Exploring the Relationship Between Second Language Learning Motivation and Proficiency

Abstract

A foundation of second language motivational theory has been that motivation contributes to explaining variance in language learning proficiency; however, empirical findings have been mixed. This article presents an innovative approach to exploring L2 proficiency and motivations of teenage English language learners in Madrid, Spain (N = 1773). Participants completed a multiskill English language test, plus an eight-scale questionnaire operationalizing constructs from Dörnyei’s L2 Motivational Self System (Dörnyei, 2005). Data were analysed using Latent Variable Mixture Modeling, a person-centered profiling approach. Results indicated five distinct classes of students, characterized by differing motivation-proficiency profiles. The importance of this study is that the analysis does not assume a homogenous relationship between motivational traits and proficiency levels across the learner sample; whilst there is undoubtedly a connection between the two areas, it is not a straightforward correlation, explaining to some extent discrepancies in previous findings and laying groundwork for further, more nuanced, investigation.

L2 Motivational Self System, International Posture and the Sustainable Development of L2 Proficiency in the COVID-19 Era: A Case of English Majors in China

“…Therefore, the quality of the "products" of the English major would be threatened. What is counter-intuitive is that the ideal L2 self was found to exert a rather weak and insignificant influence on L2 proficiency, which is inconsistent with a vast majority of previous studies [23,37,65,92] that in general found a positive effect. Despite the inconsistency, our finding is understandable in that the ideal L2 self was thought to be an indirect predictor of L2 proficiency, mediated by L2 experience [93].…”

“…Some studies have examined L2MSS as a whole [28,[59][60][61][62][63][64] and concluded that the L2MSS might lead to an increase in L2 proficiency. Since the three components in L2MSS may not function unidirectionally, some others have zoomed into specific dimensions of L2MSS [9,10,23,26,37,38,51,65,66], most of whom have found that the ideal L2 self and L2 learning experience positively predicted L2 proficiency. For example, Kim and Kim [23] studied Korean EFL students' visual, auditory, kinesthetic styles, imagination, ideal L2 self, motivated behavior and English proficiency, and found that the ideal L2 self could impact motivated behavior, which gave rise to more successful L2 learning outcomes.…”

“…Nishida and Yashima [26] studied Japanese university EFL learners and found that students with an L2 experience in their childhood showed higher international posture and L2 proficiency. Dunn and Iwaniec [37] studied Spanish teenage English language learners and found that the ideal L2 self and learning experience performed well in differentiating students at differing proficiency levels. As to ought-to L2 self, mixed findings were yielded.…”

“…However, there is scarcely any study that examines the relationship between L2MSS, international posture, and L2 proficiency simultaneously. Moreover, despite a widespread investigation into L2 motivation in a range of socio-cultural contexts including China [19][20][21][22], Korea [17,[23][24][25], Japan [5,16,26], Pakistan [27], Saudi Arabia [28], Iran [10,[29][30][31], Indonesia [32,33], Hungary [10,34,35], Spain [36,37] and Chile [18,38], it seems that the attention paid to China, the second-largest economy in the world with more than 390 million EFL learners [39], is not proportional, especially in the COVID-19 era. Since context plays a significant role in motivation [8,10,32], it necessitates studying this specific spatio-temporal context.…”

Instrumental and Integrative Orientations in Second Language Learning among Sudanese Students

“…Motivation is one of potential factors in second/foreign language proficiency; positive correlations between motivation and second language outcome variables in many different contexts have been reported, e.g., Brown et al (2001); Clément et al (1994); Dunn & Iwaniec (2021); Kim & Shin (2021); R. Schmidt et al (1996). Gardner and his associates have claimed that integrative motivation is the most important and predictable factor of excelling in a second language than instrumental motivation.…”