This study aims to explore relationships between non-English majors’ instrumental motivation, interest, and their learning behaviors in a Korean EFL context. Two questionnaires of instrumental motivation and interest were administered to 113 freshmen who were enrolled in a language certificate program for non-English majors. Three of the respondents were invited to a semi-structured interview for in-depth understanding of their perceptions about the program and learning. Results of factor analysis showed the validity of the Promotional and Preventional Instrumentality and the Course and Task Interest as important factors. Pearson correlation and regression analysis were carried out on the data. Results showed that the instrumental motivations were positively correlated with the interest factors and learning behaviors. While instrumental motivations were predictors for learners’ intended effort, learners’ interest in course predicted their achievement test score. The findings suggest that characteristics of context and strong obligations of non-English majors might affect their motivation, interest, and learning behaviors. Limitations and implications of the study were also discussed.

Concerning the education imbalance on foreign languages in korea, this study suggests the development of a systematic way to test the German language proficiency. For English, Japanese, and Chinese, the efficiency tests serve as a motivation to study, leaving positive impacts on the education of those foreign languages. However, for less popular foreign languages, the case is quite different. With no systematic evaluation standards, only those who studied abroad benefit from these efficiency tests performed by the universities on their own. Furthermore, invented in their home countries, tests such as the ZD, ZMP for German, and the DELF/DALF for French are only for those with intermediate command of the language, which doesn’t help Korean learners in secondary school who are mostly in the beginners’level. This all leads to the necessity of a systematic proficiency test, approved by universities, for foreign languages. This study suggests a way to develop the proficiency test for German according to the proficiencylevel ranging from beginner to advanced courses taught at universities.