Abstract
Motivation is a key element in L2 teaching, including EAL (English as an additional language), and extensive research has highlighted a relationship between learner motivation and success. Although scholars have captured the construct of learner motivation variously, a consensus exists regarding its major features. Adopting the learner‐centered approach to EAL teaching, a set of motivational strategies can be developed according to the needs and demands of a language program. The selection of these strategies is guided by the sociocultural dynamics of instructional settings by conducting needs assessment for motivational teaching. An overarching approach is motivation‐sensitive teaching (MST) that helps create enabling conditions for motivation. To employ MST, a strategy‐based regime can be actualized with three interlinked macrostrategies: Promoting learners' involvement in the program, creating a safe atmosphere for learners in the class, and making language learning pleasurable and interesting. These macrostrategies lay the foundation for MST and incorporate learner motivation into pedagogy that harnesses the learner's self as an immense resource for motivation.