An Introduction to Three Types of Motivation in Second Language Learning

Learning a second language would not be able to occur without a key factor - motivation. Crookes and Schmidt perceive the major approaches towards motivation as social and psychological. They state, "Motivation has been consistently linked with attitudes toward the community of speakers of the target language, with an interest in interacting with such speakers, and with some degree of self-identification with the target community" (Crookes 470-1). Keeping this association in mind, there are different types of motivation, each with a different role. In this article, I will attempt to present a synopsis of the different conclusions of researches with regard to three different types of motivation; that is, integrative, instrumental and intrinsic motivation as it relates to the learner's context of learning a second language.

The distinction between integrative and instrumental motivation was originally made by Gardner and Lambert in 1959. Gardner used the term "integrative orientation," which is not the same as integrative motivation. According to Gardner, (1985) integrative orientation "involves an interest in learning a second language because of a sincere and personal interest in the people and culture represented by the other language group. Integrative motivation on the other hand, is the combination of effort and desire to achieve the goal of learning the language plus favorable attitudes towards learning the language" (Gardner 1985 as cited in Ellis 1994:509). In a number of his studies based on Canadian students studying French, Gardner linked the students' success in learning French with their desire to become part of the French culture. This model of motivation in second language learning has led to a series of tests known as the Attitude/Motivation Test Battery or the AMTB. The results of such tests have been synthesized into a model known as the socioeducational model.

Another type of motivation associated with second language learning is instrumental motivation. Instrumental motivation is the need and desire to achieve the reward for achieving a high level of English. It is important to distinguish between orientation and motivation when referring to instrumental motivation. In Dornyei's questionnaire distributed to adults learning English in Hungary, the concept of orientation involved learners regarding English as important for performing one's profession or reading technical literature. (Dornyei 1990) Dorynei's questionnaire was given out to 134 young adult learners of English enrolled in one language school, the Hungarian division of the British International House system. His aim was t investigate the importance of instrumentality in a foreign learning context. (A foreign language learning context consists of a community where one or two languages are taught in school for several years as an academic subject and proficiency is the main goal. For the most part, there was a strong correlation in his findings between instrumental language use and instrumentality and the desire to spend some time abroad as a significant motivation and attitude factor in foreign language learning contexts.

To a great extent, instrumental motivation and orientation involves the situational/cultural context of learning. It appears to be much more powerful in other contexts where language learners have little or no interest in the target language culture and few, if any, to interact with the target language members. (Ellis 1994) The social situation helps to determine two things: what types of orientation learners have and what kind is most important for language learning.
Motivation and second language learning can be approached from the classroom level. In the area of activities and achievement, Crookes and Schmidt mention Csikszentmihalyi and Nakamura (1989) who defined intrinsic motivation as the type of motivation that occurs when an individual reaches a conclusion that his or her skill level can be challenged and both the challenge and the skill level are relatively high. When the level of challenge is too high for an individual to handle, the outcome is anxiety. When the challenge is lower than an individual's ability, the outcome is boredom.

The methodology of teaching is important in channeling a child's curiosity. This is closely related to motivation as intrinsic interest. Developing curiosity implies using less traditional teaching techniques and/or material. In addition, the element of change is an important part of regulating attention. If the methodology of teaching is too constant, habitation will occur. Therefore, the consistent and regular pattern of classroom routine should be avoided. (Crookes and Schmidt 1991)

The importance of cooperative learning helps students develop a healthy sense of self, which is also significant for the development of a child's intrinsic motivation. In cooperative learning, groups of students work together on learning activities so that there is positive inter-dependence and all organized groups have a specific role in order to achieve success. Collaborative group effort results in a strong connection between the group's members and the feeling of achievement because group work eliminates to a certain extent, the need for one individual's achievement to be attained at the expense of another's" (Crookes and Schmidt 1991).

Final Words
I believe there is no ideal second language learning situation with regard to each of the three types of motivation. Regardless of the type of motivation, there are external influences that can hamper the development of a child's second language acquisition such as teacher's feedback and the influence of the family. If the parents do not stress the importance of acquiring a second language, this will ultimately affect their child's need to acquire a second language. Therefore, a language teacher needs to cultivate a child's motivation from an early age on so that the learner feels a sense of self-worth in his/her language learning ability.

Works Cited

Csikszentmihalyi, M., and Nakamura, J. "The Dynamics of Intrinsic Motivation: A Study of Adults." Research on Motivation in Education 3, 45-71. San Diego, California: Academic Press.

Crookes, Graham and Schmidt, Richard W. "Motivation: Reopening the Research Agenda," Language Learning, 41:4, 469-512, 1991.

Dornyei, Zoltan. "Conceptualizing Motivation in Foreign-Language Learning," Language Learning, 40:1, 45-78, 1990.

Ellis, Rod. The Study of Second Language Acquisition. London: Oxford University Press, 1994.

Gardner, R. Social Psychology and Second Language Learning: The Role of Attitudes and Motivations, London: Edward Arnold, 1985.