Socio-economic conditions as a determinant of motivation to learn foreign languages: a research problem

Introduction. Over the past decade, the psychology of learning, including the study of foreign languages, has shifted focus from analysing individual learner characteristics to investigating the dynamic interaction between the individual and social contexts. Aim. This research aims to systematise the issues concerning the influence of socio-economic conditions on the motivation of schoolchildren and university students to learn foreign languages. Methodology and research methods. The methodological foundation of this study is a comprehensive approach, specifically a qualitative content analysis of relevant empirical studies and the classification of selected documents by topic. To identify potential directions for future research, the collected materials were analysed using a hermeneutic approach. A descriptive method, combined with elements of a systems-based approach, was employed to collect and conduct a preliminary analysis of the information. The criteria for including and excluding studies from the review, data extraction, verification of external validity, and data synthesis within the review were defined and implemented based on the methodology of C. Torgerson. Results. It has been established that researchers identify the school, family, and peers as the primary socio-economic factors influencing motivation to learn a foreign language; most studies focus on the school environment as the most stable and “convenient” context for research. Socio-economic motives, unlike purely subjective educational and professional ones, are more complex in nature, as they depend both on objective characteristics – such as contact with peers, teachers, and the school – and on subjective variables, for example, age. It has been observed that learners with a higher socio-economic status exhibit greater motivation to learn a foreign language. Furthermore, despite the active migration processes occurring in the Russian Federation, there is a complete lack of research on the motivation to learn native languages influenced by national and cultural affiliation, even though most migrant children do not speak Russian, and foreign language teaching in Russian schools relies primarily on the Russian language. Scientific novelty. The scientific novelty of this study lies in the initial systematisation of these issues. Practical significance. The practical significance pertains to addressing the problem of insufficient learner motivation to study foreign languages, which, in practice, will contribute to resolving a pressing international challenge in the field of education. 

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