One of the constructs we examined in this study was “motivation to learn English.” Why do learners study the language? Gardner dichotomized motivation to acquire a second language into “instrumental” and “integrative.” To explain it, a person is instrumentally motivated to learn another language if their reason falls into one of two categories: academic (to achieve good grades or secure a certification) or economic (to ensure a better salary). If a person attempts to acquire proficiency in a language for personal or cultural reasons (to communicate effectively and integrate into the society or culture of the language’s speakers), they are integratively motivated.

I presumed (and you are probably also) that our Korean students, who served as respondents in this study, are instrumentally motivated. They study English for academic and economic reasons. I was wrong. The results of our research have shown that our students are more integrally motivated than instrumentally.

Being motivated to learn English instrumentally does not mean that you are not integratively interested in acquiring proficiency in the language, or vice versa. It means only that your motivation is stronger in one area over the other.