二语习得论文.docx

1、二语习得论文二语习得论文College of Foreign Languages and LiteratureNorthwest Normal University题目： Motivation and Second Language Acquisition 班级： 12级英语5班 姓名： 王文秀 任课教师： 曹依民 提交日期： 2015年7月3日 Motivation and Second Language Acquisition摘 要在对第二语言学习的研究中，学习动机被认为是语言学习者个体因素中最具能动性的因素之一，它受到了众多研究者和教育工作者的关注。随着全球化的发展，第二语言的重要性显而

2、易见。这就要求我们要深入研究了解动机与第二语言学习。本文将从理论和实际应用的角度研究第二语言习得中的动机问题。本文先从学习动机的定义出发阐述不同语言学家对动机不同角度的定义，包括被语言学家公认为合理的由Gardner & Lambert所下的定义，以及从人本主义角度出发的马斯洛的需求理论中对动机的定义，从而发现这些定义的局限性。在阐述定义的基础上，文章从行为主义、人本主义及认知角度分别运用强化理论、需求理论及归因理论来研究及分析动机，说明对第二语言研究的意义。随后采用语言学家Keller对影响学习动机的四大主要因素的划分，从兴趣、相关性、期待及对结果的满意度简要阐述影响学习的因素及其影响。本文

3、旨在帮助第二positive state of psychology in learning activity. Regarded as one important element in language learning, motivation has been explored for more than fifty years by a lot of linguists, but the awkward situation still exists in present language learning setting. Many experts have done a lot of

4、research around it and made contributions to it.With the development of globalization, the importance of the second language acquisition is obvious. So it is necessary for us to profound motivation and second language acquisition. This paper aims to explore and analyses language learning motivation

5、from different perspectives: behaviorism, humanism and cognition, making reference to various classifications and definitions of motivation. The thesis is made up of six parts besides an introduction, a conclusion and a bibliography. Part two is literature review. Part three presents some basic theo

6、ries in motivation. In this part, behaviorism, humanism and cognition are discussed. Part four is analysis of factors affecting motivation in detail. It consists of interest, relevance, expectance and satisfaction or outcomes.This paper pays attention on three questions:1.What is the definition of m

7、otivation?2.What are factors affecting motivation?3.How does the motivation affect second language acquisition?2. Literature reviewAlthough the term motivation is frequently used in education contexts, there is little agreement among experts as to its exact meaning. Various definitions of motivation

8、 have been proposed over the course of decades of research. What we concern about motivation is mainly confined to EFL study, so we should put our emphasis on specific category. From the middle of 20th century, especially around 1990s, new definitions appeared with the developments in psychology. Mo

9、tivation was then redefined as a dynamic process rather than a static inner state. However, there is still disagreement about the definition of motivation. 2.1 Definitions of MotivationMotivation is one of the main determinants of second language learning achievement and, accordingly, the last three

10、 decades have seen a considerable amount of research investigating the nature and role of motivation in the L2 learning process. Much of this research has been initiated and inspired by two Canadian psychologists, Robert Gardner and Wallace Lambert, who, together with their colleagues and students,

11、grounded motivation research in a social psychological framework. 2.1.1 Gardners DefinitionIts the fact that Gardners definition of motivation in Second Language Acquisition (SLA) is the best known, frequently-quoted and under revision with the time passing. Gardner and Lambert (1972) define motivat

12、ion in terms of the L2 learners overall goal or orientation. Gardner also proposed that all these three components were necessary to properly describe motivation in language learning. Any single one of them cannot reflect true motivation, so they must co-exist with each other. Eight years later, Gar

13、dner and Maclntyre (1993) defined motivation as the desire to achieve a goal, effort extended in this direction and satisfaction with the task. Gardners definition is based on social psychology stressing the social nature of L2 learning. In his view, apart from learning grammar and language skills,

14、the learning of an L2 involves an alteration in self-image, the adoption of new social and cultural behaviors which have a significant impact on the social nature of the learner. As we know, Gardner and his colleagues researches are conducted among typically bilingual setting-Canada, where learners

15、language learning is greatly influenced by the learners attitude towards the target language, therefore there is inevitable limitations existing in this definition by nature. Besides its shortcomings, Gardner and his colleagues had made great contributions to the motivation research in the late 1980

