L2 English Pronunciation Motivation among Spanish Young Learners: A Focus on CLIL and Gender

Abstract

Research on young learners’ motivation in second language (L2) acquisition has expanded considerably, yet pronunciation-specific motivation remains largely overlooked, particularly in Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) contexts. At the same time, gender has frequently been claimed as a source of variation in L2 motivation and pronunciation attainment, although recent evidence from primary-school CLIL settings suggests that such differences may be far less pronounced than traditionally assumed. This study compares English pronunciation motivation across CLIL and non-CLIL programs in Spanish primary education learners and between boys and girls within each type of instruction. A total of 337 pupils in Grades 3 and 4 from five semiurban schools in a monolingual region of northern Spain (3 CLIL, 2 non-CLIL) completed a 38-item questionnaire designed to capture a broad range of motivational dispositions relevant to pronunciation learning. An exploratory factor analysis identified a reliable 36-item, 7-factor structure consisting of intrinsic motivation, extrinsic motivation, ideal L2 self, ought-to L2 self, learning experience, informal engagement, and self-efficacy. Nonparametric tests were used for between-sample comparisons and for inspecting intragroup motivational hierarchies. Results showed high pronunciation motivation across the sample and no statistically robust differences between CLIL and non-CLIL learners or between boys and girls in any motivational factor. Across all subsamples, extrinsic motivation and self-related future aspirations were the highest scored components, whereas self-efficacy and informal engagement were consistently the weakest. These findings suggest that, in this context, pronunciation motivation is predominantly externally oriented and does not appear to differ substantially by moderate-intensity CLIL exposure or gender. The study argues that the low curricular visibility of pronunciation may limit opportunities for instructional models or individual differences to exert an effect, highlighting the need for more explicit and engaging pronunciation pedagogy in both CLIL and non-CLIL classrooms.