On
A Tribute to Wallace E. Lambert
R. C. Gardner
Department of Psychology
University of Western Ontario
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Bob Gardner’s chapter warmed another cockle of my
heart because “only yesterday” we were sharing tea bags
(one bag lasted at least a week) all hours of the day and
night, not only in Montreal but also in Cambridge (where
Bob was on a “pre-doc” with John Carroll) or Cornell
(where I was a visiting professor) discussing and arguing
about the underlying factors that determine foreign
language achievement. We also had few restrictions on
our speculations since the technical literature was not
extensive.” (p. 221).
Lambert, W. E. (1991). “And then add your two cents Worth”
Chapter 11 in A.G. Reynolds (Ed.) Bilingualism,
multiculturalism, and second language acquisition: The McGill
Conference in Honour of Wallace E. Lambert. Hillsdale, NJ:
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Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
Theory
“This theory, in brief, holds that an individual
successfully acquiring a second language gradually
adopts various aspects of behavior which
characterize members of another linguistic-cultural
group. The learner’s ethnocentric tendencies and his
attitudes toward the other group are believed to
determine his success in learning the new language.
His motivation to learn is thought to be determined by
his attitudes and by his orientation toward learning a
second language.” ( p.114).
Lambert, W. E. (1963). Psychological approaches to the study
of language. Part II: On second language acquisition and
bilingualism. Modern Language Journal, 14, 114-121.
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Integrativeness
“We reasoned that some process like
identification, extended to a whole
ethnolinguistic community and coupled with an
inquisitiveness and sincere interest in the other
group, must underlie the long-term motivation
needed to master a second language.” ( p. 12).
Gardner, R. C. & Lambert, W. E. (1972). Attitudes and
motivation in second language acquisition. Rowley, MA:
Newbury House.
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Orientations
The orientation is “instrumental” in form, for example,
if the purposes of language study reflect the more
utilitarian value of linguistic achievement, such as
getting ahead in one’s occupation, and is
“integrative”, for example, if the student is oriented to
learn more about the other cultural community as if
he desired to become a potential member of the
group.” ( p. 102).
Lambert, W. E. (1967). A social psychology of bilingualism.
Journal of Social Issues, 23, 91-109.
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Identity
“… the more proficient one becomes in a second
language the more he may find his place in is original
membership group is modified at the same time as the
other linguistic cultural group becomes something more
than a reference group for him. It may in fact become a
second membership group for him. Depending upon
the compatibility of the two cultures, he may experience
feelings of chagrin or regret as he loses ties in one
group, mixed with the fearful anticipation of entering a
relatively new group.” (p. 114).
Lambert, W. E. (1963). Psychological approaches to the study
of language. Part II: On second language acquisition and
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bilingualism. Modern Language Journal, 14, 114-121.
Barriers
“… let us consider the acquisition of a second
language as entailing a series of barriers to overcome.
In these terms, the vocabulary barrier would be the
easier to overcome as experience with the language
progresses. The cultural barrier is more resistant. To
overcome this barrier, one must assimilate those
aspects of a different culture which influence language
behavior.” ( p.103).
Lambert, W. E. (1956). Developmental aspects of secondlanguage acquisition: III. A description of developmental
changes. The Journal of Social Psychology, 43, 99-104.
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Integrative Motivation
“The Gardner team first had to be certain that their
claims of an important associational role played by
attitudes and motivation in the learning process.
This called for multiple replications across regional
sites and age groups. The association is undeniably
there. Furthermore, it is now very well established
that the attitude-motivation cluster of variables (what
Gardner calls the “integrative motive” is statistically
independent of the aptitude-verbal intelligence
cluster, …” (Lambert, 1991, pp. 221-222).
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Constructs Measured by the
Attitude Motivation Test Battery (AMTB)
Integrativeness
Attitudes toward the Learning Situation
Motivation
Language Anxiety
Instrumental Orientation
Parental Encouragement
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Types of our Studies of Integrative Motivation
Achievement in the Second Language
Language drop-outs
Language attrition
Cultural Excursions
Causal Models
Teaching Strategies and Teacher Motivation
Curriculum Innovations
Laboratory (experimental) studies
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Correlations of Integrative Motivation scores and
English Achievement
Country
Younger Students
Grades Self-ratings
Croatia
.50
.67
Poland
.47
.64
Romania
.21
.54
Spain
.39
.54
Brazil
.44
.57
Japan
.61
Median r
.44
.59
Older Students
Grades Self-ratings
.40
.63
.47
.63
.40
.51
.45
.53
.48
.57
.47
.45
.55 11
Two books on the Topic
Gardner, R. C. (1985). Social Psychology and
Second Language Learning: The Role of Attitudes
and Motivation. London, GB: Edward Arnold.
Gardner, R. C. (2010). Motivation and Second
Language Acquisition: The Socio-Educational
Model. New York: Peter Lang Publishing.
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