Book reviews

Lasagabaster, D., Doiz, A., & Sierra, J. M. (Eds.). (2014). Motivation and
foreign language learning: From theory to practice. Amsterdam: John
Benjamins. ISBN: 9789027269751. 190 pp.
Reviewed by Daro Luis Banegas (University of Warwick, UK)
Following Drnyei and Ushioda (2011), motivation refers to those forces, whatever their source and direction, that make people decide, engage, and persist. In
education, the study of motivation usually refers to learners (but see Richardson,
Karabenick, & Watt, 2014). In the field of language learning, motivation is a powerful construct which has developed in its own right through the amalgamation
of different theoretical and research perspectives. Recent publications attest to dynamic and international landscape of motivation regarding learners and teachers
in their fluctuant contexts as well as teaching and learning processes (e.g. Csizr,
Kontra & Piniel, 2015; Hadfield & Drnyei, 2013; Heinzmann, 2013; Ushioda,
2013). These titles also problematize the need to translate theorizing and research
into the classroom with the aim of enacting motivation for language learning and
teaching and promoting teacher inquiry.
It is at this interstice between research and classrooms that we may place the
title edited by Lasagabaster et al. As the editors explain, this book is the outcome
of a conference held at the University of the Basque Country in Vitoria-Gasteiz.
The book is divided into two sections: (1) theoretical and practical insights into
motivation, and (2) studies on motivation in foreign language classrooms. In total,
the book brings together nine chapters aimed at, above all, researchers, teacher
educators and teachers. However, these latter may find the practice side of the
book underdeveloped in terms of applications and motivational strategies. That
said, the quality references each chapter includes may act as a safe net to do teachers own bibliographical search.
Part1 includes four chapters which, to some degree, become a framework
for practical accounts of language learning motivation. In particular, the first two
chapters offer encompassing theoretical insights. Chapter1, authored by Zoltn
Drnyei, Christine Muir and Zana Ibrahim, introduces the concept of directed
motivational current (DMC) defined as an intense motivational drive which is
capable of both stimulating and supporting long-term behavior, such as learning a foreign/second language (L2) (p.9). Drawing on what we may call ocean
metaphors, the authors discuss DMC in terms of streams and flows to illustrate the
connections of this concept with theories of goal, self-determination, and vision.
Revista Espaola de Lingstica Aplicada 28:2 (2015), 641646. doi 10.1075/resla.28.2.11ban
issn 02132028 / e-issn 22546774 John Benjamins Publishing Company

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DMC is similar to notions of dynamic motivation, and it helps educators see that
motivation is not fixed and what may start as a colossal explosion may die out
in time. While the theoretical underpinnings of DMC are robust, the practical
implications put forward by the authors may be assessed as vague by experienced
teachers or teacher educators.
In Chapter2 Ema Ushioda offers a sophisticated examination of the relationship between motivation, autonomy, and metacognition. From a sociocultural
angle, the author suggests that the interface between L2 motivation and metacognition can be explored through the examination of classroom interaction, i.e. dialogue. It goes without saying that language is a central scaffolding tool and therefore interaction between teachers and learners can help us see motivation in action
and how we can engineer language interaction with the aim of assisting learners
in the process of understanding their own thinking processes. With this research
concern in mind, I highly value Ushiodas call to teachers to engage in exploratory
practice to work with their students to develop their will and skill to engage with
cognitive and linguistic challenges in their learning (p.46). Perhaps, in this regard, the practical side of this contribution could have included further guidance
on how to enact exploratory practice around motivation and metacognition.
Chapters 3 and 4 assume a holistic stance in relation to the actors inside a
classroom: teachers and learners. While Do Coyle in Chapter3 encourages the
investigation of motivation in CLIL (Content and Language Integrated Learning)
settings through LOCIT-driven (Learning-oriented critical incident technique)
practitioner research which includes both teachers and learners as researchers,
Chapter4 by Magdalena Kubanyiova is a gem in the entire book as it is the only
one which addresses language teacher motivation and cognition. In my view, both
authors succeed in linking theory and practice because they suggest concrete and
doable ways of integrating voices and inspiring teachers vision. Both authors seem
to share Ushiodas interest in promoting teacher research. I agree with Coyle when
she points out that through engaging teachers and learners in research we help materialize co-ownership and celebrate successful learning in language classrooms.
In a similar vein, I believe that Kubanyiovas concerns with teacher motivation
should be a wake-up call for teacher educators and teacher education curriculum
developers as more efforts are needed to build a vision for language teaching. In
this sense, I personally take her chapter as an invitation to engage in researching
motivation in pre-service teacher education programmes.
Part2 deals with motivation in the language classroom. Chapter5 by Alastair
Henry addresses the perceptions of a group of Swedish learners who are reported
to believe that they learn more English outside of school. The author arrives at this
conclusion as the learners believe that while they acquire English in naturalistic
environments, they fail to engage with formal instruction at school. Henry adds

