The Difference Between Intrinsic and Extrinsic Motivation

I recently was asked the question, “How do you deal with motivation problems when learning English?” (Thanks for asking, Ildar!) The first way I would approach this question is by asking another question: “Where does your motivation come from?” The kind of motivation that pushes you to learn English can have a significant effect on how quickly you learn a language.

Watch my response to Ildar here:

The two types of motivation that impact learning a second language are “intrinsic” and “extrinsic” motivation. Intrinsic motivation is personally rewarding. Extrinsic motivation is pushed participation.

Examples of intrinsic motivation for learning a language:

• You enjoy speaking the language
• You are excited about speaking it because you have a friend or love interest who speaks the language
• You dream about becoming part of that language’s culture
• You believe it will improve your life to know this second language
• You had a choice to learn the language or not and you chose to learn it
• You feel proud when you learn new vocabulary words

Examples of extrinsic motivation for learning a language:

• Your job requires you to learn the language
• Your parents are pressuring you to learn the language
• You are required to take the language as a part of your schooling
• You are forced to learn the language because you immigrated to a country who speaks that language
• Someone else is paying you or rewarding you for learning the language
• Society as a whole believes that you should know more than one language
• You will get in some sort of trouble if you don’t study your language lessons

While all of these are valid reasons for learning another language, not all of these factors are as effective as the others. Intrinsic motivation is usually a stronger predictor of student success. If you can find reason why you WANT to learn the language and how you can ENJOY the process, you’ll be more likely to progress in the language more quickly.

How do you develop intrinsic motivation?

1. Ask yourself the question: “What do I enjoy about learning English?” Then do more of whatever you think of that you enjoy about it. For example, if you enjoy watching comedies in English, do more of that. If you enjoy learning vocabulary, do that. 
2. Dream about yourself speaking the language fluently. Think about what it would be like to be an amazing English speaker who native speakers can communicate well with. Focus on the hope of possibility. 
3. Make friends with native speakers. This can be in person or via the internet. Whatever it takes to make a genuine friend with a native English speaker, do that thing. If you’re in an English-speaking country, join a soccer league, an exercise class, or a fishing club. Anything to get you interacting with native speakers who could turn into friends is a huge advantage for you.
4. Find fun ways to learn English. If all you ever do is study in textbooks or from a boring teacher, you won’t have a lot of fun, which in turn will crush your motivation. If you enjoy listening to English podcasts, reading the Harry Potter series, or tweeting your thoughts in English, do those things. Whatever way you can have fun while using English is a total win. If you’re looking for additional ideas on how to make language learning fun, I recommend reading my book “21 Ways to Jumpstart Your English Skills“.