Role of Social Networks, Attidude, and Motivation in Informal Foreign Language Learning: A Case Study of the Tourism Industry in Mombasa County, Kenya

The current paper investigates the predictive values of five independent variables including attitude, motivation, social networks, and problems encountered during the process of informal language learning. These values were calculated based on the dependent variable, that is, the scores on Test de Niveauenfrançais (TNF) of the informal learners of French working in the tourism industry in Mombasa, Kenya. A quantitative descriptive survey design was used. Data was collected through a set of three questionnaires and TNF was administered to 45 informal learners of French working in different tourism sectors in Mombasa County. The results revealed that instrumental motivation and interest in the language were the most significant predictors of the TNF score of the respondents. A multiple linear regression model was used to estimate the predictive value of social networks, attitude, and motivation in informal language learning. The results revealed a significant combined effect of variables on foreign language mastery. Furthermore, the results also revealed that the sum effect of the remaining social network variables on the respondents’ mastery of French was not significant. We discovered a highly positive correlation between learners’ social networks and their mastery of the language. Network density was found to be the most significant predictor when all the social network variables were factored into the model. In the first step, it was determined that the respondents’ initial proficiency level and the percentage of native French speakers in their network were the most significant predictors of French language mastery. The second step added overall size and density in the model and they were found to be significant as well. Finally, it was concluded that informal foreign language learning seems to be a viable model of language learning that should be given attention by stakeholders in the tourism industry. Keywords: attitude, French language competence, motivation, informal language learning, social network