This book clarifies the fundamental difference between North America-based instrumental motivation and Korea (and East Asia)-specific competitive motivation by which the EFL learners’ excessive competition to be admitted to famous universities and to be hired at a large-scale conglomerate is the main source of L2 motivation. It enables readers to understand that EFL-learning motivation reflects unique sociohistorical contexts grounded in a specific region or country. This book in turn necessitates the need to develop EFL motivation theory and research tradition which are firmly based on East Asian values and culture.   ​

Tae-Young Kim (CAU Distinguished Scholar 2014-2016) graduated from the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education of the University of Toronto (Ph.D., 2007) and from Seoul National University (M.A., 2002; B.A., 1997). He has been teaching in the Department of English Education at Chung-Ang University, Seoul, Korea since 2008. He teaches various courses related to L2 motivation, applied linguistics, and quantitative/qualitative research methods in ELT. His main area of research interest is L2 learning/teaching (de)motivation particularly in the context of English as a foreign language. He has published over 170 academic journal articles and book chapters on L2 learning motivation and co-edited a book entitled Second Language Teacher Motivation, Autonomy and Development in East Asia.