed. The findings revealed that no interviewee was affected by the teaching methods and the assessment of English classes because their belief and attitude should have been formed by how they started to learn English, and such factors would not influence their belief or attitude. The findings suggested that the meritocracy existing in Japanese school culture, rather than English classes, influenced the learnersʼ formation of motivation, leading to their struggles in the process of learning English.