A flutuação da motivação do aluno no processo de aprendizagem de línguas estrangeiras

Abstract

Introduction: The study of motivation and its role in the process of teaching and learning foreign languages has achieved an increasing relevance in the field of Applied Linguistics and in the specialized literature. Dörnyei‟s Process Model of L2 Motivation is one of the several theories based on interpretations of the motivational process and the variables that influence it. It divides the learning process into two dimensions: an actional sequence, composed of the preactional, actional and postactional phases, and the motivational influences that underlie and fuel the learner‟s behavioral process. Objectives: This study aims to identify the motivational influences on the actional phase of the individuals investigated, based on Dörnyei‟s Process Model of L2 Motivation; to examine the nature and the circumstances that determine the fluctuations observed in the subjects; and to point out the motivational strategies to maintain or regain enthusiasm to keep learning. Methodology: This research is longitudinal and predominantly qualitative. Eight undergraduate students from the English Bachelor‟s Degree of the Universidade Federal do Pará were investigated and data were collected from a narrative, three questionnaires and an interview, from March 2010 to June 2011. Results: Motivating and demotivating factors that influence the behavior of students and different fluctuation patterns during the actional phase of their learning process were observed. They all vary according to their personal characteristics, knowledge and use of management strategies on motivation and self-motivation. Conclusion: Dörnyei's Process Model of L2 Motivation (2011) proved to be very useful to support the data analysis in this research. Motivation is seen as a dynamic phenomenon, which may vary positively or negatively, depending on the beliefs and perceptions of each student and their ability to manage it. This variable feature can lead teachers to consider the influences that vary according to the learner him/herself, but also to the moment of the learning process he/she is at, as well as help them select strategies that promote motivation and prevent its ebb tide during the learning process.