Motivation (n.), motivate (v.)

Motivation is the thoughts and feelings which make us want to do something and help us continue doing it. Demotivate (v.), demotivated (adj.) To make someone lose motivation. Unmotivated (adj.) Without motivation; having no motivation. ~ can be defined in terms of the learner's overall goal or orientation. 'Instrumental' motivation occurs when the learner's goal is functional (e.g. to get a job or pass an examination), and 'integrative' motivation occurs when the learner wishes to identify with the culture of the L2 group. 'Task" motivation is the interest felt by the learner in performing different learning tasks. ~ is an emotion or psychological need that incites a person to do something. In general terms, ~ refers to the

effort learners put into learning an L2 as a result of their need or desire to learn it. Gardner and Lambert (1972) distinguish ‘instrumental ~’, which occurs when a learner has a functional goal (such as to get a job or pass an examination), and ‘integrative ~’, which occurs when a learner wishes to identify with the culture of the L2 group. 1) ‘Task motivation’ or ‘intrinsic motivation’ – the interest that learners experience when performing different tasks, 2) ‘Machiavellian motivation’ – the desire to learn a language that stems from

a wish to manipulate and overcome the people of the target language, 3) Resultative motivation – the ~ that results from success in learning the L2.

Multilingualism

Ability to speak more than two languages; proficiency in many languages. This is the use of three or more languages by an individual or within a speech community. Frequently, multilingual people do not have equal control over all the languages they know and also use the languages for different purposes.

Multi-media materials

Materials which make use of a number of different media. Often they are available on a CDRom which makes use of print, graphics, video and sound. Usually such materials are interactive and enable the learner to receive feedback on the written or spoken language which they produce.

Multiple intelligences (also MI)

A theory of intelligence that characterizes human intelligence as having multiple dimensions that must be acknowledged and developed in education. The theory of MI is based on the work of the psychologist Gardner who posits 8 intelligences.

Multiple-choice questions/items

A task-type in which learners are given a question and three or four possible answers or options. They choose the correct answer from the options they are given.

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