Motivation and Second Language Acquisition

Abstract

ABSTRACT: This paper posits four stages of language acquisition, identified as ele-mental, consolidation, conscious expression, and automaticity and thought, and considers the role of motivation in this process. It distinguishes between two types of motivation, language learning motivation and classroom motivation, indicating how these relate to two distinct contexts, the cultural and the educational through their influence on integrativeness and attitudes toward the learning situation. It discusses how the two types of motivation are differentially involved in the four stages, and empirical support for this perspective is presented in the form of path analyses of two samples of students from Catalonia. Key words: motivation, second language acquisition. RESUMEN: En este trabajo se establecen cuatro etapas en el proceso de adquisición de las lenguas, identificadas como etapa elemental, de consolidación, expresión consciente, automática y de pensamiento, y se considera el rol de la motivación en este proceso. Se distinguen dos tipos de motivación, motivación en el aprendizaje de la lengua y moti-vación de aula, y se indica cómo ambas se relacionan con dos tipos de contextos dife-rentes, el contexto cultural y el educativo a través de su influencia en los procesos de integración y en las actitudes hacia la situación de aprendizaje. Se demuestra cómo los dos tipos de motivación están implicados de forma diferenciada en las cuatro etapas y se presenta un estudio empírico que estudia la relación entre una serie de variables referidas a dos muestras de estudiante de ESO de Cataluña. Palabras clave: motivación, adquisición de una segunda lengua. I have been asked on occasion why I think there must be some sort of motivation to learn a second language, because most people learn at least one language, and often children from a bilingual home learn two languages, apparently with ease. Moreover, these people speak the language, they understand the language, and often they both read and write it, so why should motivation be important. My answer is that generally language is an integral part of growing up (which provides motivation in its own right), and is necessary to communicate