Provides an overview of recent advances in research on motivation to learn a foreign or second language (L2) and to create the theoretical context of the articles contained in this special issue of the journal. (Author/VWL)

The aim of the present study is to define and describe second language L2 learners' motivational profiles by means of a statistical procedure that is relatively rarely used in L2 studies: cluster analysis. To achieve this aim, 5 broad dimensions of students' motivational and attitudinal dispositions toward 5 different L2s were measured and…

Examines the components of motivation in foreign language learning in institutional/academic settings without regular interaction with the target language community. A motivational questionnaire to define the relevance and characteristics of integration and instrumentality in foreign language learning was developed and administered to learners of…