Introduction
Motivation is a direct determinant of L2 achievement and is in fact one of the individual variables to which more attention has been paid in second language
Acquisition literature. For decades motivation was regarded as a relatively stable
Learner trait, but from the 1990s onwards research on motivation has undergone a
shift towards a more dynamic construct and one more grounded in the context where
the learning takes place. Currently motivation is analysed with regards to aspects of
the language-learning process closely associated with the classroom (Vandergrift
2005).
The language-learning process has both linguistic and non-linguistic outcomes,
the former being related to knowledge and competence in the language and the latter
to individual variables such as attitudes and motivation. As students’ progress in their
learning, changes can be expected in their motivation and this leads to individual
variations over time. This is one of the reasons why the concept of motivation is
difficult to grasp.