Exploring Foreign Language Learning Motivation

: Motivation is crucial for second language (SL) learners. Motivation is an important factor in second foreign language learning. It alludes to a psychological propensity for learning foreign languages. The motivation of second language learners is examined in this work by categorizing motivation, outlining the motivational variables in L2 learning, and concentrating on the various motivational types. This paper divided second language motivation (SLM) into four parts: Internal and external motivation; Integrative and instrumental motivation; General motivation and specific motivation and other motivations. Finally, the paper draws on some recent ideas about the nature of the concept.


Introduction
As learning motivation is recognized as one of the most significant drivers, the impact of the individual learner factor on the acquisition of a second language is receiving more attention in contemporary society. The most important aspect in the acquisition of a second language is learning motivation, which is described as the drive that propels and maintains students' learning behavior toward a certain goal. Learning motivation is crucial in encouraging students to pursue their desire to study and master a second language. The primary elements that directly affect whether second language acquisition is successful or unsuccessful are the stimulation and cultivation of learning motivation. Motivation is the strongest predictor of learning outcomes after language skills. Different backgrounds of language learning determine different characteristics of motivation, and there is a strong connection between context and motivation. This paper will examine the variations among various types of motivation as well as the connection between motivation and learning.

Intrinsic and Extrinsic Motivation
In psychology, as we all know, motivation is an important factor affecting language learning. Motivation and classification about motivation is the internal motivation and power. It is a kind of mental state in individuals to initiate and maintain actions. Students' learning motivation is generally divided into two categories: one is intrinsic motivation, and the second is extrinsic motivation.

Intrinsic Motivation
Intrinsic motivation (IM) is motivation driven by people's interest in learning itself, free from external temptations. They exist within individuals and are related to individual identity and well-being. Intrinsic motivation (IM) may be classified into three types: IM-Knowledge (the pleasure of learning new things), IM-Accomplishment (the pleasure of achieving goals), and IM-Stimulation are all aspects of IM (the pleasure sensed when doing the task) [1]. Knowledge is defined as the drive to learn L2, uncover new ideas, and increase knowledge, whereas achievement is the effort to complete a task or reach a target [2]. If the child is intrinsically motivated, is it necessary to give the child extra rewards? Absolutely not. or motivated children, learning gains are a reward in themselves. If parents continue to use extrinsic material rewards, it will undermine their intrinsic motivation. Additionally, teachers' motivational strategies have an indirect impact on students' intrinsic motivation, so it is important to strengthen teachers' question-asking and feedback-giving abilities [3]. In other words, if the correspondence between the action and the consequences of that is absent, learners are not likely to be motivated [4]. According to Dickinson, learners who are very motivated and confident were expected to be autonomous and autonomous learners were intrinsically motivated [5]. A high level of motivation can lead to a high level of academic performance, and a high level of academic achievement can also increase the level of motivation. These two concepts have a dialectical and unified relationship. Therefore, correct learning requires not only intrinsic motivation but also extrinsic motivation.

Extrinsic Motivation
Extrinsic motivation originates outside of the individual. Extrinsically driven learners are individuals who learn for incentives like grades or praise that are not necessarily related to the learning itself; in these cases, learning or performing well becomes necessary to obtain those rewards [6]. Extrinsic motivation can be stimulated through a system of rewards and punishments. For example, parental encouragement, rewards for completing goals, rewards for competing with other children, and other factors may become external conditions that stimulate children's extrinsic motivation to learn. Extrinsic motivation (EM) may be classified into three types: external regulation, internal regulation, and identifiable regulation. External organization refers to the actions of individuals that are determined by sources outside of the individual. Implicit regulation refers to activities that are carried out as a result of the individual incorporating some external pressure into himself. There are certain rules at the end of the continuum. Individuals with this organizational ability are motivated by personal reasons.
However, extrinsic motivation also has its drawbacks. Some pupils, for example, want to receive the instructor's prize, stay out of trouble, delight the instructor, and so forth. When students with external incentives achieve their goal, their drive to study declines; yet, in order to achieve their goals, they try to prevent failure by either choosing projects that aren't difficult or by getting depressed when they fail. There are even instances in real life where a reward is given and then withdrawn, resulting in a lower level of behavior than would have been the case if the reward had not been present. To sum up, educators should grasp and control the amount of extrinsic motivation to avoid the opposite effect.

