The Role of Motivation in Second Language Learning: A Systematic Review of Empirical Studies

Abstract

Motivation plays a very important role in acquiring second language influencing how learner’s feel about the process, how persistent they are and how far they have been successful. This systematic review examines the previous studies from the last four years which focuses on methodologies, trends, and finding reports and determine how the motivation plays role in acquiring second languagelearning. A comprehensive search of peer-reviewed articles was conducted with the use of academic databases in accordance with the principles of PRISMA to make sure the result is clear and reliable. Fifteen studies that were published between 2020 and 2024 were selected for the inclusion in this review based upon their empirical design, relevance to various types of learners and educational settings. The findings of this research reveals that motivation has a very significant impact on the L2 learning outcomes, mainly in terms of increasing communicative competence and promoting learning autonomy along with contextual and cultural factors. This research emphasizes the need for the future research to explore the novel ways of maintaining the motivation in diverse, digitally mediated L2 context. By synthesizing the existing evidence, this study contributes to both the theoretical and the understanding of motivation in the acquisition of the second language, providing the implication for researchers, educators and policymakers seeking to enhance the L2 learning outcomes. Future researches can be done on motivation of different genders, migrants/refugees in crisis, peer/parental influence and isolated languages.