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a unique angle to his research and book as his is the only chapter which includes
gender as a variable to observe and problematise. In this regard, however, the author could have offered a more sophisticated treatment of gender differences in beliefs about learning English regardless of the context in which it occurs. Although
the main focus of the chapter is more Europe-centered, I believe that the situation
of learner demotivation in formal instruction and how to tackle it may resonate
with contexts outside Europe where learners attend English lessons at private language schools and therefore feel that the English learnt at school is fruitless.
Chapter6, authored by the book editors, bears connections with Chapters 3 and
5 because of three main reasons: (1) their study placed secondary school learners in
the center, thus giving them a voice, (2) they examined motivation as well as demotivation, and (3) they carried out their research in a CLIL setting. In line with the
development of motivation research outlined by the authors in Part1, the authors
assert that motivation studies should move towards qualitative methods in order
to account for thick descriptions and sound understanding of the ecology of learning. Despite this call, their open questionnaire-based study produced qualitative
answers which were then quantified to offer a condensed representation of learner
voices. Thus, the authors illustrate their findings with both figures and quotes from
learners. Personally, I find this report extremely realistic for it discusses the advantages and disadvantages of CLIL in secondary education in Spain. Usually, we read
published research which is a collection of stories of success. Sadly, we seldom read
articles which reflect failure or the major shortcomings that researchers, teacher
educators, and teachers may experience in relation to motivation and learning.
Chapter7 is written by Francisco Lorenzo. In his contribution the author
examines the relationship between CLIL materials and learners positive attitudes, goals, and responses in a CLIL classroom. The materials developed under
a context-responsive and bottom-up framework evidence the integrative nature
of CLIL. The materials carefully included in the chapter show how language and
thinking skills integration, culture, grammar and content are combined to scaffold
the learning of school content through English. While Lorenzo constructs a convincing rationale to support CLIL, sometimes this is done at the expense of EFL.
As an EFL teacher myself, I felt that some of Lorenzos comments were polemic or
circumscribed to his local experiences and perceptions. While it is true that EFL
teaching needs to improve in areas such as focus on meaning and communication,
it is also true that we can find good EFL and CLIL practices as well as bad EFL
and CLIL practices. An approach per se does not guarantee effectiveness; it is its
implementation in context which will offer alternative learning paths.
In the same way that Chapter4 stands out in relation to its research participants, teachers, Chapter8 by Vera Busse is unique because it tackles language
learning motivation in higher education. The chapter stems from a longitudinal

