Beyond achievement goals: How different goals drive second language learning and achievement

2025/06/30 by Jiajing Li, Norman B. Mendoza, Ronnel B. King · 1 voice
Psychology · Social Sciences · #Education, Achievement, and Giftedness #Early Childhood Education and Development #School Choice and Performance

paper · pdf · doi:10.14746/ssllt.48242

openalex publication_date 2025/06/30 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/18

Abstract

Goals are central to understanding how students learn a second language. Much of the existing research on goals in the field of language learning has focused exclusively on achievement goals, particularly mastery and performance goals. However, exclusively focusing on achievement goals precludes language researchers from exploring other important types of goals such as work avoidance, social, and personal best goals. Furthermore, other key theoretical perspectives, such as goal content, goal-setting, and goal-complex approaches, are neglected in second language learning research. Hence, the paper aims to: (1) introduce second language researchers to other goal perspectives that might be useful to understanding language learning, such as achievement goal, goal content, goal-setting, and goal complex approaches, (2) provide theoretical insights into how different goal theories can advance language learning research and (3) offer practical implications for language researchers and teachers on how to harness goal-related insights, ideas, and models to improve students’ language learning.

Citations

• Relevance of goal theories to language learning research
• Language Learning Motivation as a Complex Dynamic System: A Global Perspective of Truth, Control, and Value
• Engaging Language Learners in Contemporary Classrooms
• Teaching and Researching Motivation
• Goal Complexes: a New Approach to Studying the Coordination, Consequences, and Social Contexts of Pursuing Multiple Goals
• The piranha problem: Large effects swimming in a small pond
• The origins, evolution, and future directions of achievement goal theory
• Motivation and social cognitive theory

Discussions

• While achievement goals have been researched heavily in the context of second language learning, there are also other types of goals that are equally crucial in studying how students learn a second la [bsky, 0 points, 0 comments]