Why Do Students Study German? Motivational Orientations and Perceptions of Success at a South African University

Data (Quan + Qual) from Honours research project re-worked into an article. The article investigates the motivational orientations of students studying German as a foreign language at a South African university and examines how different aspects of motivation relate to self-reported success. Drawing on a mixed-methods design, the study combines quantitative data from an adapted Attitude and Motivation Test Battery with qualitative data from open-ended questionnaires. Motivation is conceptualized through four dimensions: intrinsic, extrinsic, instrumental, and integrative motivation. The findings reveal that while instrumental motivation is prevalent across student cohorts, it is rarely expressed in isolation and frequently coexists with intrinsic and integrative orientations. Quantitative analyses show no strong overall relationship between motivation and self-reported success, although instrumental motivation is positively associated with perceived success, while extrinsic motivation shows a negative association. Qualitative findings indicate that students primarily define success in terms of communicative competence rather than formal assessment outcomes. The study highlights the dynamic and context-sensitive nature of L2 motivation and discusses implications for German language teaching in South African higher education.