Abstract:

One of the most important individual differences shaping language learning outcomes is learner motivation. Given the considerable amount of time and effort needed to achieve advanced language proficiency in a foreign language, learners who are strongly motivated are much more likely to succeed. For these reasons, the issue of motivation plays a key role in all facets and types of learning. But it is perhaps most important in language learning, where progress can be difficult to see on a day-to-day basis. Learners with a positive attitude to their course and their studies are more likely to continue working hard and keep going when times are tough. Although not everyone who is motivated to learn does eventually achieve their goal, many learners who do are frequently highly motivated individuals. Maintaining high levels of student motivation is vital for language educators. A number of studies have been carried out on the relationship of online learning to motivation in classroom settings. This study investigates the integrative and instrumental motivation of Turkish students who study foreign languages online at the Institute of Languages – Goce Delcev University, Stip, the Republic of North Macedonia. The study was conducted with 300 students attending an online foreign language course as part of their preparatory course and it examines the impact of online individual and collaborative activities on their foreign language motivation. The results suggest that instrumental and integrative motivation for the Turkish students who study foreign language varies by age, gender, income, education, linguistic background, and target language. By identifying noticeable affective and cognitive factors affecting intermediate and predominantly advanced students’ decisions to speak foreign language, this research could present additional insight into current research. Ultimately, with this research, teachers educational professionals, and others intrigued in learning about factors affecting foreign/second language learners’ decisions to speak, may find this useful within the worldwide landscape of foreign language learning and teaching. Motivations for this research have also resulted from our personal experiences in speaking another language. We were curious about why students made certain decisions to resist speaking foreign language even when they chose to live in a foreign country and attended a language institute to become proficient in a foreign language. This study confirms that the distinctions between instrumental and integrative motivation are meaningful in online language learning and applicable to other cultural contexts as well.

Keywords:

Integrative and instrumental motivation, foreign language learning, online learning.