MOTIVATIONS IN LEARNING FOREIGN LANGUAGE

Definition
Gardner (1985:10) in his socio-educational model describes motivation in
learning a foreign language as the combination of effort plus desire to achieve
the goal of learning the language plus favorable attitudes toward learning the
language.

Components of Motivation in Learning

1) Cultural belief
The second/foreign language learning takes place in specific culture
contexts. The subject’s belief as regards the relevance of the foreign
language learning, together with their attitude towards the community of the
foreign language speakers exerts an important influence on those subjects’
interests on the results they obtain.
2) Individual learner differences
It is the direct influence of four personal features on final performance in the
second or foreign language. These differences are determined by the degree
of:
a) Intelligence, which establishes the efficiency and rapidity with which
subjects perform tasks in the class.
b) Language aptitude, which includes several verbal and cognitive
capacities which facilitate learning, such as the capacity for phonetic
codification, grammatical sensitivity, memorization of linguistic
elements, inductive capacity, verbal intelligence, auditory capacity and
so on.
c) Motivation, which involves the subject’s degree of commitment to the
foreign language learning, it integrates three basic components – desire
to learn, effort towards a goal and satisfaction to in learning.
3) Learning contexts
This contains about…
a) Formal context  when the foreign language learning takes place in the
classroom
b) Informal context  when it occurs in more spontaneous and natural
situations where there are no formal instructions.
4) Outcomes
This consists of…
a) Linguistic competence which refers to knowledge of grammar,
pronunciation and etc.
b) Non-linguistic competence which refers to attitudes and values
Sources of Motivations in Learning
Skehan (1989:50) distinguishes four main sources of motivation. They are as
follows:
1) Learning and teaching activities
It is the student’s interest to learn may generate motivation, due to the types
of tasks s/he is offered
2) Learning outcomes
The learner’s successes and failures are the basis of motivation (Ellis,
1994:515). Good results act as a reward and reinforce or increase
motivation, whereas failure diminishes the student’s expectations, sense of
efficiency, and global motivation. In this case, motivation is a consequence,
not a cause of the learning outcomes.
3) Internal Motivation
This dimension is closely related to the feelings of the importance of foreign
language in the present-day situations.
4) Extrinsic Motivation
This highlights the influence of external incentives such as rewards and
punishments.

Phases or Processes of Motivations in Learning

Lorenzo Bergillos (1997:81) offers yet another model for the study of
motivation. It integrates three phases in the motivational processes at work
school. They are as follows:
1) The pre-action phase
This includes basic psychological needs, the internalization of learning
objectives, and the formation of expectations in the classroom environment.
2) The action phase
At this stage, the individual’s motivated behavior displays the following
properties:
a. Self-regulation of behavior
The motivational processes activate several specific behaviors:
perseverance and constancy towards the goal, self-regulation, and control
of processes.
- Behavioral vigor towards the objectives which the subjects seek to
attain
- Constant and persistent behavioral direction towards the goal
- Behavioral reinforcement and risk-taking in the progress towards the
goal
- Weakening of behavior, if there are partial failures, unpleasant
stimulations and standstills.
b. Learning self-regulation
At this point, motivation acts as a guide for strategies and merges with
cognitive processes.
3) The post-action phase
Rewards are operative at this phase provided that the initial objectives have
been achieved. If there have been positive experiences, gratifying feelings
are generated, exerting a beneficial influence on the pre-action phase. On
the contrary, if the experience has been unsatisfactory, frustration and
despair occur, deteriorating the initial motivational states

Kinds of Motivations in EFL Learning

Integrativeness
The first major component of motivation is integrativeness. According to
Gardner (2001:5), integrativeness is an attitude defined as a genuine interest or
positive temperament in learning the foreign language in order to come closer
and interact with the other language community. For examples.
- It is important for me to be able to speak English in my profession
- I wish I could speak English to support my career
In learning English, for instance, many students have an expectation or
ambition to go, live, work or continue their studies abroad like America,
Australia, Britain, and Canada. This shows that attitudes toward the members of
the target language community are indeed key constituents of the foreign
language integrative motivation. For example,
- I struggle in learning English because I want to work as a nurse in
Australia
- I dislike meeting or taking care of patients from America
(to come closer and interact with the other language community)
- It is important for me to learn English because I really want to continue
my studies in America or any other English speaking countries.
- It is important for me to learn English because I really want to have a job
in a foreign company.
- I wish I could speak English so I can marry a foreigner
- I struggle in learning English because I want to work as a teacher in
Australia
- I learn English because I want to work overseas

