Investigating the L2 Motivation of the Undergraduate Students from the Perspective of the «L2 Motivational Self System»

This study aims to investigate the L2 motivation of the undergraduate non-English major students from the perspective of the “L2 Motivational Self System”. The qualitative and journal keeping were method of interview used to determine the motivational factors. After reviewing the related literature and receiving the opinions of a panel of experts, the questions of the semi-structured interview were prepared. 40 non- English majors from state universities of Kurdistan and Kermanshah in the 2015-2016 academic year participated in the study. The criterion-based sampling was used for selecting the sample. The transcribed interview and the journals were content analyzed to locate the key themes in the data. The themes were then coded and based on the theoretical framework of the study several categories were determined. The findings of the study provide some evidence for the validation of the “L2 Motivational Self System” in this specific context. Also, the findings showed that the “L2 Learning Experiences” element of this model is the strongest motivational factor for the non-English majors. This element appeared in the data in four themes. The “L2 Ideal Self” was also proved to be a stronger motivational factor than the “Ought-to L2 Self”. The findings have implications in designing syllabuses and materials compatible with “possible selves” of students and foreground the importance of teachers’ characteristics.