Motivational Attractor States and Dynamic Motivational Patterns among Learners of Hungarian as a Foreign Language: Insights from Learners’ Diaries

Abstract

Research on language learning motivation increasingly emphasizes its dynamic nature, yet few studies focus on less commonly taught languages. This study examines motivational patterns among international students enrolled in Hungarian language courses through the analysis of learners’ self-reflective diaries and journals. The dataset comprised journals from fourteen students collected over a five week period. Thematic coding identified seven alternating motivational states. Findings indicate that students’ motivation is primarily shaped by classroom experiences and everyday learning activities, rather than long-term integrative or professional goals. This highlights the dynamic and less stable nature of motivation, with implications for Hungarian as a foreign language teaching, and contributes to understanding motivation from a dynamic systems-perspective in the context of less commonly taught languages.