PECULIARITIES OF MOTIVATION TO STUDYING A FOREIGN LANGUAGE IN YOUNGER SCHOOLCHILDREN WITH A DELAY IN MENTAL DEVELOPMENT
The following article presents the results of an experimental research that has been conducted in order to deepen the understanding of motivation in second-language learning in the case of primary school-aged children with delayed mental development. The authors provide the reader with a brief overview of the scientific papers that aim to analyse the evolution of motivation in primary school-aged learners with delayed mental development, as well as in their normally developing peers, in the process of acquiring L2. Besides, the authors offer several assessment tools, which they have combined in an original compilation designed to reveal the characteristics of motivation in second-language learning typical of primary school-aged learners with delayed mental development. Alongside this, the authors undertake an analysis of various aspects of motivation in second-language learning by detecting and determining the level of interest and commitment, evaluating the degree of learner autonomy, and identifying the dominant motives for learning, thus drawing comparisons between the primary school-aged children with delayed mental development and their normally developing counterparts.