Motivation Foreign and

Second Language Learning

What is motivation to learn L2?
It is the composition of different overlapping factors
such as interest, curiosity, or desire to achieve. These
in turn will differ in different situations and
circumstances, and also be suject to various external
influences such as parents, teachers and exams.
Early psychological views on
motivation
Biological needs
Behaviourism
Maslows formulation
Freuds unconscious motivation
Reformulated approaches to
motivation
Achievement motivation: people differ quite
markedly in their need to achieve or to be successful.

Optimal arousal: humans seek a level of optimal
arousal at which they function best without having
to meet any other basic needs.

Motivation in foreign and second
language learning
Learning a foreign language implies a social venture.
Language belongs to a persons whole social being; it is a part
of ones identity, and is used to convey this identity to other
people.

It involves an alteration in self-image, the adoption of new
social and cultural behaviors and ways of being, and has a
significant impact on the social nature of the learner.

Learning a second language is learning to be another social
person. Its acquiring the skill and behavior patterns which are
characteristic of another community.
Theres a number of models of language learning
motivation that are social-psychological in nature.
Gardners socio-educational model:
This model incorporates the learners cultural beliefs, their attitudes
towars the learning situation, their integrativeness, and their
motivation.

He defines motivation as the combination of effort plus the desire to
achieve the goal of learning the language plus favourable attitudes
towards learning the languge. Other factors, such as attitude towards
the learning situation and integrativeness can influence these
attributes
In short words:
Motivations to learn a languages is defined by Gardner as the desire to
learn a language, the motivation intensity, and attitudes towards learning
such language.

Instrumental Orientation: the reason to learn a language lies on external
goals such as passing exams, financial rewards, a career or gaining
promotion.

Integrative Orientation: the reason to learn a language lies on the wish to
identify with the culture of speakers of that language.

Confidence and friendship are other important motivating factors.
Drneys model:
The language level encompasses various orientations and
motives related to aspects of the second language. These will
influence the goals learners set and the choices they make.

Drneys learner level involves individual characteristics that
the learner brigs to the learning task.

The situation level is related to the course, the teacher, and
the group dynamics.
Cognitive view of motivation
From a cognitive perspective, motivation is
concerned with such issues as why people decide to
act in a certain way and what factors infuence the
choices they make. It also involves decisions as to
the amount of oeffort people are prepared to
expend in attempting to achieve their goals. The role
of the teacher becomes one of helping, and enabling
learners to make suitable decisions.
A social-constuctivist view of
motivation
A constructivist view of motivation centres around the premise that each
individual is motivated differently. People will make their own sense of
various external infuences that sorround them in ways that are personal
to them, and they will act on their internal disposition and use their
personal attibutes in unique ways.

What motivates one person to learn a foreign language and keeps going
will differ from individual to individual.

An individuals motivation is subject to social and contextual influences.
These will include the whole culture and context and the social situation,
as well as significant other people and the individuals interactions with
these people

Dimensions of motivation:
Intrinsic vs. Extrinsic
Preference for challenge
Curiosity/interest
Independent mastery
Independent judgement
Internal criteria for success
Preference for easy work
Pleasing teacher/getting
grades
Dependence on teacher in
figuring out problems
Reliance on a teachers
judgement about what to
do
External criteria for success
Perceived value of the activity
The greater value that individuals attach to the
accomplishment of or involvement in an activity, the
more highly motivated they will be both to engage in
it initially, and to put sustained effort into
succeeding in the activity. This would appear to be
true whether they are influenced by intrinsic or
extrinsic reasons.
Arousal
Curiosity
Flow


People who are highly motivated or
aroused are likely to apply:
All of their minds and bodies are completely
involved;
Their concentration is very deep;
They know what they want to do;
They know how well they are doing;
They are not worried about failing;
Time passes very quickly;
They lose the ordinary sense of self-conscious
gnawing worry that characterises daily life.
Learners beliefs about themselves:
A sense of agency
Locus of causality: origins, pawns
Locus of control: learned helplessness
Effectiveness motivation: self-efficacy
Motivational style: learned helplessness, mastery
oriented, self-worth

Setting and achieving goals
Performance vs. Learning
Effort-avoidance
Attunement strategy

The role of significant others
Two main factors can be seen as contiuting to the
learners motivation to participate in learning
activities:
The personality or nature of the person introducing the acitivity.
The way in which the person presents the activity and works with
the learner during the completion of that activity.
Pros and Cons of feedback

Internal and External
Intrinsic interest of activity
Perceived value of the
activity
Sense of agency
Mastery
Self-concept
Attitudes
Affective states
Developemental stage
Gender
Significant others
Nature of interaction with
significant others
Learning environment
Broader content

Suggestions for language teachers :
Recognise the complexity of
emotion
Be aware of oth initiating and
sustaining motivation
Discuss with learners why they
are carrying out activities
Involve learners in making
decisions related to learning the
language
Involve learners in language
learning goals
Regonise people as individuals
Build up individuals beliefs in
themselves
Develop internal beliefs
Help to move towards a mastery
oriented style
Enhance intrinsic motivation
Build up a supporting learning
environment
Give feedback that is
informational.