Teachers’ and Students’ Second Language Motivational Self System in English‐Medium Instruction: A Qualitative Approach

Abstract

In this article the researchers analyze university students and teachers working in English‐medium instruction (EMI) settings in terms of the second language (L2) motivational self system (L2MSS) (Dörnyei, , ) from a qualitative perspective through the use of focus groups. This qualitative approach yields personal and group information about the participants’ perceptions and opinions on L2MSS in EMI in a Spanish university setting. The researchers approach participants’ L2 motivation and selves in terms of valued personal and professional identities, which are defined, among other things, by proficiency in English. Similarly, the researchers discuss the interaction between the L2MSS and the constructs of identity, investment, imagined community, vulnerability, and immunity in the EMI context. The results indicate that the ideal self (i.e., the speaker's vision of him‐ or herself as a competent user of the L2) clearly prevails over the ought‐to self (i.e., other people's vision for the individual) in the case of the teachers, whereas both components are more balanced in the case of students. It should be noted that the EMI experience also interacts with both students’ and teachers’ L2 motivation.