Language learning motivation as a reflection of personal potential: The role of EU attitudes, active citizenship, employability, and informedness

This paper looks at personal potential through the prism of language learning motivation which is a multifaceted concept socially embedded and impacted by environment, politics, and cultural preferences and attitudes. From the perspective of the European Union (EU), the study explores the association between English learning motivation and four EU-related factors: attitude toward the EU, active citizenship, employability, and informedness. During November 2024 and January 2025, 231 students from the University of Slavonski Brod in Croatia, and the Novi Sad School of Business and the Faculty of Organizational Studies 'Eduka' in Belgrade in Serbia took part in the study. The findings reveal statistically significant positive correlations between motivation for learning English and four key factors. Active citizenship in the EU showed a stronger positive correlation with English learning motivation than employability. Additionally, the research confirmed the hypothesis that the level of informedness about the EU and opinion on the EU are associated with motivation to learn English.