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rd. First, Gardener and Lambert and Gardner's work on the social psychology of language learning in the bilingual context of Canada started the serious study of motivation from the social language-learning perspective. They conducted second language learning motivation research. (Gardner 1985) Their early work suggested that integrative motivation correlated most strongly with measures of L2 achievement while subsequent research has shown equal importance and interaction of both the integrative and instrumental motivations. Based on a social psychological framework, their research linked L2 motivation with attitudes toward the community of the target language speaker. In addition, it also involved willingness to communicate with target language speakers and the degree to which non-native speakers can identify themselves with the target language community. Gardner has played a most important role in the field about language learning motivation mainly because his dichotomy of motivation, as a starting point, has paved the way for much subsequent work in the area. Gardner (1985:203) defines motivation to learn an L2 as "the extent to which the individual works or strives to learn the language because of a desire to do so and the satisfaction experienced in this activity". This definition includes i) effort expended to achieve a goal; ii) a desire to learn the language; and iii) satisfaction with the task of learning the language.
In the past three decades, a large amount of research on second language motivation has been conducted within Gardner's social-psychological framework. Admittedly, this model of L2 motivation has received many positive reviews for having presented a more thorough understanding of how and why students learn an L2. However, Gardner's L2 motivation theory has been challenged criticism since the 1990s because empirical evidence available shows that this theory cannot account for second language learning fully. It is far from adequacy for just one dichotomy of Gardner to explain problems arising in second language context, in which many factors are interactively intertwined.
There are also other important theories about motivation. Behavioral theories view motivation as a change in behavior as a result of experience with environment and a change in behavior as a result of experience with the environment(Pintrich & Schunk, 2002) Reinforces, which includes praise, comments on homework, high test scores and good grades in common classroom，increase behavior. In classroom, reinforcers, including praise, comments on homework, high test scores, and good grades, can increase behavior. However, there are also some critics on this theory because some researches indicate that use of rewards decreases interest in some tasks. ( Eggen P. & Kauchak D. 2005：354) In fact, using rewards in a proper way can increase intrinsic motivation. With the launch of “cognitive revolution”, a humanistic view of motivation as people’s attempt to fulfill their total potential as human beings begins. (Pintrich & Schunk, 2002) Maslow described human needs as existing in two groups: deficiency needs and growth needs, but this theory has been strongly criticized.
Besides, there are also five important theories: expectancy x value theory, self-efficacy theory, and goal theory.
Expectancy x value theory suggests that people are motivated to engage in an activity to the extent that they expect to succeed times the value they plac