The article "Motivation as a contributing factor in second language acqusition",by S.Neelakandan ,Lecturer,JJCollege of Engineering and Technology Trichy, explores Gardiners socio-educational model and the significance of motivation as a contributing factor in second language acqusition.Motivation is divided into two basic types:Integrative and Instrumental.Integrative motivation is characterised by the learners possitive attitude towards the target language group and the desire to integrate into the target language community.Instrumental motivationunderlies the goal to gain some social or economic reward through L2 achievement.
Gardiners Socio-educational Model was largely influenced by Mower950.Gardiner in his Socia-educational model,identified a number of factors which are inter related with learning a second language.It looks second language acqusition in a structured classroomand attempts to to inter relate the four features of L2 acqusition.These include,The social and cultural mileu,individual learnerdifferences,the setting or context and lingustic outcomes.
The second phase of Gardners model introduces the four individual differences influencing second language acqusition like variables of intellegence,language aptitude,motivation and situational anxiety.Motivation is the learners orientation with regard to goal,it is of two types Instrumental motivation and integrative motivation.Integrative motivation sustain long term sucess when learning a second language, whereas Instrunental motivationwill be sucessful in a situation where the learner is provided no opportunity to use the target language.As motivation is an important factor in imparting language,a combination of both will assist sucessful acqusition of second language.
The author suggests teachers to make language learning a more motivating experience by developing programmes which maintain students interests and have obstinate short term goals, interesting lessons,etc.It is important for the instructor to take advantage of the discussion points to help the students.
Motivation always remain as an important factor when examining second language acqusition..The introduction of English language as a subject in elementary school help to motivate students further.
