Abstract
The study stemmed from a continuing interest in the change in motivation of L2 learners who experience contextual shift using the possible selves framework (Dornyei, 2005). Specifically, it investigated the changes in the L2 motivational system of two South Korean university students in the Philippines. Using grounded-theory method, the two students were interviewed about their language learning experience prior and during the study abroad context. The findings demonstrated that the environment shift had influenced changes in their L2 motivational system. Although the learners' learning profiles were not identical, evident traces of positive motivation were present in their individual narrations. Furthermore, their L2 goals, perception on English language learning and the target community are what contributed to the changes in their L2 motivational system. The participants' statements also featured several traditional intrinsic and extrinsic factors that influenced their L2 self-images at varying levels. Moreover, the changes in the participants’ ideal L2 self as a competent English user appeared to be temporary because of the uncertainties that their national duties pose to their professional ambitions. The study also demonstrates the existence of L2 self in Korean learners.
Highlights
Motivation is a general term which has various definitions shaped by different disciplines and research contexts. Williams and Burden (1997) define motivation as “mental and emotional arousal leading to a conscious decision to act, which promotes sustained intellectual and/or physical effort for attaining a goal or goals” (p. 120)
The study intended to investigate the changes in L2 self motivational system of two Korean education migrants in the Philippines and the contributors to the said changes
It revealed that there are apparent complexities in the motivation of L2 learners as discussed in previous literature. This feature of L2 motivation can be explained by the existence of a number of factors in the motivation of learners which were identified in the study
Summary
Motivation is a general term which has various definitions shaped by different disciplines and research contexts. Williams and Burden (1997) define motivation as “mental and emotional arousal leading to a conscious decision to act, which promotes sustained intellectual and/or physical effort for attaining a goal or goals” (p. 120). In the field of education, all kinds of learning use motivation as a fundamental factor which a learner should maintain throughout the learning process. As Brown (1994) posits, motivation is what drives a learner to take actions to achieve a certain goal. Dornyei (1997) emphasizes that motivation seems to be the biggest single factor affecting language learners’ success. He further states that “motivation provides the primary impetus to initiate learning the L2 and later the driving force to sustain the long and often tedious learning process.” Students with strong learning motivation often study better than those with less or no learning motivation (Crookes & Schmidt, 1991). It is natural for humans to perform actions that are “the
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