The Impact of Motivation in the High School Spanish Classroom

The motivation, or driving force, for which a student studies Spanish may vary greatly within high school Spanish students. Just as Domyei (2003) investigated how to initially motivate students, and then how to maintain student motivation for learning a foreign language, I studied how I could help motivate intrinsically unmotivated students. The purpose of this research is to identify students' various motivations for learning Spanish and the implications of these motivations on their learning and performance. This research was conducted in a Spanish 4 classroom setting in a local high school. Using a survey, I asked student participants to reflect upon their motivations and attitudes toward learning Spanish. I analyzed this data, along with my observation notes and reflections on lessons I conducted, with the purpose of identifying and assessing student motivation. I found that students are both instrumentally and intrinsically motivated to learn, and as a teacher, I have an important role in keeping them motivated.