Motivating and Empowering Students

Learning a foreign language opens doors to new cultures, enhances cognitive function, and provides valuable communication skills. To motivate students in learning a foreign language, it is important to understand the multifaceted psychological notion of motivation. As Dörnyei argues, motivation plays a crucial role in driving learners to develop proficiency in a foreign language. There are as many reasons to learn as there are learners, but once priorities change, motivation and engagement may be put on the back burner. As such, without sufficient motivation, learners may lack the necessary desire and interest needed to advance their language proficiency, therefore, it is essential to cultivate high levels of motivation in students if they are to achieve their language learning objectives. This paper will examine student motivation as well as factors that enhance or decrease it, based on a set of research questions and the answers provided by literature.