Individual Differences in SLA: Motivation The degree of effort people exert in approaching or avoiding experiences or goals (relative to second language learning). How do people differ in motivation, and how does that influence outcomes in second language learning? Two main theoretical approaches to the study of motivation: • Social psychological approach (traditional) • Cognitive approach (emerging) 1
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1.
Individual Differences in SLA:Motivation
The degree of effort people exert in approaching or avoiding
experiences or goals (relative to second language learning).How do
people differ in motivation, and how does that influence outcomes
in second language learning?
Two main theoretical approaches to the study of
motivation:
Social psychological approach (traditional)
Cognitive approach (emerging)
2.
Motivation:Social psychological approach
Integrative Motivation
Motivation in SLA driven by a sincere and personal interest in
the people and culture represented by the other language group --
Gardner, R. C., & MacIntyre, P. D. (1991). An Instrumental
Motivation in Language Study: Who Says It Isnt Effective?Studies in
Second Language Acquisition, 13 , 57-72, p. 58.
Instrumental Motivation
Motivation in SLA driven by the practical value and advantages
of learning a new language (Gardner and MacIntyre, 1991, p.
58).
3.
Motivation:Social psychological approach
The godfather of the social psychological approach in studies
of motivation in SLA:Robert C. Gardner.100s of studies with
numerous collaborators, going back to the 1950s.
For a review of 75 such studies, see:Masgoret, A., &
Gardner, R. (2003). Attitudes, Motivation, and Second Language a
Learning: A Meta-Analysis of Studies Conducted by Gardner and
Associates.Language Learning, 53 , 123163.
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Motivation:Social psychological approach
Most studies of motivation from the social psychological
approach use standard methodology for studies in affective
domain:self-report data from questionnaire correlated with
performance data from language test.
Gardner and MacIntyre (1991) used the Attitude / Motivation
Test Battery with vocabulary test data to achieve results we might
expect re: integrative and instrumental motivation.
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Motivation:Social psychological approach
Integrative:
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Motivation:Social psychological approach
Instrumental
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Motivation:Social psychological approach
Over the years, Gardners many empirical studies have informed
the development of his socio-educational model of second language
acquisition.
The model emphasizes that there are two primary individual
difference variables involved in language learning, viz., ability
[intelligence and aptitude] and motivation -- Gardner, R.C. (2006).
The socio-educational model of Second Language Acquisition: A
research paradigm.EUROSLA Yearbook, 6 , 237260, p. 241.
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Motivation:Social psychological approach
We can see this emphasis of ability and motivation in the
process graphic of the model:
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Motivation:Social psychological approach
It is proposed that other things being equal, the student with
higher levels of ability (both intelligence and language aptitude)
will tend to be more successful at learning the language than
students less endowed. Similarly, other things being equal,
students with higher levels of motivation will do better than
students with lower levels (p. 241).
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Motivation:Social psychological approach
A main feature of the socio-educational model is motivation (p.
242).
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Motivation:Social psychological approach
More specifically, Gardner focuses on the link between three of
constructs:motivation, attitudes toward the learning situation, and
integrativeness (i.e., an openness to the target language group (p.
237).
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Motivation:Social psychological approach
The unidirectional arrows indicate that levels of motivation
are influenced and maintained by Attitudes toward the Learning
Situation and Integrativeness.The dotted line indicates that In
some situations Instrumentality could also support motivation (p.
245).
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Motivation:Cognitive approach
Intrinsic Motivation
Learners demonstrate anintrinsicorientation if their rationale
for engaging in a task is challenge, curiosity, learning or mastery
-- Li, D. (2006). Motivation in Second Language Acquisition in
Chinese Research Students in the UK.Evaluation and Research in
Education, 19 , 3858, p. 40.
Extrinsic Motivation
If learners reasons for engaging in a task are to obtain
rewards, grades or approval from others, they are considered to
beextrinsicallyoriented (Li, 2006, p. 40).
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Motivation:Cognitive approach
Li (2006) conducted a qualitative study of Chinese research
students in the UK.Data were collected in semi-structured
interviews with open-ended questions; the respondents were prompted
to reflect on their own learning experiences.
Data suggest that respondents mainly adopted extrinsic
orientations.They believed that [learning English] would facilitate
their current research and improve their career prospects (p.
45).
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Motivation:Cognitive approach
For an excellent review of the cognitive approach in motivation
studies, relative to the social psychological approach, see:Drnyei,
Zoltn. (2003). Attitudes, Orientations, and Motivations in Language
Learning: Advances in Theory, Research, and Applications.Language
Learning, 53(Supplement 1), 332.