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study carried out at two UK universities offering German degree courses. The author succeeds in showing the impact that feedback has on learner motivation. I
believe that teacher educators and lecturers will find her motivational downward
spiral helpful to guide their practices around feedback and assessment, particularly as regards written assignments. More often than not, we may tend to signal
mistakes and issues over positive aspects or progress achieved by higher education learners. To curb this practice, Busse poses questions which can help learners
visualize their own motivation trajectories and reflect upon their own learning
experiences, goals, vision, and reality. Similarly to Kubanyiovas call, this chapter highlights a niche in the CLIL agenda: CLIL in language teaching programs.
Consequently, all those who work in foreign language teacher education should
become involved in action as well as exploratory research which helps us socialize
our context-responsive practices.
Last, Chapter9 is the epilogue to the volume. In this chapter the book editors
bring together the theoretical framework discussed in Part1 and the more specific
research and account experiences included in Part2. The authors are aware of the
fact that while Part1 can resonate with general contexts, Part2s suggestions are
more context-bound. The authors recover the contributions of each author in the
book, but seem to favor the dimensions of DMC as an umbrella framework to condense the book contents, sparkle teacher reflection and research interests. Such an
approach to constructing this chapter is effective because it helps the reader join
the dots and recreate a mental picture of the complex but clear portrait of motivation in relation to learners, teachers and researchers. That said, I should point
out the general strengths and weaknesses I found in the book after approaching it
through my double identity of practitioner and researcher.
As a researcher I found the book extremely updated and cutting-edge for it includes, in my view, the most prolific and outstanding names in language learning
motivation: Drnyei and Ushioda. Their suggestions and examined trajectories of
research on motivation are clear indicators of the developments in this area and
the future directions it seems to be heading to. In addition, the book boasts powerful internal coherence. All the contributions constitute a strong scientific community in a Khunian sense of paradigm-tied community. Qualitative research,
socioconstructivism, a democratic and holistic view of motivation, and a focus
on Drnyeis L2 Motivational Self System successfully run across the contributions. In addition, the authors scrutinize with clarity the mapping of the complex
networks organized by notions such as metacognition, goals, and interaction at
different levels of formal education.
As an experienced practitioner I felt partially deceived. The title reads
Motivation and foreign language learning: From theory to practice. On the one
hand, I expected accounts rooted in different language learning approaches.

Book reviews 645

However, most of the contributions are CLIL-derived. This may indicate two possible scenarios: (1) CLIL as an educational or language learning approach shows
exponential expansion across Europe, and (2) CLIL advocates need to prove with
sound data and through different fronts that CLIL is an approach which deserves
our full attention because there is research which supports its implementation.
On the other hand, the book helped me understand the state of the art in the
field of motivation at a theoretical level in an accessible reader-friendly manner.
Nevertheless, the journey from theory to practice was short. I found that the practical suggestions and implications were perhaps more suitable for novice teachers.
In general, the practice side lacks development and variety in terms of scaffolding
tools for teachers.
Despite the weaknesses I observed as a teacher, the book is, all in all, a prism.
It is built on a solid theoretical framework carefully constructed to disperse the
motivation field into a spectrum of interdependent research possibilities. I highly
recommend this book for teacher educators and CLIL researchers and practitioners interested in gaining deep insights into the dialogue between motivation and
the integration of curricular content and language learning from a qualitative relational view.

References
Csizr, K., Kontra, E. H., & Piniel, K. (2015). An investigation of the self-related concepts and
foreign language motivation of young Deaf and hard-of-hearing learners in Hungary.
Studies in Second Language Learning and Teaching, 5(2), 229249.
Drnyei, Z., & Ushioda, E. (2011). Teaching and researching motivation (2nd ed.). Harlow:
Pearson.
Hadfield, J., & Drnyei, Z. (2013). Motivating learning. Harlow: Pearson.
Heinzmann, S. (2013). Young language learners motivation and attitudes: Longitudinal, comparative and explanatory perspectives. London/New York: Bloomsbury.
Richardson, P. W., Karabenick, S. A., & Watt, H. M. G. (Eds.). (2014). Teacher motivation: Theory
and practice. New York/Abingdon: Routledge.
Ushioda, E. (Ed.). (2013). International perspectives on motivation: Language learning and professional challenges. Basingstoke: Palgrave. DOI: 10.1057/9781137000873

Authors address
Daro Luis Banegas
Sarmiento 798, 2B
CP 9200, Esquel
Argentina
D.Banegas@warwick.ac.uk

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About the author

Daro Luis Banegas holds a PhD in Applied Linguistics from the University of Warwick (UK).
He is a curriculum developer and teacher educator at the Ministry of Education of the Chubut
Province in Argentina. He is also an associate fellow at the Centre for Applied Linguistics
(University of Warwick) and research project director at University of La Sabana (Colombia)
and University of La Plata (Argentina). Daro is editor of the Argentinian Journal of Applied
Linguistics. His main interests are: CLIL, materials development, educational action research,
and initial language teacher education.