The Journal of Educational Development

JED 7 (3) 2019 : 173 - 177

http://journal.unnes.ac.id/sju/index.php/jed

The Roles of Motivation in the English Language Learning

Danin Christianto, Ivena Karin

Sanata Dharma University, Indonesia

Article Info Abstract

Article History :
English has become one of the global languages which is used in many fields,
Received June 2019
Accepted July 2019 including in the field of education. In Indonesia, especially, English is
Published October 2019 considered as a foreign language which means that this language is not
Keywords: always used in daily lives, only in certain conditions or situations.
English as a Foreign Considering the issue, the rate of English language learning and practice is
Language (EFL), learning, still low. In order to learn English, learners require motivation so that they
motivation.
can be successful in learning the language. Therefore, the roles of motivation
is very crucial during the teaching and learning process. Previously, some of
the researches stated that external or instrumental motivation was the one
which drove learners to learn English in countries where this language was
considered as a foreign language. The result implicated that motivation which
dominated the English language learning process was instrumental
motivation. It means that such a motivation was the foundation which
encouraged learners to learn English in order to get good scores in schools,
get jobs, pass examination, and pursue careers. On the other hand, in
countries where English is used as a second language, learners learn English
are directly motivated because of the inner needs to learn and develop their
English skills. In addition, external factors, like environment and media, also
play important roles in motivating learners to learn English.

© 2019 Universitas Negeri Semarang


Correspondence : p-ISSN 2085-4943
Sanata Dharma University
Jl. Affandi, Santren, Caturtunggal, Kecamatan. Depok, e-ISSN 2502-4469
Kabupaten Sleman, Daerah Istimewa Yogyakarta, 55281
E-mail: [email protected]
 Danin Christianto & Ivena Karin / The Journal of Educational Development 7 (3) 2019 : 173 - 177

INTRODUCTION How is the impact of globalisation towards

the English language learning viewed from the
In Indonesia, English is considered as a perspective of second language acquisition?
foreign language which is studied as a part of the Second language acquisition can be defined
curriculum starting from the elementary level up as the way of how a person learns a language
to the higher education level. As a foreign besides his or her native language whether inside
language, English is used informally, which or outside the classroom (Ellis, 2006, p. 3).
means that this language is not always used Many people contend that language
whether in the society or classroom during the acquisition can be seen from how well
teaching and learning process (except in students’communication skill develops as well as
International standard schools or English how fluent they are in communicating by using
faculties) but as a language used to study certain the second language. In general, however, Second
field disciplines. Due to the role of English as a Language Acquisition (SLA) does not focus on
Foreign Language (EFL), the students’ interest in communication aspects of a language but rather
learning this language is certainly influenced by on the formal characteristics of a language. How
several factors such as internal or external factors, to pronounce words from the second language
for example. Motivation is one of the important and how accent can change as the time goes by,
factors which is responsible to students’ for examples. Another example is related to
performances in learning a language. In this term, vocabulary, which is how well students can
it is English. increase the numbers of vocabularies. However,
Motivation is defined as an encouragement the thing which is oftenly focused on is grammar
or effort to do something. According to Brown of the second language. It is usually related to the
(2007), there are three different ways to define singular or plural markers, relative clause, as well
motivation; from a behavioristic perspective, as how far students can produce sentences by
cognitive perspective, and constructivist using the above structures as the time passes by.
perspective. From a behavioristic perspective, Some purposes of Second Language
motivation is defined as the anticipation of reward Acquisition are to describe and explain about the
which is driven to achieve positive reinforcement second language acquisition; identifying internal
and driven by previous experiences of reward for and external factors which influence how students
behavior. From a cognitive perspective, or learners master the second language (Ellis,
motivation seeks to explain human behavior as a 2006, p. 4).
product of the careful study and active processing
and interpretation of information received. From Internal Factor
a constructivist perspective, motivation is derived Internal factor refers to (1) students’
as much from a person’s interaction with others cognitive process mechanism which allows them
for it is from one’s self-determination. This paper to summarise or extract information on the second
aims to discuss about what kinds of motivations language from the received inputs. As an example,
can affect learners in English language learning. English plurality is formed by adding the suffix -s
to a noun, the relative pronouns “who” and
Second Language Acquisition “which” which replace agent nouns or non-agent
Although considered as a foreign language nouns, and etc. (2) Students have several
in Indonesia, English language is not only studied communication strategies which assist them in
within the classroom but is also used as a mean of using second language effectively based on their
communication. This is proven by the spreading own knowledge of the second language. (3)
of language training centres and International Another factor is related to someone’s language
schools which employ English as the instructional aptitude which causes a student or learner to learn
language to accomodate alumnae’s needs of a language faster than others. (4) The last one is
communicating in English. the factor of motivation (what kind of motivation
which is able to motivate more in learning a
language whether it is internal, external,

