Investigating Motivation in Language Learning among University Students

Abstract

Motivation, or the desire to learn, has been extensively studied for decades by many linguists and teachers because of its vast array of insights as far as language learning is concerned, and because of its acknowledgment as one of the most prominent factors in educational settings. In fact, we are living in an age where the desire to learn languages, and specifically English, has been pushed to its most explicit limit. In this article, I will talk about a study which I carried out with my third year students and which deals with some important aspects of SDT (The Self-Determination theory)- a theory that views motivation both intrinsically and extrinsically. Intrinsic motivation is a construct that reflects the human propensity to learn. However, extrinsic motivation is thought to reflect external control or self-regulation.