Integrative Motivation and Instrumental Motivation
From the perspective of pedagogy. Language level, learner level, and learning scenario level are the three levels of a motivation theory for second language motivation. The degree of language is compatible with integrative and instrumental motivation theories. The theory is centered on social, cultural, and national linguistic components and general interest in foreign countries and focuses on future careers.

Integrative Motivation
The motivation for integration is that students want to participate in a certain culture. When students want to integrate into the language community, they want to participate in the public life of their country and want to be part of the community. Here, the author first clarifies the difference between integrative motivation and intrinsic motivation. Although they overlap, they are not completely consistent. For example, people acquiring a second language may be interested in the second language itself (intrinsic motivation) but will not integrate it into their own culture (integrative motivation). Students that are motivated by fusion are eager to assimilate into the culture of the foreign language and exhibit a genuine interest in both. Migrants to new countries are those who might as well join the surrounding communities. An important aspect of this form of language learning is the social interaction of language use. This is a form of motivation that is believed to be successful in language learning.

Instrumental Motivation
The goal is to obtain a certain occupation through examination or obtain new information about the country where the target language is taught, such as reading scientific literature. When using tool motivation, learners focus on "the genuine worth and benefits of learning a new language," trying to accomplish their goals by using a second language. Considering the actual situation in China, most foreign language learners have tool motivation due to the influence of the foreign language learning environment, differences between Chinese and Western languages and cultures, teaching methods, and other factors.
In short, there are significant differences between integration motivation and tool motivation. A first language and a second language are required. The latter frequently has realistic goals, whereas the former occasionally lacks distinct objectives. The former learns actively, whereas the latter learns passively. The latter is strongly tied to certain learning objectives, and its effects typically terminate when particular objectives are achieved. They both contribute significantly to language learning despite their stark disparities.

General Motivation and Specific Motivation
In recent years, more and more researchers have tended to combine learning, cognition, and motivation theories, which also promotes the development of the field of conceptual change and student motivation. Based on the theories in these two areas, Brophy divided learning motivation into general motivation, and special motivation, which is performed under a specific stimulus [7].

General Motivation to Learn
General motivation to learn is a trait that can be retained over a long period. According to this feature, learning is regarded as a valuable thing, and learners can realize their value and get happiness in the process, to generate positive learning motivation. Even in the face of more difficult problems, learners can actively respond to them and try to solve them. In addition, such students are motivated to learn in all learning activities, not only in all intellectual subjects but also in skilled ones. They never slack off even in extracurricular activities.

Specific Motivation to Learn
Specific motivation to learn is a state that only appears in specific situations. Sometimes this can be a goal or a task, sometimes this is a desire to acquire the knowledge or skill to be taught. These students tend to be motivated to study only a few subjects and pay little attention to others. In the analysis of experimental data, the authors adopted a coding system to measure task engagement from three aspects: behavioral engagement, cognitive engagement, and interest or intrinsic motivation. Thus, five patterns of classroom motivation were proposed, which are respectively: the four categories of motivation to learn science are: intrinsically motivated to study science, motivated to learn science, intrinsically motivated but inconsistent, uninspired to learn science, and negatively motivated. According to the result, both Patterns 1 and Patterns 2 showed a general tendency toward science learning motivation, but the orientation was different.
Furthermore, the result of Pattern 3 showed that intrinsic motivation can be generated only for special tasks, rather than for all subject areas, which is different from the results of previous studies: motivation research often assumes that intrinsic motivation is a general disposition in a subject area [8]. This is one of the authors' main innovations. Although the paper only studied the motivation of the specific subject of science, it still found that the degree of motivation of the subjects was different when they participated in different tasks through three measures.
The main difference between these two types of learning motivation lies in whether there are any subjects in which the student does not have learning motivation. Although it exists, it is not completely equipped with learning motivation, which is ascribed to the category of specific motivation to learn, and vice versa. However, the study still has room for improvement. The author only studied science in the classroom context, ignoring the influence of teaching variables, such as curriculum, instruction, and teachers [9].

