Waack, Brittany L., authorGrim, Frédérique M. A., 1976-, advisorMalpezzi-Price, Paola, 1948-, committee memberCoke, Pamela K., committee member2007-01-032007-01-032010http://hdl.handle.net/10217/44987Text in French; title and abstract in English and French.Second language (L2) acquisition does not consist solely of vocabulary, syntax and conjugations, it is necessary that learners also have an understanding of the history, the people and the general culture in order to use the L2 well. Therefore, why do many students only acquire a superficial understanding of culture? This study focuses on the collision between culture acquisition and motivation. The research concerning motivation in the L2 is vast, but the conclusions are not clear; however, three theories form the base of current research; the socio-educational theory (Gardner 1972, 1985), the social context theory (Clément and Kruidenier, 1983) and the self-determination theory (Noels, Pelletier, Clément and Vallerand, 2003). All these theories, despite their differences, state that the motivation plays an important role in L2 acquisition. Therefore, this study with 120 participants from all levels of French, from a mid-sized university located in the West of the United states, explores the importance of motivation in the acquisition not only of the L2, but more specifically of culture. The questionnaire, used to collect the motivation and cultural knowledge of the students, was completed three times throughout the semester, but the results did not find a statistically significant link between motivation and cultural knowledge for students of French in this context. However, there were positive changes seen over the course of the semester in relation to cultural knowledge and the general attitude towards the class and the French language for the majority of participants.born digitalmasters thesesfreCopyright and other restrictions may apply. User is responsible for compliance with all applicable laws. For information about copyright law, please see https://libguides.colostate.edu/copyright.Text