Offering a historical and empirical account, this book provides a comprehensive overview of the socio—educational model of second language acquisition. This approach to understanding motivational variables that promote success in the learning of a second or foreign language – distinguishing between language classroom motivation and language learning motivation – is a major one in the history of this field of research. Chapters include a discussion of the definition and measurement of motivation; historical foundations of the model; recent studies with the International Attitude Motivation Test Battery for English as a foreign language in different countries; the implications of the model to the classroom context; and a discussion of criticisms and misconceptions of the model. The book provides graduate students and researchers with unique coverage of this research—oriented approach as well as serving as a source book for the area. It is ideal for courses on motivation in second language learning, or as a supplemental text for research—oriented courses in applied linguistics, educational psychology, or language research in general.