Taking the L2 Motivational Self System (L2MSS) model as its theoretical basis, this study aimed to extend knowledge of the learning motivation of Korean language learners. A survey questionnaire was administered to 967 Korean language learners at 28 universities in China to investigate their motivation for learning the Korean language and the…

It is important for students to be successful in their academic lives, both for themselves and their families. Some certain individual obstacles on the path to success can diminish students' achievement as well as their motivation, which is a crucial factor for success. Sometimes parents can be involved in these processes. In this context, the…

This study used a longitudinal person-oriented approach to examine whether two distinct developmental pathways of maladaptive motivation could be distinguished among high-ability students (intelligence quotient [IQ] [greater than or equal to] 120, N = 403, M[subscript age] = 12.2 years, 60.5% males), as proposed by the Pathways to Underachievement…

Research on language motivation has tended to focus on the phenomena of demotivation and remotivation in the English classroom. This study utilized Q methodology to analyze the dynamics of demotivation and remotivation among 15 Chinese university students during their English learning process from primary school to senior middle school. Informed…

Motivation to learn languages other than English (LOTEs) has been underrepresented in second language (L2) motivation research. This study investigated and compared the motivational profiles of first-year and second-year students majoring in Spanish, grounded on the proposition of bifurcating ideal and ought selves into "Own" and…

Empirical studies have long proven the link between speaking and second language learning. Despite its importance in determining one's success to master the target language, willingness to communicate (WTC) is not always high even among motivated and advanced English language learners. This often leads to them not taking the opportunities to…

Previous research on the foreign language (FL) learner has yielded a rich body of knowledge on personality, individual differences, and conceptions of the self as a measure of motivation. While these contributions have greatly enriched our understanding of learner psychology, the current paper proposes an analytical framing of language learning…

The purpose of this article is to explore the concept of student agency when applied to learning across "The New Zealand Curriculum" (Ministry of Education, 2007). To explore agency the author presents and describes a range of teaching pedagogies that are based on principles of intrinsic motivation. The author describes, with examples,…

Studies focused on motivation to learn languages other than English or more than 1 language simultaneously have been gaining attention in recent years. However, there are far fewer than those related to second language (L2) English learning. To fill this gap, this article explores the evolving motivation of 2 Japanese students who spent 1 academic…

While there has been a surge of publication on L2 motivation studies, not much has been investigated regarding motivation to learn languages other than English. As a longitudinal interview study, the present study investigated two cases of Japanese university students focusing on the development of ideal L2/L3 self and ideal multilingual self. The…

Two concepts of multilingualism that relate to the selves aspect of Dörnyei's (2009) L2 motivational self system (L2MSS) are highlighted in this article: Thompson's concept of "perceived positive language interaction" (PPLI) and Henry's notion of the "ideal multilingual self." With the dynamic model of multilingualism informing…

Current motivation theory and research face serious theoretical, methodological, and practical challenges. One central challenge is the fact that research has focused mainly on motivation for traditional achievement tasks such as graded assignments and normative educational trajectories. Arguably, current motivation theory and research may be…

The motivation to learn a third language (L3) has received increasing attention in research, especially with regard to how it evolves dynamically during the learning process. Underpinned by the L2 Motivational Self System [Dörnyei, Z. 2005. "The Psychology of the Language Learner: Individual Differences in Second Language Acquisition."…

Motivation is one of the most important factors in the enjoyment and success in learning any subject, especially a foreign language. Many students approach the learning of a language based on academic mandates, family impositions, job requirements, and so on. These non-intrinsic motivations make learning a more difficult, frustrating, and…

This paper explores a group of secondary school students' feelings about Teaching Proficiency through Reading and Storytelling (TPRS) using a self-determination theory (SDT) lens. It adds to the limited, existing literature on TPRS and is the first to study it from a purely motivational perspective. The paper analyses the extent to which students…