The Influence of Motivation on English Language Learning: Insights from SLA Research
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.61841/6921pe92Keywords:
Motivation, Second Language Acquisition (SLA),English Language, Learning, Intrinsic Motivation, Extrinsic Motivation, Integrative Motivation, Instrumental Motivation, Language Proficiency Learner Engagement, Teaching Strategies.Abstract
Motivation is widely recognized as a critical factor in Second Language Acquisition (SLA), influencing the success and persistence of learners in mastering a new language. This study explores the role of motivation in English language learning, drawing on insights from prominent SLA theories and empirical research. The paper examines different types of motivation, including intrinsic, extrinsic, instrumental, and integrative, and their impact on learners' language proficiency and engagement. Additionally, it highlights how motivational factors interact with other variables, such as age, learning environment, and cultural context. The findings underscore the importance of fostering motivation through tailored teaching strategies and learner-centered approaches. By synthesizing theoretical perspectives and practical implications, this research contributes to a deeper understanding of how motivation shapes the process of English language acquisition and offers recommendations for educators and policymakers to enhance learner outcomes.
Downloads
References
1) Deci, E. L., & Ryan, R. M. (1985). Intrinsic Motivation and Self-Determination in Human Behavior. Springer Science & Business Media.
2) Gardner, R. C. (1985). Social Psychology and Second Language Learning: The Role of Attitudes and Motivation. Edward Arnold.
3) Dörnyei, Z. (2001). Motivational Strategies in the Language Classroom. Cambridge University Press.
4) Dörnyei, Z. (2005). The Psychology of the Language Learner: Individual Differences in Second Language Acquisition. Routledge.
5) Dörnyei, Z. & Ushioda, E. (2011). Teaching and researching motivation. Pearson Education.
6) Krashen, S. D. (1982). Principles and Practice in Second Language Acquisition. Pergamon Press.
7) Schumann, J. H. (1978). The Pidginization Process: A Model for Second Language Acquisition. Newbury House.
8) Vygotsky, L. S. (1978). Mind in Society: The Development of Higher Psychological Processes. Harvard University Press.
9) Noels, K. A., Pelletier, L. G., Clément, R., & Vallerand, R. J. (2000). "Why Are You Learning a Second Language? Motivational Orientations and Self-Determination Theory." Language Learning, 50(1), 57–85.
10) Ushioda, E. (2001). "Language Learning at University: Exploring the Role of Motivational Thinking." Motivation and Second Language Acquisition, 91–124.
11) Dörnyei, Z. (2009). "The L2 Motivational Self System." Second Language Learning and Teaching, 9–42.
12) Gardner, R. C., & Lambert, W. E. (1972). "Attitudes and Motivation in Second-Language Learning." Rowley, MA: Newbury House.
13) Norton, B. (2000). "Identity and Language Learning: Gender, Ethnicity, and Educational Change." Longman.
14) Ushioda, E., & Dörnyei, Z. (2012). "Motivation." The Routledge Handbook of Second Language Acquisition, 396–409.
15) Clément, R., Dörnyei, Z., & Noels, K. A. (1994). "Motivation, self-confidence, and group cohesion in the foreign language classroom." Language Learning, 44(3), 417–448.
16) MacIntyre, P. D., & Gardner, R. C. (1991). "Language Anxiety: Its Relationship to Other Anxieties and to Processing in Native and Second Languages." Language Learning, 41(4), 513–534.
17) Dornyei, Z., & Csizér, K. (1998). "Ten Commandments for Motivating Language Learners: Results of an Empirical Study." Language Teaching Research, 2(3), 203–229.
18) Csizér, K., & Kormos, J. (2009). "Learning Experiences, Selves, and Motivated Learning Behavior: A Comparative Analysis of Structural Models for Hungarian Secondary and University Learners of English." Language Learning, 59(3), 615–645.
19) Guilloteaux, M. J., & Dörnyei, Z. (2008). "Motivating Language Learners: A Classroom-Oriented Investigation of the Effects of Motivational Strategies on Student Motivation." TESOL Quarterly, 42(1), 55–77.
20) Lamb, M. (2004). "Integrative Motivation in a Globalizing World." System, 32(1), 3–19.
21) Yashima, T. (2002). "Willingness to Communicate in a Second Language: The Japanese EFL Context." The Modern Language Journal, 86(1), 54–66.
22) Ryan, S. (2009). "Self and Identity in L2 Motivation in Japan: The Ideal L2 Self and Japanese Learners of English." Motivation, Language Identity, and the L2 Self, 120–143.
23) Kormos, J., & Csizér, K. (2008). "Age-Related Differences in the Motivation of Learning English as a Foreign Language: Attitudes, Selves, and Motivated Learning Behavior." Language Learning, 58(2), 327–355.
24) Littlewood, W. (1984). Foreign and Second Language Learning: Language Acquisition Research and Its Implications for the Classroom. Cambridge University Press.
25) Dornyei, Z., & Murphey, T. (2003). Group Dynamics in the Language Classroom. Cambridge University Press.
26) Oxford, R. L., & Nyikos, M. (1989). "Variables Affecting Choice of Language Learning Strategies by University Students." The Modern Language Journal, 73(3), 291–300.
27) Brown, H. D. (2000). Principles of Language Learning and Teaching. Longman.
28) Harmer, J. (2007). The Practice of English Language Teaching. Pearson Longman.
29) Recent Studies and Emerging Trends
30) Al-Hoorie, A. H. (2018). "The L2 Motivational Self System: A Meta-Analysis." Studies in Second Language Learning and Teaching, 8(4), 721–754.
31) Henry, A. (2014). "The Dynamics of L2 Motivation: A Longitudinal Interview Study of Motivational Change." The Modern Language Journal, 98(2), 419–439.
32) Ushioda, E. (2020). "Language Learning Motivation: An Ethical Agenda for Research." Language Teaching, 53(2), 141–154.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
You are free to:
- Share — copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format for any purpose, even commercially.
- Adapt — remix, transform, and build upon the material for any purpose, even commercially.
- The licensor cannot revoke these freedoms as long as you follow the license terms.
Under the following terms:
- Attribution — You must give appropriate credit , provide a link to the license, and indicate if changes were made . You may do so in any reasonable manner, but not in any way that suggests the licensor endorses you or your use.
- No additional restrictions — You may not apply legal terms or technological measures that legally restrict others from doing anything the license permits.
Notices:
You do not have to comply with the license for elements of the material in the public domain or where your use is permitted by an applicable exception or limitation .
No warranties are given. The license may not give you all of the permissions necessary for your intended use. For example, other rights such as publicity, privacy, or moral rights may limit how you use the material.