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L.N. Gumilyov Eurasian national university

The role of integrative motivation in second language acquisition

Khamrayeva Z.

Astana, Kazakhstan

Abstract

In this study, integrative and instrumental forms of motivation are examined in order to define the relationship between motivation and successful SLA. The research question lying behind the study is: Is integrative form of motivation more crucial in SLA? It can be stated that the findings of the research showed that integrative form of motivation plays a vital role in efficient SLA. Therefore teachers should motivate students intrinsically to gain successful progress in the process of SLA.

Key words: SLA, motivation, teachers, students

Introduction

Language is widely accepted to be one of the most pivotal aspects of our modern life. People who know different languages are considered to be valuable in the community they live, because they can connect different cultures and societies. In addition, there is an economic factor as well, which can be shown by the demand of workers with the knowledge of different languages. The ability of speaking in two or more languages can play huge role in getting one`s dream job. Besides these factors, speaking different languages can be very useful in travelling and help people to communicate with foreigners and maintain friendship with people all over the world. Therefore, the second, even the third language is taught to schoolchildren from early age. However, young schoolchildren whose age is 7-8 don`t understand the importance of the second language. Mostly they learn it just because it is included in their curriculum. But it is not an efficient way of learning language. Language learning process is directly affected by motivation. Motivation is “referring to an extent to which the individual works or strives to learn the language because of a desire to do so and the satisfaction experienced in this activity”(Gardner, 1985). Language learning process is also directly associated with the beliefs about the success in the second language acquisition. Negative beliefs about the second language acquisition can bring students to failure (Lennartsson, 2008). But student`s negative attitude towards the second language learning process can be changed into the positive one by motivating them. According to Lennartsson (2008), social factors cannot outweigh the factors as learner`s motivation and wish to learn the second language.

This study firstly will give theoretical overview of the term motivation. Secondly it discusses the role of motivation in second language acquisition and calls the attention of the teacher to the fact that motivation is the key factor which influences successful language learning.

Literature Review. Motivation is indicated as how the learner orientates the purpose of learning a second language with regard (Crookes and Schmidt 1991). There are three elements of student`s motivation: effort (the time spent on studying), desire (aspiration to learn language) and affect (emotional attitude to the studying language) (Gardner 1982). Thus it could be defined as several aims of the goal to study a second language. Motivation is divided into two types: integrative and instrumental. The students who learn target language and interested in the culture, traditions and the people of that language are considered to be the most successful ones among others (Falk 1978). This type of motivation is called integrative motivation. According to Benson (2001) integrative motivation occurs when learner wants to be not only bilingual, but also bicultural. It is theorized that integrative motivation is foundation of further development of language for someone who integrated to the society where the spoken language is the language he/she is learning. This form of motivation is also accepted to be the basis of learning pronunciation as a native speaker (Finegan 1999).

The second form of motivation called instrumental is characterized by learner`s desire to receive pragmatic or concrete from the acquisition of second language (Hudson 2000). With instrumental motivation the goal of language acquisition is more practical, for example, meeting the requirements of school or university, finding a good job, demanding higher salary according to language knowledge, reading technical manuals and instructions, translation work or achieving higher social status. Instrumental motivation is often characteristic of second language acquisition, where little or no social integration of the learner into a community using the target language takes place, or in some instances is even desired.

Both integrative and instrumental forms of motivation are very crucial in learning a second language, and long-term success in learning second language usually can be sustained by integrative motivation (Ellis 1997; Taylor, Meynard and Rheault 1977; Crookes et al 1991). In some of the early research managed by Lambert and Gardner integrative motivation was delineated as being of more importance in a formal learning process than instrumental motivation (Ellis 1997). In later studies, integrative motivation has continued to be emphasized, although now the importance of instrumental motivation is also stressed. However, it is crucial to mention that the number of researches which claims that the instrumental motivation is more important is a few, while integrative motivation has been researched by huge amount of researchers. However, it has been found that most students put instrumental goals towards themselves in the process of SLA, those who choose integrative reasons are tend to achieve high results.

But if there is no chance to use the target language the students are learning, and communication with native speaker is not available, instrumental motivation can be foundation of success. The social condition of the society where student lives also helps to identify the form of motivation which can be more useful for achievement in SLA. It was found that the role of instrumental motivation was more crucial for female students who learn English as a second language from the non-westernized part of Bombay (Lukmani 1972). Braj Kachru (1977, cited in Brown 2000) also mentions that it is common for students to achieve high results in SLA with the instrumental orientation in India, where English is accepted to be an international language.

