Skip to main content

Lund University Publications

LUND UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES

Foreign language perceptual curiosity : construct, measurement, and applications

Henry, Alastair LU ; Granfelt, Jonas LU orcid ; van de Weijer, Joost LU orcid and Rocher Hahlin, Celine (2025) In Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development
Abstract
Learning a language is a creative process. It involves novelty and imagination. While curiosity can be highly beneficial, research is limited. Studies so far conducted have explored epistemic curiosity as a trait-like disposition. In contrast, the current study focuses on perceptual curiosity (PC). PC is a situational response evoked by novelty, complexity and ambiguities in sensory stimulation. PC generates attention and prompts visual inspection and discovery. The purpose of the study was to develop a scale to measure PC in the context of foreign language learning. The scale was administered to a sample of 208 upper secondary students in Sweden learning a foreign language (French, German or Spanish). Reliability was assessed and... (More)
Learning a language is a creative process. It involves novelty and imagination. While curiosity can be highly beneficial, research is limited. Studies so far conducted have explored epistemic curiosity as a trait-like disposition. In contrast, the current study focuses on perceptual curiosity (PC). PC is a situational response evoked by novelty, complexity and ambiguities in sensory stimulation. PC generates attention and prompts visual inspection and discovery. The purpose of the study was to develop a scale to measure PC in the context of foreign language learning. The scale was administered to a sample of 208 upper secondary students in Sweden learning a foreign language (French, German or Spanish). Reliability was assessed and validation procedures were conducted. Results of confirmatory factor analysis revealed a one-factor structure, indicating that the FLPC scale captures a unitary phenomenon. In future research using the FLPC scale, adaptation to fit contextual circumstances, and ongoing validation are highlighted. The broader value of PC is also considered. Three areas of applied linguistics are identified: (a) younger children’s encounters, (b) orientations in linguistic landscapes, and (c) engagement with linguistic content in digital gaming. Design possibilities are discussed, and the limitations of the current research are identified. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
epub
subject
keywords
Curiosity, L2 learning, perceptual curiosity, sensory stimuli, exploratory behaviour, emotions
in
Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development
pages
15 pages
publisher
Routledge
ISSN
0143-4632
DOI
10.1080/01434632.2025.2514881
project
Motivation in Modern Languages
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
15879250-cf36-4747-ae56-1bb98b9f8a7b
date added to LUP
2025-06-17 11:47:35
date last changed
2025-06-19 16:54:30
@article{15879250-cf36-4747-ae56-1bb98b9f8a7b,
  abstract     = {{Learning a language is a creative process. It involves novelty and imagination. While curiosity can be highly beneficial, research is limited. Studies so far conducted have explored epistemic curiosity as a trait-like disposition. In contrast, the current study focuses on perceptual curiosity (PC). PC is a situational response evoked by novelty, complexity and ambiguities in sensory stimulation. PC generates attention and prompts visual inspection and discovery. The purpose of the study was to develop a scale to measure PC in the context of foreign language learning. The scale was administered to a sample of 208 upper secondary students in Sweden learning a foreign language (French, German or Spanish). Reliability was assessed and validation procedures were conducted. Results of confirmatory factor analysis revealed a one-factor structure, indicating that the FLPC scale captures a unitary phenomenon. In future research using the FLPC scale, adaptation to fit contextual circumstances, and ongoing validation are highlighted. The broader value of PC is also considered. Three areas of applied linguistics are identified: (a) younger children’s encounters, (b) orientations in linguistic landscapes, and (c) engagement with linguistic content in digital gaming. Design possibilities are discussed, and the limitations of the current research are identified.}},
  author       = {{Henry, Alastair and Granfelt, Jonas and van de Weijer, Joost and Rocher Hahlin, Celine}},
  issn         = {{0143-4632}},
  keywords     = {{Curiosity; L2 learning; perceptual curiosity; sensory stimuli; exploratory behaviour; emotions}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  publisher    = {{Routledge}},
  series       = {{Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development}},
  title        = {{Foreign language perceptual curiosity : construct, measurement, and applications}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/01434632.2025.2514881}},
  doi          = {{10.1080/01434632.2025.2514881}},
  year         = {{2025}},
}