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 motivationBiological needsBehaviourismMaslows formulationFreuds unconscious motivation

Reformulated approaches to motivationAchievement 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 learningLearning 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 motivationFrom 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 motivationA 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 challengeCuriosity/interestIndependent mastery Independent judgementInternal criteria for successPreference for easy workPleasing teacher/getting gradesDependence on teacher in figuring out problemsReliance on a teachers judgement about what to doExternal criteria for success

Perceived value of the activityThe 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.

ArousalCuriosityFlow

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 agencyLocus of causality: origins, pawnsLocus of control: learned helplessnessEffectiveness motivation: self-efficacyMotivational style: learned helplessness, mastery oriented, self-worth

Setting and achieving goalsPerformance vs. LearningEffort-avoidanceAttunement strategy

The role of significant othersTwo 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 activityPerceived value of the activitySense of agencyMasterySelf-conceptAttitudesAffective statesDevelopemental stageGenderSignificant othersNature of interaction with significant othersLearning environmentBroader content

Suggestions for language teachers :Recognise the complexity of emotionBe aware of oth initiating and sustaining motivationDiscuss with learners why they are carrying out activitiesInvolve learners in making decisions related to learning the language Involve learners in language learning goalsRegonise people as individualsBuild up individuals beliefs in themselvesDevelop internal beliefsHelp to move towards a mastery oriented styleEnhance intrinsic motivationBuild up a supporting learning environmentGive feedback that is informational.