UROP Project
Beyond the chronological age: The impact of subjective age on L2 motivation and working memory among L2 language learners aged over 60 years old
subjective age, L2 motivation, working memory,
Research Mentor: Dr Wenxiao Li ,
Department, College, Affiliation: Educational Psychology, Education, Health, and Human Sciences
Contact Email: wl20bb@fsu.edu
Research Assistant Supervisor (if different from mentor):
Research Assistant Supervisor Email:
Faculty Collaborators:
Faculty Collaborators Email:
Department, College, Affiliation: Educational Psychology, Education, Health, and Human Sciences
Contact Email: wl20bb@fsu.edu
Research Assistant Supervisor (if different from mentor):
Research Assistant Supervisor Email:
Faculty Collaborators:
Faculty Collaborators Email:
Looking for Research Assistants: Yes
Number of Research Assistants: 2
Relevant Majors: Open to all majors
Project Location: On FSU Main Campus
Research Assistant Transportation Required: Remote or In-person: Partially Remote
Approximate Weekly Hours: 5, Flexible schedule (Combination of business and outside of business. TBD between student and research mentor.)
Roundtable Times and Zoom Link:
Number of Research Assistants: 2
Relevant Majors: Open to all majors
Project Location: On FSU Main Campus
Research Assistant Transportation Required: Remote or In-person: Partially Remote
Approximate Weekly Hours: 5, Flexible schedule (Combination of business and outside of business. TBD between student and research mentor.)
Roundtable Times and Zoom Link:
- Day: Tuesday, September 1
Start Time: 12:00
End Time: 12:30
Zoom Link: https://fsu.zoom.us/j/2958140910
Project Description
With a mixed-method design, this study therefore investigated how age identity influenced elderly’s L2 motivation (i.e, L2 self, ought-to L2 self, and anti-ought-to self) and (perceived) working memory. A questionnaire, adapted from established frameworks (Dörnyei, 2009; Thompson, 2021; Vallat-Azouvi et al, 2012), was distributed among 120 elderly L2 learner from China and the US respectively. Later, complementary qualitative data were obtained through semi-structured interviews. Noticeably, due to the different perspective of aging in various cultures, this study also involves a culture perspective, which was emphasized in the later semi-structured interview as well.The regression analysis from the preliminary study showed that age identity outperformed chronological age in predicting both their L2 motivation and perceived working memory. The thematic analysis further indicated the crucial role of cultural factors on their motivation and approaches to manage learning-related challenges.
Research Tasks: data analysis
Skills that research assistant(s) may need: SPSS, basic statistic knowledge preferably in relation to regression and SEM
Mentoring Philosophy
My mentoring philosophy is centered on creating a collaborative, inclusive, and mentee-centered research environment. As an international scholar with a background in second and foreign language teaching and research, I understand that students enter research environments with different academic experiences, cultural backgrounds, communication styles, and levels of confidence. Therefore, I believe effective mentoring begins with respectful and flexible communication. I aim to create an environment in which students feel comfortable asking questions, expressing their ideas, and viewing themselves as meaningful contributors to the research process.I also believe undergraduate research should be hands-on. Rather than limiting students to isolated or routine research tasks, I provide mentees with opportunities to experience multiple stages of the research process, including reviewing and synthesizing literature, developing research materials, collecting and organizing data, coding and analyzing data, interpreting findings, and preparing research for dissemination. Through these experiences, students can better understand how individual research activities connect to larger research questions and gradually develop the confidence and skills needed to work more independently.
At the same time, I want research to be an engaging and enjoyable learning experience. I therefore emphasize clear expectations, structured tasks, frequent communication, and collaboration while adjusting the level of guidance according to each mentee's experience, interests, and goals. Ultimately, my goal as a mentor is not simply to teach students how to complete research tasks, but to help them develop confidence, curiosity, and a sense of ownership in the research process.