The last comprehensive study of the motives for studying German in Australia was conducted in
the late 1980s. The main objective of this thesis is not only to fill the gap of recent data
but at the same time to analyse the new data in the context of relevant theories of language
learning motivation. The data analysis focuses on students' demographic backgrounds their
motivation to learn German and on their expectations towards course content. Where possible
the new data is compared with former studies in order to investigate what changes have occurred
over the last two decades. It will be shown that these changes are primarily a reflection of
changes to higher education policies. Overall the thesis establishes a theoretically informed
and data-based platform for curriculum development which will assist German Studies programs in
designing their courses for the future.
