The study of motivation in the field of second language acquisition, now in its sixth decade, has focused on distinctions between two types of motivation: xtrinsic and intrinsic. This has become a fixed star in the English education osmos, as accepted as any other ongstanding theory. Without minimizing the labor of so many who shaped the direction of this research, I believe it is important to step away from this body of literature and consider its relevance, since research on motivation seems to have been accepted incritically. Since it is largely “unquantifiable,” teachers are left with either belief or disbelief, and this, I feel, is counterproductive and may in fact add stresses to both teachers and English education programs. Here, I will briefly consider the conclusions from some studies on motivation