The Second Language (L2) Motivation Self-system
In the early stages of research on L2 motivation, most studies were based on the theory proposed by Gardner and Lambert, which creates and describes the components of "Instrumental Motivation" and the interrelationships inherent in these components [10]. Dörnyei and Kormos, however, concluded that the traditional category of "instrumental" failed to take into consideration the utilitarian dimension, for example, traveling, making foreign friends, or enjoying songs with lyrics written in foreign languages. Thus, "incentive value" is used to describe this dimension of motivation [11]. Gardner and Lambert, from a sociolinguistic perspective, classified motivation for foreign language learning into "instrumental motivation" and "integration motivation". However, according to Dörnyei's research, integrativeness is closely linked to two completely unrelated factors, "faceless" practical incentives and "personal" perspectives toward L2 community speakers. [12]. A more expansive definition of "Integrativeness" is needed in order to interpret the integrativeness content to account for both variables. And a "self" framework was used to outline the L2 Motivational Self System (L2MSS)'s components.
The L2MSS views motivation as an important factor process in initiating and maintaining a second language (L2) and focuses on the motivational psychology of L2 learners from three elements: ideal L2 self, ought-to L2 self, and L2 learning experience. These 3 measures of research have significant implications for L2 acquisition motivation [13].
"Ideal L2 Self" refers to a learner's "ideal self" in terms of L2 competence. Because of the desire to close the gap between one's real and ideal selves, the "Ideal L2 Self" provides a significant motivation to learn the L2. This is true if the person wants to speak a second language [15]. This component is related to L2 learners' self-expectancy and/or their identification as successful L2 learners. The greater the "Ideal L2 Self" level, the more motivated the learner. The "Ideal L2 Self" is the relabeled "integrativeness" because the interpretation of the latter is limited. This component addresses the often-used internalized instrumental and integrative motives. "Ought-to L2 Self" contains two dimensions: a) the capacity one believed he or she should have to live up to expectations; b) to avoid negative outcomes. However, Dörnyei states that this type of possible self does not provide so much guidance as the "Ideal L2 Self" does because the ought-to L2 self stands for the default situation [14]. The description of this type of self is compatible with Higgin's theory, where he uses "ought-to self" to refer to a person's portrayal of the qualities they believe they should possess, as different from their desires or wishes [15].
The term "L2 Learning Experience" refers to situational, "executive" motives about the current learning environment and experiences. This component includes the influence of instructors, classmates, and curriculums. Furthermore, the "L2 Learning Experience" is defined at a different level than the "Ideal L2 Self" and "Ought-to L2 Self." The self-difference theory, which in turn contains the "ideal self" and the "ought-to self," is just one of the psychological theories that make up the L2MSS theory. While there has been a sizable amount of research on the "Ideal L2 Self" and "Ought-to L2 Self," the "self" part of the "L2 Learning Experience" has received little attention.

Conclusion
This paper expounds on the motivation for second language acquisition from four levels, which are divided into internal motivation and external motivation, integration motivation, instrumental motivation, universal motivation, special motivation, and other motivation. This paper creatively divides the second language learning motivation into four types and expounds them separately. It also combs the previous research results and puts forward the author's views with critical thinking. The classification of reasons for learning a second language is not apparent, and each reason is not fully explained, due to manpower, material resources, and research time constraints. In my future work, school, and personal life, the authors hope it can be further developed.