{"id":135,"date":"2020-06-01T04:43:00","date_gmt":"2020-06-01T04:43:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/spelling-test.com\/blog\/?p=135"},"modified":"2020-05-17T11:39:33","modified_gmt":"2020-05-17T11:39:33","slug":"second-language-acquisition-and-motivation-the-most-important-language-learning-field-youve-never-heard-of","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/spelling-test.com\/blog\/second-language-acquisition-and-motivation-the-most-important-language-learning-field-youve-never-heard-of\/","title":{"rendered":"Second-language acquisition and motivation: The most important language-learning field you\u2019ve never heard of"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The author of this post is from Pat Goodridge, he is a senior at the University of
Pennsylvania, where he studies linguistics and works for a Russian teaching site, 3ears.com<\/a>. He loves to study languages and run his Facebook page for linguistics majors, The Linguist Lattice. He hopes to pursue graduate work in Russian Studies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The study of linguistic desire<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anyone who has ever studied a foreign language (or has ever studied anything for that matter) knows the importance of motivation to learning. But what exactly is the extent of that importance, and are there different types of motivation to learn languages? If there are different types, what are they? And which ones result in the best results? More simply, where does the motivation to learn and understand language, what I would call \u201clinguistic desire\u201d, come from? A diverse and interdisciplinary area of work, the field studying motivation in second-language acquisition (SLA) pursues the answers to all of these questions. To do so, it pulls from a wide range of other fields, including psychology, sociology, pedagogy, and applied linguistics. Whatever your field, the chances are it relates to SLA and motivation in one way or another.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This domain of study, which has existed for nearly 70 years, has helped form new and ever more revealing findings about how and why students (and<\/em> adults!) are motivated to study other languages. Though it is highly-specialized, the field contributes greatly to a wider understanding of effective second-language education. Such an understanding of second-language pedagogy can in turn positively inform educational policy in a way that helps individuals and whole societies overcome very real language barriers in international dialogue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Change your language, change your life<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this sense, furthering our understanding of second-language education, and specifically of the role of motivation within it, has the capacity to impact an entire generation of people academically, professionally, and interpersonally. Reading about it here is a fantastic opportunity to do just that, and to help understand your own motivation to learn (or not learn!) languages in your own life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although it is seen in the English-speaking world as a subject of only minor significance, second-language learning is an issue of great significance for nearly all students of non-English speaking countries. This is due to the necessity of learning English and other lingua francas<\/em> like it, for reasons both personal and professional (key an eye out for this distinction later on). Additionally, the significance of English education globally may also explain why so much of the research completed in the field is by non-native speakers of English through experiments on non-English speaking populations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The most notable of these researchers are Zoltan D\u00f6rnyei (Hungary) and Ema Ushioda (Japan), who have emerged as figures central to the field\u2019s progress, and both of whom work out of British universities. As we will see, however, the development of the field goes much deeper than the work of only two scholars; it reaches into the annals of psychology and other of science\u2019s most fundamental fields.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While approaches of those in the field are varied both in their methodology and theoretical positions, the general trend of motivation in SLA (No, by the way, there isn\u2019t any better a name for the field yet) is the evolution of theories from the earliest, most basic discoveries of motivation\u2019s function in language learning, to a more well-defined binary of two motivational systems with fancy names (integrativeness <\/em>and instrumentation<\/em>), to the current nuanced concepts involving the learner\u2019s self-concept (the Ideal L2 Self<\/em> model). The latest research has also employed methodologies in line with those used in related scientific fields like cognitive science, in order to develop theories that can best represent empirical findings in a format familiar to the wider scientific community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A history lesson<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The topic of SLA and motivation has become most interesting to researchers in the last three decades. The roots of that interest, however, go back much further, to the work of R.C. Gardner of the University of Western Ontario. With his seminal 1959 work \u201cMotivational variables in second-language acquisition\u201d, Gardner asserted that motivation may be more important than aptitude in second-language performance. This opposed prevailing opinions of the time that so-called \u201cability for languages\u201d was the best measure of success in language learning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The study also introduced the relevance of \u201caffective factors\u201d, the emotional components to the language learning experience that vary between students, such as anxiety and internal self-esteem. Beyond discussing motivation as it relates to aptitude, Gardner went a step further by actually characterizing motivation in SLA; he created what he called the \u201cOrientation Index\u201d, a model specifying two types of motivation: integrative<\/em> and instrumental<\/em>. If you take one thing away from this post, let it be these two terms, since they represent the most fundamental reasons why students are motivated to languages.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Two sides of the same coin<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The integrative theory, based on studies of Canadians learning French, proposed the idea that learners develop language skills in order to better integrate with another group. Furthermore, Gardner maintained that desire to integrate with such a group could be a strong motivating factor for students to achieve success in learning that group\u2019s language. According to him, \u201cAn individual acquiring a second language adopts certain behaviour patterns which are characteristic of another cultural group and his attitudes towards that group will at least partly determine his success in learning the new language.