Motivation & anxiety in SLA

1. Motivation & anxiety in SLA Dr Gabriela Meier

2. Objectives • Review language learner strategies (LLS) in peer groups • Critically engage with learning contexts presented by peers • Gain an initial understanding of L2 motivational theories and theories related to anxiety

3. Motivation

4. What motivates you?  • Think about your main motivation to learn an L2? • Talk to others and form groups according to your main motivation.

5. What motivates your students? (Cook, 1996:95)

6. Two dimensions of motivation Integrative motivation: Affinity with the TL community The learner’s desire to identify with the TL culture Instrumental motivation: L2 is learnt as a means to an end, not for its own sake For utilitarian purposes: e.g. To get a better job, to pass an exam, to enter university. (Gardner & Lambert, 1972)

7. Another important dichotomy: Intrinsic motivation: Deriving from the personal needs and interests of the learner e.g. Curiosity; enjoyment at learning L2 Extrinsic motivation Provided by the learning situation / teacher / course book / tasks / exercises / influence of parents / etc. (Brown 2000) Notes:a) These types of motivation are not mutually exclusive. b) Motivation can be influenced by many other factors.

8. A.H. Maslow, A Theory of Human Motivation, Psychological Review 50(4) (1943):370-96. (See also: Straubhaar & LaRose, 2000)

9. Krashen’s input hypothesis 1980s (Based on UG)

10.                                                                                                                                are drawn to What is motivation?

11. A motivated student is one who… • Wants to achieve a certain goal; • Experiences satisfaction when engaged in activities associated with achieving that goal; • Gains satisfaction from the achievement of the goal. • (Gardner, 1985)

12. (Williams & Burden, 2000:120)

13. Motivation expressed as formula Effort + Desire to Achieve a Goal + Attitudes = motivation Skehan (1989:54) attitudes are defined as: ‘An evaluative reaction to some referent or attitude object, inferred on the basis of the individual’s beliefs or opinions about the referent.’ (Gardner, 1985:9)

14. The definition researchers agree on: Motivation concerns direction and magnitude of human behaviour Based on Dörnyei (2011)

15. (Brown, 2000:162)

16. History of L2 motivation theory

17. Social psychological period Gardner (1985: • Motivational intensity or effort • Desire to learn the language • Attitudes towards learning the language Based on bilingual situation in Canada

18. Conceptualisation of integrative motive

19. Cognitive situated period Trends: • Bring language motivation research in line with cognitive revolution in mainstream motivational psychology • Move from integrative views and attitudinal explanations to more situated analysis of motivation in specific learning contexts.

21. Tremblay and Gardner 1995

22. Dörnyei’s framework of L2 motivation 1994

23. (Williams & Burden, 2000:140)

24. Process-oriented period Increasing interest in: • Changing motivation over time • Successive stages of motivational process

25. (Williams & Burden, 2000:121)

26. A temporal view of L2 motivation

27. From process-oriented to socio-dynamic perspectives • Based on view that L2 motivation is not a linear process Linear models seek to explain cause and effect, and make predictions (based on positivist ontology)

28. Socio-dynamic system models

29. Complexity is not new! (cited in Dörnyei, 2001:13)

30. Dichotomous models of motivation (e.g. instrumental vs. integrative, intrinsic vs. extrinsic) are too simplistic. • Our view of motivation must take into account multiple factors. • Demotivating factors (e.g. high affective filter, poor or negative attitudes, feelings of inferiority) vs. motivators (e.g. fear of ridicule, need to provide for a family) ‘An investment in the target language is also an investment in a learner’s own identity, an identity which is constantly changing across time and space.’ (Norton, 2000:7) Next topic

31. Csizér and Dörnyei (2005:30) Redefinition of L2 motivation: • “as the desire to achieve one’s ideal language self by reducing the discrepancy between one’s actual and ideal selves. “ This is dependent on: • “the learner’s ability to develop a salient vision of the self as an agreeable, competent, and successful L2 user. “

32. What demotivates students? • What demotivates you to learn an L2? • What demotivates your students?

33. Demotivation/demotivational factors ‘teacher’s personal relationship with the students • (i.e. lack of caring, general belligerence, hypercriticism and patronage/favoritism); the teacher’s attitude towards the course or the material • (i.e. lack of enthusiasm, sloppy management and close-mindedness); style conflicts between teacher and students • (i.e. conflicts about the structure or detail, conflicts about the power distance of the class); the nature of the classroom activities • (i.e. irrelevance, overload, and repetitiveness). • Oxford 1998

34. Demotivation (Dörnyei 2001)

35. Motivation and significant others • Parents • Context (policy/environment) • Peers • Teachers

36. Parental attitude (Izzo, 1982:8)

37. Policy Education = function of government (Torres 1998) - language acquisition (and status) planning Which languages are given status in society/school? • India – trilingual language policy • Kazakhstan – trilingual language policy • Luxembourg – trilingual language policy • EU – 1+2 (mother tongue + 2 other languages) • UK? • Your country?

38. 2002 MFL dropped at 14-16 Debbie Andalo Education Guardian, Monday 12 March 2007 13.00 GMT Modern languages [in England] were dropped as a compulsory subject for 14 to 16-year-olds in 2002, despite protests from teachers and other organisations with an interest in promoting language. This year's GCSE results reflected a fall in the number of teenagers choosing to study a modern language. The number of candidates studying French fell by 13.2% compared with last year, while those teenagers opting for German fell by 14.2%. There was also a small fall in students choosing GCSE Spanish.

41. (Tsui, 1996a)

42. Peer pressure (cited in Izzo, 1982:9)

43. Peers as reference group “Maintaining face is a central concern for most school children: for them school is the most important social arena and their peers are the main reference group.” (Dörnyei 2011:121)

44. Teacher attitudes • Attitudes held by the teacher have considerable influence on a student’s achievement. Izzo 1982:9 Teacher attitudes towards …are closely related to achievement • Language per se • The language taught • The students • Their language learning Savignion 1976, Burstall 1975

45. What can teachers do to motivate students? Some suggestions: (Dörnyei, 1998)

46. Motivational strategies • Creating the basic motivational conditions • Generating initial motivation • Maintaining and protecting motivation • Encouraging positive self-evaluation  “Some of the most motivating teachers often rely on a few basic techniques!”

47. Motivational strategies Dörnyei, Z. (2007) Motivational Strategies in the Language Classroom (8th ed.). Cambridge: CUP. “What we need is quality rather than quantity. A few well chosen strategies that suit both you and your learners might … creat[e] an overall positive motivational climate in the classroom. “ • Invitation to try it out (Dörnyei 2007:136-145) • See hand-out

48. Recap • Main points about motivation??

49. Anxiety

50. Q: What aspects of SLA are likely to cause anxiety? • Some possible sources of language anxiety: • public performance • peer comparison • competitiveness • desire to gain teacher’s approval • tests • importance of task • learner’s own targets (perfectionism?) • particular L2 contexts