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The Role of Age as a Motivating Factor in Iraqi Immigrants‟ English Learning in Australia

International Journal of Humanities and Social Science
© 2019 by SSRG - IJHSS Journal
Volume 6 Issue 6
Year of Publication : 2019
Authors : Dr.Hassan Abdilah
10.14445/23942703/IJHSS-V6I6P115
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How to Cite?

Dr.Hassan Abdilah, "The Role of Age as a Motivating Factor in Iraqi Immigrants‟ English Learning in Australia," SSRG International Journal of Humanities and Social Science, vol. 6,  no. 6, pp. 107-113, 2019. Crossref, https://doi.org/10.14445/23942703/IJHSS-V6I6P115

Abstract:

 Iraqi families continue to migrate to Australia in significant numbers each year. These families need to learn the language of their new home. This is not an easy thing to do, even if they do have some understanding of English from their studies back home. In learning their new language there are many factors at play. It is important to understand these factors which are influencing their English learning, and age is one of them.  

This qualitative case study examines the role of age in English learning motivation within Iraqi immigrant families in Australia. The study was conducted with twelve members of three newly arrived Iraqi immigrant families who had been in Australia for less than three years. The participant group comprised young children, teenagers and adults.Semi-structured interviews involving a questionnaire were used to gather numeric data to generate the findings of this study.

The findings show that the parents and their children’s English learning motivation is not the same.The children were more motivated towards English learning than their parents. They also received more support in their learning compared to the adult learners. Another important finding is the positive correlation between the children’s motivation to master English and both their time in Australia and the growth of their social networks

Keywords:

English, Learning, Motivation, Iraqi, Immigrants, English, Learning

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