\u201d In this case, Canadians learning French to better relate to the majority French-speaking Qu\u00e9b\u00e9coise were motivated according to the integrative approach.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The instrumental approach, on the other hand, described students who pursued the pragmatic reasons for learning languages, such as increased work opportunities. For example, a knowledge of French in Quebec would likely help one to procure a job, get admittance to the region\u2019s best universities, or to otherwise more smoothly interact with customers, classmates, or coworkers in a way that would externally benefit the learner. The difference between these two types of motivation represented the difference between intrinsic (natural drive) and extrinsic (material, reward-reinforced) motivation in language learning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Most of you are probably familiar with these terms; they\u2019re the difference between going to work in the morning because you love your job, or because you want that new Ferrari. Anyhow, Gardner sought to compare the two types of motivation; he gave Montreal students of French a battery of tests to determine verbal intelligence and motivation in conjunction with proficiency tests. He found that the strongest determinant of language-learning success was, in fact, the integrative type of motivation\u2014a \u201cwillingness to be like valued members of the language community\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Modern motivation<\/em><\/strong>
This work by Gardner ushered in the social-psychological period in language learning, which lasted from the 50s to the 90s. The movement consisted of a flood research in the bilingual context of French Canada, both by Gardner himself as well as by Cl\u00e9ment, a scholar who focused on phenomena like linguistic self-confidence in motivation. Cl\u00e9ment\u2019s work would influence much future work on affectual, psychological aspects of language study, such as \u201cforeign language anxiety\u201d, which is worry and nervousness experienced when learning or using a foreign language.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The social-psychological period was followed by a shift toward looking at language from a cognitive perspective, a move that reflected the \u201ccognitive revolution\u201d taking place in psychology during the 90s.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In contrast to a social-psychological model that emphasized the relationship of a learner to other cultures and linguistic groups, the idea advanced by scholars during this period was that motivation was more self-contained and subjective, relying on how one\u2019s perception of one\u2019s own abilities, limitations, and past performances influence motivation. A major example of a cognitive-based theory is Ushioda\u2019s \u201cattribution theory\u201d. First described in the late 90s, the theory contends that the causal reasons a student attributes to his or her past performance play a critical role in her motivation in future endeavors within that area. In other words, a student\u2019s motivation to study will skyrocket if they believe they are responsible for a good grade on a language test, whereas their motivation won\u2019t change if they believe it was due to luck or some other reason. Likewise in a negative situation; if a student believes they failed because of their own shortcomings, their motivation will plummet, whereas it will stay constant if they \u201cattribute\u201d their failure to, say, a bad teacher. After over a decade, the theory still persists, with the support of researchers like Weiner, who maintain that a student\u2019s motivation is influenced by how much control that student feels she has over his or her progress.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Following this cognitive shift came the so-called \u201cprocess-oriented\u201d period, which studied motivation as being dynamic, fluctuating within a semester, a year, and a lifetime. This period consisted mainly of two different models by D\u00f6rnyei in the late 90s and 2000s: the process model<\/em> and the motivational self system<\/em>. The process model tracks learner motivation chronologically, from the beginning goal stage, to intermediate learning stages, to a \u201creflection\u201d stage wherein the student takes a look back at their progress. At each of these stages, motivation develops and takes on diverse forms as the learner gets feedback and his or her learning circumstances shift. The motivational self system focuses on a phenomenon D\u00f6rnyei calls the \u201cideal L2 self\u201d, a person\u2019s imagined ideal future self as a second-language speaker. It\u2019s thought by D\u00f6rnyei and others that a desire to actualize this imagined self is a deep source of motivation for language learners. Now that\u2019s cool.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The future of motivation<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Advancing out of this idea of ideal self, current perspectives will, in the words of Ushioda, \u201cseek to analyse L2 motivation with reference to a person\u2019s motivational self-systems and future self-representations as a whole, rather than just as an L2 learner.\u201d Other possible avenues for future research involve teacher motivation and teacher-student interface. The principal reason for interest in these areas is evidence showing that teacher performance, as a product of a teacher\u2019s motivation, can have a profound effect of student motivation and, consequently, on student success. So choose your language teacher wisely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Other researchers have been interested in affective factors of personality type, such as those found on the introversion-extroversion spectrum (be on the lookout for an article of mine on introvert-extrovert vocabulary learning), that may be influencing motivation by shaping a learner\u2019s temperament, as well as their approach to social interaction in the classroom, to intercultural education, and to learning more generally. Adding these elements of teaching and personality to the field adds layers of complexity, but also layers of accurate variability that will help form a more precise portrait of second-language motivation in the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Until a more complete understanding of motivation in language learning is available, we will have to settle for the current, most accurate theory\u2014\u201cgreat language learners have plenty of motivation, poor ones do not\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bibliography<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

