Motivation in Foreign Language Acquisition: The Case of Turkish at Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant

This study aims to determine the motivation of Russians working at Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant towards learning Turkish. The study group consists of 17 female and 19 male employees working at Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant. A mixed research method was preferred in the study, and data were collected using the Motivation Scale for Learning Turkish as a Foreign Language. The data obtained were analyzed using SPSS 22 software and content analysis techniques, and the results were discussed, tabulated, and interpreted with field experts. It was determined that the motivation of the Russians working at Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant to learn Turkish was high, and the total scores they received from the motivation scale did not differ significantly according to gender, age, educational status, place of residence, course-taking status, and language level. It has been determined that the effect of business life is high among the reasons that push Russians to learn Turkish, and that they want to learn Turkish for a better job. It is also clearly stated that the study will contribute to the literature and guide future studies.