Rationale for L2 motivation theory

Task 3: Rationale for L2 motivation theory

Motivation in language learning can be seen as the desires and needs that fuel and direct behavior in the process of language learning ( Anjomshoa, L, Sadighi, F,2015). Without developing  desires and needs in L2 learning process, the reasoning behind engaging in language learning process would be rather meaningless and vague. Therefore, the study of motivation has its premises in social psychological theories, as societies in the 1930s sought to understand what people want, why they want it, and how to manipulate these wants( Ryan, Henry, Csizer. 2019). Later at the mid of the twentieth century, the reflection of these social psychological theories offered  an explanatory power in the field of second language acquisition. Then,L2 motivation theory started to receive  a great scholarly attention, and for this reason motivation has been conceived ever sinceas a major affective factor in L2 learning (Sadighi et al, 2015).

Motivation provides a strong explanatory power for success in L2 learning. Most practitioners and researchers in the field of second language acquisition conceptualize motivation as an affective factor that determines the rate of success in L2 learning. Moreover, motivation provides a stimulus to engage learners in language learning process and later direct and sustain positive attitudes in the long-term process of L2 learning. Motivation determines how active and positive is the learner’s engagement in language learning process, as well as how positive are learners in interacting with native speakers and how maintain these skills language learning experience is over. (Sadighi et al, 2015).

However,  motivation in language learning is a very complex construct. The complexity of L2 motivation manifests in understanding the influence of motivation in ,almost, all psychological factors of L2learning  success. In this respect, motivation research in psycholinguistics has been the most intensively studied factor among other individual differences factors. This surge of research in motivation theory has resulted in an exponential diversity of theories and models in L2 motivation. These diversity of motivation theories and models  provide different aspects of motivation L2 research(Sadighi et al, 2015).Anyhow, most of these models and theories are implemented on either learning English as a second language or learning language other than English; such as, European languages or Chinese. Yet, there have been a few attempts to synthesize any of the L2 motivation theories and models with learning Arabic as second  language.

In fact, replicating L2 motivation theory recent trends and discoveries in Learning Arabic as L2, would profoundly revolutionized the understanding of successful Arabic learning as L2. Enriching the literature of L2 motivation research in the field of learning Arabic as L2 ,at a national level,  will definitely have a major impact on the field in three ways, namely; providing learners with sufficient learning strategies,  developing effective teaching methods that primary scaffold unmotivated learners, and designing successful and effectivelanguage curriculum.