Instrumental and integrative attitude in Sociolinguistics

 In sociolinguistics, “instrumental” and “integrative” attitudes (or motivations) refer to two main psychological orientations toward learning or using a language, especially a second or foreign language.

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1. Instrumental language attitude

An instrumental attitude toward a language means that a speaker learns or uses it mainly because it is practically useful—for example, to get a job, pass exams, earn more money, or gain social status. In this orientation, the language is seen as a tool rather than something to identify with culturally or emotionally.

Examples:

• A student in Indonesia studies English mainly to pass a university entrance exam or apply for an international scholarship.

• A local worker in Bali learns English because tourism jobs pay more and require English communication.

• A university graduate learns Mandarin because it helps them get a promotion in a company that deals with Chinese clients.

In all these cases, the attitude is instrumental: the language is valued for its external benefits, not for bonding with native speakers or their culture.

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2. Integrative language attitude

An integrative attitude toward a language means that the speaker wants to identify with or become closer to the community that uses that language. This attitude involves interest in the culture, lifestyle, and social world of the target‑language group, not just in the language itself.

Examples:

• An Indonesian teenager learns Japanese because they admire Japanese culture, watch anime, read manga, and want to communicate with native speakers as friends.

• A young person in Lampung learns Bahasa Indonesia more seriously not just for exams, but because they want to feel part of the wider Indonesian community and feel proud of national identity.

• A student in Sudan learns English partly because they want to understand American or British literature, films, and ways of life and feel “connected” to Anglophone cultures.

Here, the motivation is integrative: the learner wants to relate to, imitate, or even become part of the target‑language group.

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Quick comparison

Aspect	Instrumental attitude	Integrative attitude
Focus	Practical benefits, success, status	Cultural identification, social bonding
View of the language	A tool or “passport”	Part of a desired culture and community
Typical goal	Job, exam, promotion, money	Friendship, understanding, belonging

In sociolinguistic research on language attitudes, scholars often analyze whether speakers are more instrumentally or integratively motivated, because this can affect how enthusiastically they use a language and how successful they become.