Validating the L2 Motivational Self System of Chinese Learners in an ESL Context : A Structural Equation Modeling Approach

抄録

The most recent theory of L2 motivation is Dörnyei's L2 Motivational Self System, which subsumes the ideal L2 self, the ought-to L2 self, and the L2 learning experience. Since it was developed in 2005, a lot of SLA researchers have been promoted to examine its external validity. However, almost all of the research was conducted in foreign language learning contexts, without considering second language contexts. To bridge this gap, the present study aimed to replicate Dörnyei's tripartite model in a Chinese population who were learning English as a second language (ESL) and thereby investigated its generalizability in this specific context. A questionnaire survey was completed by 405 Chinese-background students from five Canadian universities. Through analyzing the data by using SEM, it was found that the L2 Motivational Self System was generally applicable to the L2 learning context and the L2 learning experience showed the strongest power in explaining the motivation of Chinese ESL learners.