Paths to research on motivation in foreign language learning: motivation as a complex dynamic system

Abstract

Psychological processes in language learning have been in the focus of inquiry for a long time. Over the past six decades, there has been a steady interest in the nature and role of one the major determinants of these processes: motivation. This has, on the one hand, resulted in a wide array of various educational and pedagogical methods, tools and strategies; and, on the other hand, it has called forth a great number of different interpretational frameworks for the concept. Within the field of Hungarian as a foreign language (HFL) teaching and learning, mostly the traditional dichotomic theory of extrinsic–intrinsic motivation has been used, although many more detailed theories have been developed recently, which are better in line with educational psychological research and the actual classroom learning situation. After a brief overview of the main theories and models of motivation over the three major periods of motivation research history, the paper presents a model where language learning motivation is understood to operate analogously to complex dynamic systems: it is in constant motion, and it is a complex interplay of various factors such as context, the individual, and processes of language learning. The aim of the article is not only to introduce this recent and practice-relevant construct of motivation to the field of HFL and urge research in HFL within this framework, but also to call attention to some methodological issues in related research.