L2 Selves, Emotions, and Motivated Behaviors

Abstract

This study has aimed to investigate language learners’ emotional experiences through the lens of L2 future self-guides. To that end, the L2 motivational self system was chosen as the theoretical framework to relate learners’ emotions to their L2 selves. However, due to inconsistent results of past research concerning the motivational role of the ought-to L2 self, a revision of the model is proposed, discussed theoretically, and tested empirically. The results revealed a trichotomous model of L2 selves—ideal L2 self, ought-to L2 self/own, and ought-to L2 self/others—with distinct motivational profiles. Furthermore, different types of L2 self-discrepancies were found to result in different emotional reactions on the part of L2 learners. Overall, the study provides a clearer picture of L2 learners’ emotions and their motivation in second language acquisition.

Motivation, Emotion, Learning Experience, and Second Language Comprehensibility Development in Classroom Settings: A Cross‐Sectional and Longitudinal Study

“…As such, their greater motivational configurations elicit not only more enjoyment but also less anxiety about EFL learning. In line with the recent motivation and emotion literature (Papi & Teimouri, ; Teimouri, ), our findings echo those that have shown that having strongly internalized motivation (Ideal L2 Self) evokes various kinds of emotion (anxiety, enjoyment).…”

“…As such, their greater motivational configurations elicit not only more enjoyment but also less anxiety about EFL learning. In line with the recent motivation and emotion literature (Papi & Teimouri, 2014;Teimouri, 2016), our findings echo those that have shown that having strongly internalized motivation (Ideal L2 Self) evokes various kinds of emotion (anxiety, enjoyment). In response to the first research question concerning the interaction patterns between L2 learners' motivation and emotion factors and their experience, our cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses demonstrated that both Ideal L2 Self and Ought-to L2 Self demonstrated small-to-medium correlations with various stages of the participants' experience at preschool, junior high school, and high school (r = .20-.30), indicating that motivation is closely aligned with L2 learners' behaviors relating to studying, using, and practicing the target language throughout their EFL experience (Dörnyei, 2009;Ushioda, 2016).…”

“…Different from anxiety, enjoyment may relate to the Ideal Self aspect of motivation because a sense of elation arises when L2 learners achieve their more internalized future‐self guides, that is, their hopes, aspirations, and ideals. There is also some evidence that L2 learners with a more promotional focus tend to express more positive emotions toward their own learning experience, peers, and teachers (Teimouri, ). Dewaele and Dewaele () carried out a survey study on British students between 12 and 18 years of age.…”

Reexamining the Role of Vision in Second Language Motivation: A Preregistered Conceptual Replication of You, Dörnyei, and Csizér (2016)

“…This points to the urgent need for further psychometric research to refine scales that are frequently cited in the L2 motivation literature. Several novel lines of research have begun to do this (e.g., Papi, Bondarenko, Mansouri, Feng, & Jiang, ; Teimouri, ).…”

Differential Roles of Shame and Guilt in L2 Learning: How Bad Is Bad?

“…Teimouri () also examined shame experiences of L2 learners within Dörnyei's L2 motivational self system (Dörnyei, ). The results of a survey of 524 Iranian students of English as a foreign language (EFL) revealed that all L2 learners, regardless of their motivational types (ideal L2 self vs. ought‐to L2 self), are susceptible to some extent to the emotional reaction of shame—although those students with stronger social and personal obligations for learning English (i.e., ought‐to L2 self/others and ought‐to L2 self/own) were found to be more vulnerable to feelings of shame.…”