Are you thinking about learning a language? Perhaps you’ve decided that it’s time to dust off your classroom French. Maybe you’re planning a trip to Japan and feel like you should make the effort to learn the basics, or work is sending you to the Cairo office for a year and you’ll need Arabic.
Learning a language is a hugely worthwhile endeavor, but two things are certain: it will take a while, and motivation will be crucial.
I research language learners’ motivation, using what is known as self-determination theory to measure motivation. This theory proposes that there is a continuum of motivation.
The continuum starts from the least motivated – “amotivation” – where you might resist doing a task, perhaps because you can’t see its value. The highest form of motivation is “intrinsic motivation”, which means you do something because you find it fun.
In between, along the continuum, there are different forms of motivation. Our motivation increases as we perceive the activity to be more and more aligned with our own beliefs and values.
Self-determination theory is increasingly popular among researchers looking to explore language learning. It tells us that if you are learning a language because you think it’s important to you – because it fits with your beliefs and values – then you will want to do it. It’s not enough to know that language learning might be a good thing in the abstract; you need to find personal relevance in it.
You can try to build this motivation by setting yourself goals that revolve around connecting meaningfully with others – such as improving your ability to communicate with friends, family or colleagues in their language.
You are more likely to persevere and to do better if this is your motivation to learn, than if you are doing something for a more controlled, external reason, for example, because your boss expects it. It’s likely to make you feel happier, too.
This is why compulsory language learning in schools doesn’t necessarily yield the results we might hope for. Students often don’t have a sense of autonomy about undertaking the study in the first place.
Keep going
As well as feeling that you’re studying for your own goals, other important factors can keep you motivated on your language journey.
One key factor is known as relatedness. This means having positive relationships with those around you – your teacher, your classmates, your friends and family – and helps you thrive and find meaning in what you’re doing. If your partner supports your language learning and encourages you, you’ll be more likely to find that you’re keen to continue.
Another is competence. This is not about being the best at everything, but about feeling capable. So even if you’re a beginner, you can feel a sense of competence if you take your learning step by step and feel confident in your ability before moving on.
If language learning app Duolingo, for instance, has been telling you you’re “amazing” and the lesson is “no match for you”, you may well feel enthused to continue.
Duolingo has been incredibly popular as a way to learn a language, either instead of or alongside traditional methods such as books and lessons. Part of the model of this and other language learning apps is to reward users at every turn – for using the app on consecutive days, for completing a certain number of exercises, and even for engaging at certain times of the day.
But self-determination theory research tells us that rewards can also be demotivating. When life gets in the way or you find a lesson particularly hard and the rewards stop, you may feel adrift. The best way to find the will to keep going is to find that personal reason to learn – and remind yourself of it when the going is tough.
Abigail Parrish is a lecturer in education at the University of Sheffield in England.
The Conversation is an independent and nonprofit source of news, analysis and commentary from academic experts.
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15 Comments
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Sven Asai
Forget it immediately, if you don’t have the intrinsic motivation as described in the article. Every learning REQUIRES that intrinsic motivation, otherwise you won’t ever have the needed or expected results.
Nibek32
The article is basically just saying: ganbare!
餓死鬼
Motivation and my own laziness has always been a bit of a problem for me. I also can't really do textbooks or self study (with apps or whatever) very well either before I lose focus. Would probably do better practicing and conversing with others in a casual setting (not at work). As a result, I'm in a strange place regarding secondary languages. I can speak some Cantonese as it's the only language I use with my family, some Mandarin (but almost no chance to practice this), and a piddly amount of Japanese (though I know some things in Japanese that I don't know in Chinese and vice versa). I know one day what I'm lacking might come back to bite me on the backside, but I still can't give myself the kick up said backside to improve my language skills and, probably the worst thing, I don't feel particularly bad about it.
Redemption
Get a girlfriend.
CuteUsagi
I am extremely surprised at how few foreigners living here never really grasp Japanese. Kind of sad. It really limits the experience of being here.
Redemption
So what.
Strangerland
Pretty much everyone comes to Japan with the intention to learn and study. But many don't want to actually put in the effort to do so. They arrive and say 'I'll start studying when I settle in', but by the time they've settled in, they've learned the coping mechanisms of how to get by in society when you have the comprehension of a 1-year old.
One thing I've noticed, none of the bitter, Japan haters I've ever met, had an advanced understanding of Japanese. And all the people I know who settled into Japan well and aren't all Japan hatey, have learned Japanese at a high level. Of course there are exceptions to both these rules - haters who can speak Japanese do exists, as well as people who have settled well in Japan who don't speak Japanese. But they are the exception.
albaleo
Distant memories of my first months in Japan with limited Japanese ability. I don't know how to say, "Where is the nearest alcohol store?", but I know how to say, "Do you have beer?" and "Where?" So I walk into a woman's clothing store and use what I know and get pointed to the right place. So I'd say intrinsic motivation is beer. Others may disagree.
I guess we all have different ideas of "really grasp". I'm not sure I really grasp English, although I'm considered a native speaker.
And now I'm wondering if there's a difference between learning a language and using a language.
Jimizo
How long have they stayed or plan to stay for?
If you plan to stay short-term ( a year or two ), I wouldn’t invest the time beyond the basics. No disrespect intended here, but Japanese isn’t the most useful language worldwide.
As for long-term, I find the idea of living long-term in a country and not being at least functional in the language a bit sad to be honest.
Strangerland
Well, it means self motivation. It doesn't have to be for fun. In fact, many of the most worthwhile achievements, driven from intrinsic motivation, are not fun at all.
Strangerland
More than sad; it's rude. They're putting the burden on society to learn how to figure out how to communicate with them, rather than making the effort to communicate in the language of the land they have chosen to reside in.
If you've been in Japan more than 2-years and can't have a polite conversation with someone who speaks no English, and aren't focusing a good portion of your free time on improving, you're a burden on society.
Jimizo
I’m a bit lazy.
I’m studying Spanish these days which can be useful to me, but I don’t pat myself on the back too hard as I remembered the basics from school.
Not too sure if I have the drive or application to learn a new language from the basics now.
餓死鬼
Maybe you're not lazy as such, but just struggle to motivate yourself to do things you don't find fun? That's me, anyway. Can barely spend twenty minutes on a textbook, but going for a long bike ride on a whim or spending five hours straight drawing something when I feel like it? No problem.
That's cool. I think French was the compulsory second language when I was doing GCSEs (maybe some schools offered Spanish, German or some other). Barely remember any French other than random vocabulary and sentences, despite it being the language I probably had the most actual classes for. Never ended up using it, after all. Knowing some Chinese does help a bit with deducing how some Japanese kanji combinations might sound.
Au2000
I started with basic small language booklet to talk to Nihonjin Fishermen. Some words , not the correct way to say or ask questions. I moved on to video tapes to listen on how to speak correctly. Found a special friend that lives in Japan all her life. Talking to someone, learning their language, seem to help me learn , what i will remember, Instead of repeating what is written. 2 years learning, i am very slow to learn. But maybe by next year, will be better at it. Reading about History and Geography of a country, helps me learn and remember too. I had 1 year of Spanish in High school. Still can remember some Spanish 40 years later. Maybe never to late to learn?
opheliajadefeldt
I am learning English and living with my English girlfriend in the UK, I get along with it mostly, but some of the word spellings are baffling, there are 3 spellings for To, or Two, or Too, and there is By/buy/bye, and there are 7 different meanings to the word Raise. Plus, all the different accents, I understand people in the south of the UK but anywhere else is not the same. .......ps even now I always spell 'would' or 'could' as wood and cood.