In this course, participants will become familiar with major theories of motivation that offer insights into how motivation functions in second (world, additional, and foreign language) settings. Empirical findings from a broad range of learning contexts will be reviewed reflecting student interests and exploration. (Issues of research methodology will emerge accordingly.) While motivation is and has been a “hot” topic in applied linguistics, the course content will take a wide (somewhat cross-disciplinary) and long-term (historical) view, as well as one which is to some extent skeptical and critical in nature. Nevertheless, a major focus of the course will be on reviewing ways in which motivation interacts with what actually happens both in second language classrooms and in other social and individual and non-formal L2 learning contexts, including the identification of strategies for enhancing motivation.
Department of Second Language Studies
University of Hawaii at Manoa