Journal of Research in Innovative Teaching - National University

they wanted to communicate with their instructors and classmates and that their teachers had
motivated them to communicate in the L2, thus acquiring high levels of proficiency. Many
participants also identified “self confidence as language learner” as a factor influencing their
motivation in the L2. These results seem to suggest that the influence of the L2 instructor and his
or her methodology is crucial to successful L2 acquisition.
The data from the Likert-scale seemed to support the original conclusions from the language
learner autobiographies, as well as the selected literature.
Discussion
Through a comprehensive review of past and present literature on L2 motivation, along with data
gathered from four highly proficient L2 learners, this study identified several motivational and
attitudinal factors that seem to lead to high levels of fluency. The major findings are, as follow:
1. Teachers make a difference in L2 motivation. All participants discussed the type of
teachers they had worked with. Most gave examples of positive interaction that had
led to a love of the L2 language and culture. Not one participant cited the textbook or
curricular program as having a similar positive influence. This finding strongly
supports Dornyei & Skehan’s (2003) notion that the way a learner feels about the
learning environment will highly affect his/her L2 acquisition. Further, the majority
of participants described a strong intrinsic motivation to learn their L2. This
motivation seemed to be connected to their positive interactions with their L2
teachers and the L2 community. One might conclude that teachers can promote both
an intrinsic motivation and an integrative orientation in L2 students that will likely
lead to higher levels of proficiency.
2. Learning activities are significant and should correspond to the methodological
approach. Participants all discussed the types of learning activities that they
experienced in the L2 classroom. Three of the four participants described interactive,
engaging activities that motivated them to communicate in the L2. The fourth
participant also mentioned the learning activities as influencing motivation, though in
a negative way. His experience with the grammar-translation approach was, in his
words, “a waste of time.” Again, this data supports the review of literature, which
concludes that the way a learner views the method of instruction (either engaging or
ineffective) will have an influence on L2 motivation
3. L2 Culture is important. The question of culture was a major theme in the
autobiographies, but it did not seem to play as influential a role in English as a
Foreign Language (EFL) settings, as in ESL contexts, though the fourth participant
did emphasize that, in Russia, it has always been considered prestigious and
advantageous to speak a foreign language. Thus, culture was a motivational factor.
Nevertheless, more data would need to be collected to further explore the constructs
presented in the literature review regarding the key role that culture seems to play in
L2 motivation.
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