Why autonomy? Insights from motivation theory and research

Abstract This paper reviews contemporary developments in motivation theory and research, and discusses how they are relevant to our understanding of language learner autonomy. Within the fields of mainstream psychology and applied linguistics, theoretical perspectives on motivation are currently undergoing considerable change and transformation. In particular, there has been a noticeable shift away from individual-cognitive perspectives (e.g. motivational beliefs, goals, attributions) towards dynamic perspectives on motivation emergent through the complex interactions of internal, social and contextual processes. In educational psychology, there is also now recognition that motivation is not necessarily achievement-oriented but value-based and identity-oriented, as reflected in a rapidly growing literature on motivation and identity. These theoretical perspectives are now influencing current thinking in the language motivation field. As I will argue, in highlighting processes of social interaction and participation and the construction of personally valued identities, such perspectives contribute to bringing issues of motivation and autonomy into very close interaction at the level of theoretical analysis, and further reinforce the argument for why we should seek to promote the autonomy of our students.