Examining the relationship between motivational orientations and academic achievement in language learning: The cases of Iranian learners of French and Chinese learners of Persian

The aim of this study is to investigate the status of motivational orientations (extrinsic, intrinsic, amotivation) and their subspecies, based on the theory of self-determination and their relationship with academic achievement in two groups of language students and Learners. Subjects include a group of 48 Iranian learners of French language and another group of Chinese learners of Persian language. Noels' The Language Learning Orientations Scale (LLOS-IEA) was utilized to collect the data. For examine the research questions and hypotheses, some statistical tests were performed: Kolmogorov-Smirnov tests, one-sample t-test, correlation tests and linear regression to, and independent t-test. The analyses were performed by SPSS.22 software. The results indicate that both groups are at the desired level of internal and external motivation and are not motiveless. Also, the motivational regulations of Knowledge, Accomplishment, Stimulation, and identified regulation in both groups are at a good level, but the t-test is not significant for introjected regulation. External regulation is also effective among Persian learners and ineffective among French learners. Also the results show that there is a significant correlation between the three variables of motivation and academic achievement of these learners. Comparing orientations of the two groups shows that French learners have a stronger internal motivation, while the external motivation of Persian learners is more than the other group.