L2 Learning Motivation Research Articles

Variable Identities in Brussels. The Relationship Between Language Learning, Motivation and Identity in a Multilingual Context

In Belgium and Brussels, macrocontextual features such as language policy and language legislation have a profound impact on people's language use and on the way languages are learned. In order to explain this impact, the political and economic developments that have determined the current context of learners in Brussels are discussed. Secondly, a number of recent events that are the result of the interplay of language legislation and sociolinguistic mechanisms are presented. These contextual issues are linked to some theoretical insights which allow us to look at: (1) how the specific context of Brussels influences instructed and non-instructed L2 learning; (2) what the implications are for learners’ identification processes; and (3) how this relates to their L2 learning motivation. These questions are addressed in an empirical study carried out in a Dutch-speaking secondary school in Brussels. The results suggest that adolescents in Dutch-speaking schools in Brussels have variable identity profiles and specific L2 learning motivations, depending on their language use in different contexts.

ANÀLISI FACTORIAL DELS MOTIUS D’APRENENTATGE DEL CATALÀ COM A LLENGUA SEGONA I RELACIÓ AMB EL NIVELL, EL TEMPS D’ESTADA, L’EDAT I EL CENTRE D’ESTUDI DELS ALUMNES

This paper examines motivation in L2 learning and provides data on motivation and learning Catalan as a second language (L2). A total of 279 learners of L2 Catalan from three learning environments (Vic, Barcelona, and Badalona-Sant Adrià) completed a 53-item survey about their motives to enroll in a Catalan course. The results are discussed in light of three main variables: level, time of residence, age, and learning environment. Results from a factorial analysis showed that there were six main factors that can account for the learners’ motives: general intrinsic motivation, work, language anxiety, integrative motivation, intrinsic motivation: social relationships in the classroom, and study. ANOVA analyses of the interaction of the main variables and the factors showed evidence that there were significant differences according to the variables (level, time of residence, age, and learning environment) for work and integrative motivation; whereas the differences were mostly not significant for general intrinsic motivation, language anxiety, and study. These results are discussed as they relate to sociolinguistic environment and learner characteristics.

A reappraisal of motivation: the cornerstone of L2 learning

This article is aimed at increasing teacher awareness of the most relevant issues involved in motivation. It examines the importance of motivation in L2 learning, its types and sources, as well as detailing the various factors which influence it. Its focus is twofold, in that it concentrates not only on the student but also on the teacher, using authoritative sources to back up its line of argument. It aims at both clarifying the role of teachers in student motivation and the importance of motivating teachers themselves: «I do not regard motivation as an additive but as the fuel . . . 1 oz. motivation = 1 ton pedagogy» (Foldberg 15-23). If one wants to understand better the behaviour and reactions of students to methods, materials, situations, teachers and so on, it is imperative to have an insight into the nature and real significance of the affective factors (attitudes, motivation) that enter into play in the learning of an L2.