D\u00f6rnyei, Zolt\u00e1n, and Kata Csiz\u00e9r. \u201cThe Internal Structure of Language Learning Motivation and<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Its Relationship with Language Choice and Learning Effort.\u201d The Modern Language<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

            Journal<\/em> 89, no. 1 (May 2015): 19-36.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gardner, R. C.; Lambert, W. E. . \u201cMotivational variables in second-language acquisition\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

            Canadian Journal of Psychology<\/em>, 13, (1959): 266\u2013272.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gardner, R. C. & Macintyre, P. D. \u201cOn the measurement of affective variables in second<\/p>\n\n\n\n

language learning\u201d. Language Learning<\/em>, 43, (1993): 157-94.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hastings, Christopher. \u201cTeacher Motivation: The Next Step in L2 Motivation Research.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

            TNTESOL Journal 2012<\/em>, 2012, 61-70.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ushioda, E. \u201cMotivation: L2 learning as a special case?\u201d, In S. Mercer, S. Ryan, & M. Williams<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(Eds.), Psychology for Language Learning<\/em>, (2012): 58-73. Basingstoke, HA: Palgrave<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Macmillan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Weiner, Bernard. \u201cThe Development of an Attribution-Based Theory of Motivation: A History<\/p>\n\n\n\n

of Ideas.\u201d Educational Psychologist<\/em> 45, no. 1 (2010): 28-36.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The author of this post is from Pat Goodridge, he is a senior at the University ofPennsylvania, where he studies linguistics and works for a Russian teaching site, 3ears.com. He loves to study languages and run his Facebook page for linguistics majors, The Linguist Lattice. He hopes to pursue graduate work in Russian Studies. The study of linguistic desire […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/spelling-test.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/135"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/spelling-test.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/spelling-test.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/spelling-test.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/spelling-test.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=135"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/spelling-test.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/135\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":136,"href":"https:\/\/spelling-test.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/135\/revisions\/136"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/spelling-test.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=135"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/spelling-test.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=135"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/spelling-test.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=135"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}