- (1) Studying English can be important to me because it will allow me to

be more at ease with other people who speak English
- (2) Studying English can be important for me because it will allow me to
meet and converse with more and varied people
- (3) Studying English can be important for me because it will enable me
to understand better and appreciate English art and literature, and
- (4) Studying English can be essential for me to because I will be able to
participate more freely in the activities of other cultural groups.
 - (5) Studying English can be important for me because I'll need it for my
future career
- (6) Studying English can be important for me because it will make me a
more knowledgeable person
- (7) Studying English can be important for me because I think it will
someday be useful in getting a good job, and
- (8) Studying English can be essential for me to because other people will
respect me more if I have knowledge of a foreign language.
Attitudes toward the learning situation
The second major component of integrative motivation is attitudes toward the
learning situation. Dornyei (1998:123) cites that Gardner and his associates
have carried out extensive empirical research on a number of motivational
determinants in pedagogical factors (e.g. the effects of the classroom
environment, instructional techniques and attitudes toward the language teacher
and course), language anxiety and parental influence. For example.
- My lecturer often tells me to perform my English skill
- I am really enthusiastic at performance learning activities assigned by
my lecturer
Another evaluation that can be regarded as the important thing in measuring the
students’ attitudes toward the learning situation is an evaluation of the foreign
language course. For example.
- I enjoy learning activities in performing my English skills in this ESP
course
- My English class does not support my future career

(Sikap terhadap lingkungan belajar. misalnya efek lingkungan kelas, teknik

pembelajaran dan sikap terhadap guru bahasa dan kursus)

- I always got good grades on the English grammar test

- My father often tells me to improve my English speaking skill

Intention
The next component of Gardner’s motivation is intention. Gardner (1985:10)
describes motivation as the combination of effort plus desire to achieve the goal
of learning the language plus favorable attitudes toward learning the language.
According to Gardner (1985), motivation to learn the foreign language is
constructed by three components. First is desire to learn the foreign language.
For example.
- I love the learning or assessing activities given by the lecturer
- The learning activities given by the lecturer are really boring to me
Another component of motivation in learning the foreign language proposed by
Gardner is motivational intensity. Masgoret and Gardner (2003:174) explain
that motivation intensity is related to the amount of ‘effort’ or energy expended
in learning the language, as well as the reasons for learning the target language
which serves as a goal to orient this effort. For example.
- I feel energetic and enthusiastic at performing my English skill in the
class
- I have no desire to learn ESP
The other component of motivation in learning the foreign language is attitudes
toward learning the foreign language. Masgoret and Gardner (2003: 174)
explain that attitudes toward learning the target language refers to the effect
experienced while learning the foreign language. For example.
- Joining ESP course gives me a great chance to perform my English skills
- Joining ESP course only wastes the time to master my main subject or
major
- I feel enthusiastic at performing my English skill in front of a lot of
audience
- The teacher's assessing made me even more excited to learn English.
Integrative Orientation
The fourth component of the integrative motivation in learning the foreign
language is integrative orientation. This integrative orientation concerns with
individual reasons in terms of the target language community values, beliefs
and/or behaviors in which the students may interact. For example.
- I wish could meet many native English speaking nurses
- I feel an affinity with people who work as a nurse in English speaking
countries
- I feel the closeness with people who have same job with me in various
English speaking countries.
- I wish I could meet many native English movies reviewers
Instrumental Orientation
An instrumental orientation is associated with the desire to learn the target
language for pragmatic purpose, without implying any interest in getting closer
socially to the language community. A learner with instrumental orientation has
a desire to learn the target language to achieve some practical goal, such as job
advancement or becoming better educated (Masgoret and Gardner, 2003:174;
Busse and Williams, 2010:68). For example.
- Joining ESP leads me to get a good job in English speaking countries
- I join ESP course just to meet the requirement needed to graduate from
this
- I join this English course to pass TOEFL exam
- I learn English to get scholarship