Abstract
This article reports the first meta-analysis of the L2 motivational self system (Dörnyei, 2005, 2009). A total of 32 research reports, involving 39 unique samples and 32,078 language learners, were meta-analyzed. The results showed that the three components of the L2 motivational self system (the ideal L2 self, the ought-to L2 self, and the L2 learning experience) were significant predictors of subjective intended effort (rs = .61, .38, and .41, respectively), though weaker predictors of objective measures of achievement (rs = .20, -.05, and .17). Substantial heterogeneity was also observed in most of these correlations. The results also suggest that the strong correlation between the L2 learning experience and intended effort reported in the literature is, due to substantial wording overlap, partly an artifact of lack of discriminant validity between these two scales. Implications of these results and directions for future research are discussed.
Highlights
In 2005, Dörnyei introduced the L2 motivational self system (L2MSS) as an attempt to explain individual differences in language learning motivation
A fundamental assumption in the L2MSS is that when the learner perceives a discrepancy between their current state and their future self-guide, this discrepancy may function as a motivator to bridge the perceived gap and reach the desired end-state
The L2MSS consists of three main components (Dörnyei, 2005, 2009): the ideal L2 self, the ought-to L2 self, and the L2 learning experience
Summary
In 2005, Dörnyei introduced the L2 motivational self system (L2MSS) as an attempt to explain individual differences in language learning motivation. In their comprehensive survey of over 400 recent publications, Boo, Dörnyei, and Ryan (2015) report that the L2MSS is currently the dominant theoretical framework in the field. The L2MSS consists of three main components (Dörnyei, 2005, 2009): the ideal L2 self, the ought-to L2 self, and the L2 learning experience. The ideal L2 self refers to the state one would ideally like to reach, representing one’s own hopes and wishes. The ought-to L2 self, on the other hand, refers to the state that others would want one to reach, representing the expectations projected by significant others. The section reviews the evidence each of these three components has generated
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