16、s; other theorists began to challenge his theory and re-conceptualize the construct of L2 learning motivation.2.1.2 Browns DefinitionBrown (1981) identifies three types of motivation: (1) global motivation, which consists of a general orientation to the goal of learning a L2; (2) situational motivat

17、ion, which varies according to the situation in which learning takes place (the motivation associated with classroom learning is distinct from the motivation involved in naturalistic learning); (3) task motivation, which is the motivation for performing particular learning tasks.2.1.3Williams and Bu

18、rdens DefinitionWilliams and Burden (1997) defined motivation as a state of cognitive and emotional arousal, which leads to a conscious decision to act, and which gives rise to a period of sustained intellectual and/or physical effort, in order to attain a previously set goal or goals.” In order to

19、make this definition more clearly, Williams and Burden (1997) presented a three-stage model of interactive factors within the social context: reasons for doing something-deciding to do something-sustaining the effort or persisting.From this model, we can see that firstly there must be some reasons t

20、o impel learners to undertake a particular activity; secondly, we should consider what is actually involved in deciding to do something and an individual may have strong reasons for doing something but without taking actual action; thirdly, people need to sustain the effort required to complete the

21、activity. In this model, deciding to do something plays a central role.2.1.4 Maslows DefinitionAccording to Maslow, motivation is constant, never ending, fluctuating and complex, and it is an almost universal characteristic of particularly every organic state of affairs.” And his need theory can cle

22、arly and satisfactorily explain the language learners motivation in all the learning environments. The need hierarchy is as follows (S.S.Chauhan, 1985): 2.1. 5 Dornyei and Ottos DefinitionDornyei and Otto (1998) stated that in a general sense, motivation can be defined as the dynamically changing in

23、itiates, directs, coordinates, amplifies, cumulative arousal in a person that terminates and evaluates the cognitive processes whereby initial wishes and desires are selected, prioritized, operationalized and successfully or unsuccessfully acted out In this definition, motivation is viewed as a dyna

24、mic process in which many variables influence the learners performance but they do not mention the sustaining of the learning motivation.2.1. 6 Kellers DefinitionKeller (1983) defined motivation as Motivation refers to the choices people make as to what experiences or goals they will approach or avo

25、id, and the degree of effort they will exert in this respect. Besides definitions given above, Kanfer and Ackerman (1989) made it more explicit by defining motivation as the direction of attentional effort, the proportion of total attentional effort directed to the task (intensity), and the extent t

26、o which attentional effort toward the task is maintained over time (or persistence). Oxford defined motivation as what makes students want to learn languages and what causes them to put forth the effort to persist in this difficult adventure (Oxford, 1996, p. 1). According to H.W Bernard, motivation

27、 refers to all those phenomena which are involved in the stimulation of action towards particular objectives where previously there was little or no movement towards those goals.In view of all these definitions, we can get the information that language learning motivation is the reason for learning

28、the language, the central force or inner power that impulses people to go in the language learning process, how much conscious intellectual and physical effort the learners make to attain a previously set goal and how long the learner keeps this effort.3. Theories on MotivationMotivation is a vast a

29、nd complicated subject with many theories in educational psychology. The main approaches are behavioral, humanistic and cognitive ones, which highlight different dimensions of motivation. However, there is no absolutely, straightforwardly and unanimously accepted concept of motivation, let alone the

30、 description of its nature within one framework. Different from the instinct theory studying the innate characteristics of motivation born in human beings, the behaviorism attaches more importance to the external factors for the study of motivation.3.1 BehaviorismBehaviorism, a theory about animal a

31、nd human learning way which only focuses on objectively observable behaviors and discounts mental activities, has an important impact on psychology, education and language teaching.Behaviorists like Skinner take the notion that behavior is a function of its consequences, so the learners will repeat

32、the desired behavior if positive reinforcement (a pleasant consequence) follow the behavior. Behaviorists prefer to explain human behaviors with formula S-R, believing motivation is a kind of impulsive force aroused by outside stimuli. According to Skinner, motivated behavior results from the consequences of the similar previous behavior and in other words, the consequences of previous behavior influence learners. Once learners obtain positive reinforcement for certain behavior, they tend to repeat it with vigor, vice versa learn