Love or Money? Reinterpreting Traditional Motivational Dimensions in Modern Social and Economic Contexts

Abstract

Categorising language learning motives according to their sources or directions is an essential aspect of traditional L2 motivation theory, and the most influential of all such dimensions is the external-internal continuum. The chapter discusses dominant conceptualisations of the dichotomy from the perspective of modern learning contexts, which represent considerable challenges to traditional approaches to L2 motivation. Based on Dörnyei’s model of motivation as a continuous, dynamic process of identity construction and reinforcement, the present study explores the question of how aspects of the self interact with elements of the social and economic environment. In order to investigate the impact of contextual influences on Swiss university students’ attitudes to English, the study adopts an interdisciplinary perspective, complementing the analysis of L2 motivational phenomena with concepts and findings from the field of language economics. The results are indicative of the role that social and economic factors play in forming participants’ attitudes and self-concept, and attest to the potential of applying interdisciplinary approaches to the study of contextual influences on language learning.