Brown (2000) points out that two forms of motivation are not supposed to be chosen by the student mutually. Students usually do not choose just one form of motivation; they combine the reasons of both instrumental and integrative motivation. He shows the situation of the international students who live in the USA and learns English for academic purposes, and at the same time interested in the culture, traditions and social life of America.

SLA achievement is directly connected with motivation, and motivation in its any form is considered to be one of the most important factors in language learning process. Therefore it is crucial to define both the forms and combination of orientations to achieve high result in second language acquisition with its help. At the same time, motivation should be viewed as one of teacher`s responses.

integrative instrumental motivation second language

Findings and Analysis

In order to identify the role of motivation and what form of motivation matters for students, the questionnaire was carried out among students who gained some success in learning second language and reached at least intermediate level (Figure 1).

Figure 1

All of the students who had been asked to fill the questionnaires found that motivation was absolutely crucial in SLA (Figure 2).

Figure 2

The importance of motivation for students in SLA (Figure 3)

Figure 3

The form of motivation the students have is defined to be mostly integrative (Figure 4)

Figure 4

Finally, the students believe that it is teacher`s response to motivate students to learn a second language (Figure 5)

Figure 5

Results and Discussion

The results of the research acknowledge that motivation plays a vital role in SLA for students. As we can observe, Figure 2 delineates that 100% of the students answered positively to the question about the importance of motivation in learning a second language. The author of early research about the study of a second language (Naiman 1978) claims that the students who achieves successful results are not always those whom language comes very easily; but those who have huge desire, motivation and good attitude towards the study of a second language. The form of motivation is also considered to be a key factor of successful SLA. Comparing Figure 1 and Figure 4, we can see that the students who have achieved good progress in SLA learn language through integrative form of motivation. Moreover, students believe (Figure 5) that teachers should motivate students to learn a second language. So the teachers and educators should control the techniques and strategies applied in their classes in a way that can engage students in language learning.

Conclusion

This study has examined how motivation is connected with the progress in SLA, influence of integrative and instrumental forms of motivation on efficiency of the SLA progress, teacher`s role in motivating students to learn a second language. The importance of integrative motivation to gain long-term success was discussed.

According to the findings of the research, it can be concluded that motivation, especially its integrative form is a key factor which implements the efficiency of the language learning process and the teacher is the person who should motivate students to learn a second language. Teacher should awaken student`s interest in the culture and history of the second language so that student had integrative motivation to learn the second language.

References

1. Benson, M.J. (1991). Attitudes and motivation towards English: A survey of Japanese freshmen. RELC Journal, 22(1), 34-48

2. Brown, H.D. (2000). Principles of language learning and teaching (4th Ed.). Englewood Cliffs NJ: Prentice-Hall.

3. Crookes, G., & Schmidt R.W. (1991). Motivation: Reopening the research agenda. Language Learning, 41(4), 469-512

4. Ellis, R. (1997). The study of second language acquisition. Oxford University Press.

5. Falk, J. (1978). Linguistics and language: A survey of basic concepts and implications (2nd Ed.). John Wiley and Sons

6. Finegan, E. (1999). Language: Its structure and use (3rd Ed.). Harcourt Brace

7. Gardner, R.C. (1982). Language attitudes and language learning. In E. Bouchard Ryan & H. Giles (Eds.), Attitudes towards language variation (pp. 132-147). London: Edward Arnold

8. Hudson, G. (2000). Essential introductory linguistics. Blackwell Publishers

9. Lennartsson, F. (2008). Students' motivation and attitudes towards learning a second language: British and Swedish students' points of view.

10. Lukmani, Y.M. (1972). Motivation to learn and language proficiency. Language Learning, 22, 261-273.

11. Naiman, N., Frohlich, M., Stern, H.H. and Todesco, A. (1978). The Good Language Learner. Toronto, Ontario: Ontario Institute for Studies in Education

12. Taylor, D.M., Meynard, R., & Rheault, E. (1977). Threat to ethnic identity and second-language learning. In H. Giles, Language, ethnicity and intergroup relations (pp. 99-118). Academic Press.

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