A critical review of Gardner’s and Dornyei’s motivational orientations

Abstract

Motivation has been long regarded as one of the prominent factors affecting second language acquisition. Numerous studies have been conducted to see what plays the most important role in learning a language over the years (Dornyei, 1994, p.273). The studies of L2 motivation were mostly inspired by the works of two psychologists, Robert Gardner and Wallace Lambert, with their socio-psychological approach (ibid). This paper will focus on the notions of integrative and instrumental motivational approach in accordance with Gardner’s and Dornyei’s view, their relevance in today's society, and empirical studies being conducted within this field. It appears that each study in L2 motivation offers different result and each researcher offers different theoretical framework in which it portrays the nature of motivation as being dynamic and not restricted (Dornyei, 2006). However, it can be argued that the notion of integrative and instrumental motivation contribute a huge influence on L2 motivation research over the past decades. With the development of L2 motivation research, it is expected that more practical guidelines in improving learners’ motivation in classroom context will be uncovered.