【Abstract】As the development of the second language learning（L2），it becomes more significant to study the factors that influence the success in L2 learning.Positive attitudes and motivation definitely play vital role in L2 learning process.This paper briefly analyses how these two factors influence L2 learning.
　　【Key words】positive attitudes； motivation； influence； L2 learning
　　In China，individual L2 learners have their own definitions of L2 learning success.As English is a foreign language in the context of China，different L2 learners have their own purposes to learn it.Scholars have different opinions about the influence of positive attitudes and motivation on successful L2 learning.
　　1.The function of positive attitudes and motivation on SLA（Second Language Acquisition）
　　Before introducing the concept of motivation，it is better to understand what factors form L2 learners’ motivation.Orientation is one of the key factors.Orientation relates to the learners’ purposes of learning this language.Motivation is mainly divided into instrumental motivation and integrative motivation that refers to the L2 learners’ attitudes towards their L2 learning.This thesis focuses on these two types of motivation and examines how they influence the L2 learners’ SLA.Motivation results in why people do it，how long people do it and how hard people do it.It seems that motivation plays a central role from the beginning to the end in the progress of learning L2.As Lightbown and Spada claim，motivation is connected with two elements.One is learners’ communicative needs and the other is learners’ attitudes toward the target language and its social contexts.In light of this，the purpose of learning a second language is to achieve some practical goals such as passing the exams，applying for a job or studying abroad.The second type of motivation is integrative motivation that relates to the learners’ attitudes toward the culture，community and other aspects of this language.In other words，the learners with the integrative motivation have a desire to come into contact with the language.They are highly interested in learning the knowledge about this language.Moreover，they attempt to use the target language communicating with the L2 groups.
　　2.Instrumental motivation in foreign language contexts
　　As Dornyei pointed out，it is difficult for the learners to build a strong desire of acquiring an L2 as its members without contacting with the L2 groups.Thus，under this circumstance，the type of instrumental orientation has a big influence on the motivation of the learners.However，this kind of motivation is not enough for the learners to fully acquire the target language.Therefore，the conclusion can be made that instrumental motivation can play a positive role at the beginning stage of L2 learning.Integrative motivation is regarded as the most powerful motivation on the achievement of native-like competence for the L2 learners.In other word，integrative motivation reflects the L2 learners’ real interests on the target language and its culture，whereas instrumental motivation emphasizes the practical value of learning.However，in the context of China，the learners learn the target language always with the instrumental motivation，as they do not have the practical needs to enter into the target language society.On the other hand，integrative motivation will impact more on the learner’s proficiency of the target language when the learners access to the target language’s society.In the target language contexts，when learners have a strong desire to get involved into the community，they will become confident to communicate with the members of the community.In addition，integrative motivation and instrumental motivation can exist at the same time.However，in the context of China，there are few L2 learners with both of the two types of motivation.The majority of the L2 learners’ motivation belongs to the type of instrumental motivation as mentioned above，so once the learners achieve the goal of their L2 learning，they would lose motivation to continue to learn the target language. 　　3.Implications
　　Both instrumental and integrative motivations have positive effects on SLA for L2 learners.Negative attitude and the lack of motivation are often the obstacles in SLA.However，as mentioned above，motivation is dynamic，so the teachers can help the students form their motivation and positive attitudes towards L2 learning.In light of this，the teachers should not only focus on teaching students the target language，but also on the students’ individual differences.In addition，the teachers should know the purposes of the learners’ learning the target language.Thus，they can use different strategies to stimulate the students’ L2 motivation on the basis of individual needs and purposes.
　　References：
　　[1]Brown.H.Douglas.2000.Principles of Language Learning and Teaching.NY：Longman.
　　[2]Dornyei.Z.2001.Teaching and Researching Motivation.London：Longman.
　　[3]Ellis.R.1985.Understanding Second Language Acquisition.Oxford：Oxford University Press.
　　作者简介：陈影，1982年出生，讲师，研究方向：翻译及对外英语教育。