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instrumental, or the combination of all of those 2. Cognitive Perspective: In this view,

kinds of motivations). motivation encourages more on the individual
decisions, choices which are made by others to
External Factor have experiences, or the aimed or avoided
One of the external factors is the social purpose.
milieu aspect where the learning process occurs. 3. Constructivist Purpose: This is about
Language learning when a student feels being motivation which encourages more whether on
appreciated by native speakers will have different the social contexts or personal and individual
results compared to the one who is not choices.
appreciated, for example.
Another external factor is the input received In the context of foreign language
by the student. As an example, vocabulary items acquisition, motivation can be inferred as an
which are heard by him or her repeatedly and encouragement whether it is internally or
continuously will affect more rather than the ones externally to help a person to learn a language.
which are rarely heard.
Types of Motivation
MOTIVATION Ellis (2008) divides motivation into four
types, namely instrumental, integrative,
This part discusses the definition of resultative, and intrinsic. As an addition, Brown
motivation, the types of motivation, the learning (2007) adds one more type of motivation, namely
motivation, the roles of motivation in the teaching extrinsic.
and learning process, and the motivation and its 1. Instrumental Motivation
influence in learning English. In the process of acquiring and learning a
foreign language, instrumental motivation is an
Defining Motivation effort which is committed by the learners in order
Generally, motivation can be defined as a to pass the examination, get better jobs, or pass
process to influence one or many people to do the university’s entrance test. In short, this type of
something wanted as the certain purpose which motivation is an encouragement which makes the
has been applied previously (Uno, 2010, p. 1). learners motivated to learn a foreign language
From the foreign language acquisition view, (English) since English mastery will open
motivation covers attitudes and affective education and economy opportunities for them.
conditions which influence the level of efforts 2. Integrative Motivation
which is done by students in learning a foreign This type of motivation encourages learners
language (Ellis, 2008, p. 75). Harmer (1998) says who learn English interested in learning the
“motivation refers to the internal encouragement people and culture related to the English
which encourages oneself to do anything in language.
purpose” (p. 98). In contrast, Brown (2000) states 3. Resultative Motivation
“motivation is a number of choices which are This motivation appears as the result of the
determined by oneself to get experiences or achievements received by the learners because
purposes” (p. 160). they have English abilities. However, this
According to Brown (2007), there are three motivation can also appear because of the
ways to define motivation based on different language learning process. As an example,
perspectives. learners who are successful in English learning
1. Behavi oristic Perspective: This motivation will get motivated to learn more, or they can also
contains the understanding of motivation to get unmotivated depending on the consequences
receive rewards due to certain behaviors. This emerging on them.
motivation depends on the external factors 4. Intrinsic Motivation
such as parents, teachers, friends, education Activities which are motivated intrinsically
requirements, and etc. are the activities without explicit rewards.
Learners get involved in various activities for

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themselves, not because of external influences. 1. The Role of Motivation in Determining the
Attitudes which are motivated instrinsically create Learning Empowerment
the satisfaction internally such as feeling Motivation can take a role in the learning
competent and determining their own destinies. empowerment, as in a case of a child who is
5. Extrinsic Motivation studying and he or she will be faced against a
This motivation is the opposite of the problem so that he or she needs a solution. The
intrincic one. It appears because of the existance concrete example is there is a child who is trying
of the stimulation from the outside such as to solve a math problem by using the logarithm
money, reward, and examination grades. table. The effort of finding the logarithm table is
the example of the role of motivation in
Learning Motivation empowering the learning process.
Motivation and learning are influencing 2. The Role of Motivation in Clarifying the
each other. Learning is a permanent attitude Learning Purpose
change relatively and it is resulted from the Here, the role of motivation is strongly
reinforced practice which is helped by a purpose related to the meaning of learning. A child will get
in order to achieve a certain purpose potentially. interested to learn something if the thing learned is
Intrinsically, learning motivation can emerge in beneficial to him or her. As an example, a child
the forms of a desire and encouragement of the studies about electronics because he or she knows
needs of learning. Extrinsically, it appears because that he or she can fix his or her broken radio by
of the existance of rewards, conducive learning learning about it.
environment, and interesting teaching and 3. The Role of Motivation in Determining the
learning activities. Learning Perseverance
The essence of learning is the internal and A child will get motivated to learn
external encouragement of the learnera who are something by hoping that he or she can get good
studying to have attitude changes, generally by grades. This motivation prevents the child
using several supportive indicators or elements. attracted to do other things beside learning. It
Such things have important roles in terms of the means that motivation is very influential on the
success of a person in learning. Learning learning endurance and perseverance.
motivation indicator are classified as (1) the
existance of the desire of being successful, (2) the Motivation and Its Influence in Learning
existance of the encouragement and need of English
learning, (3) the existance of the future hope and According to some research about
wish, (4) the existance of the appreciation in motivation and its influence against the second
learning, (5) the existance of the interesting language learning (English) which were conducted
activity in learning, and (6) the existance of the by researchers in some countries, the results are as
conducive learning environment which possibly below.
makes learners can study well. 1. The first semester students in the Metropolitan
Academy of Manila (MAM) got motivated
The Roles of Motivation in the Teaching and intrinsically to learn the second language in the
Learning Process area of speaking and reading due to a lot of
Motivation plays an important role in the supportive foreign media. This intrinsic
process of teaching and learning, namely (1) to motivation is also encouraged by the desire of
determine things which can be used to empower getting good results as well as considering
the learning process, (2) to clarify the learning English is important in the future, especially in
purpose which is to be achieved, (3) to determine finding jobs (Lucas, 2010, p. 19).
various problems against the learning stimulation, 2. Another research shows that students of
and (4) to determine the learning perseverance refinery affairs in Yemen were motivated
(Uno, 2010). instrumentally to learn English because of the
academic and working demands. So, the
students had a big desire to learn English since

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they wanted to pass the English language external factors such as media, environment, and
subject. Also, their abilities in using English technology. They are get motivated internally due
are able to help them in working. (Al-Tamimi to the existance of continuous exposé from the
& Shuib, 2009, p. 29). environment.
3. Another research which was conducted in
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