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It has often been said by people involved in language teaching that a student who really wants to learn will succeed in whatever circumstances under which he studies. It is certainly true that students do learn in unfavorable conditions, and it is also true that students often succeed in using methods that experts have considered unsatisfactory. All teachers can think of some students who are significantly better than their peers, and it seems reasonable to suggest that the motivation of the student is perhaps the single most important thing that he brings to the classroom.
     Motivation is some kind of internal drive that encourages somebody to pursue a course of action. It seems to be the case that if we perceive a goal and if that goal is sufficiently attractive, we will be strongly motivated to do what ever is necessary to reach that goal. Language learners who are motivated also perceive goals of various types, and here we might immediately make a distinction between short-term goals and long-term goals. Long-term goals might have something to do with a student’s wish to get a better job or become a member of the target language community. Short term goals might include such things as the urge to pass an end-of-term or end-of-semester exam or complete a unit successfully.