EXPLORING THE CHANGES IN THE L2 MOTIVATIONAL SELF SYSTEM AMONG SOME CHINESE UNIVERSITY UNDERGRADUATE ENGLISH MAJORS

This study looked at how the L2 Motivational Self System (L2MSS) changed for some Chinese undergraduate English majors, mainly focusing on how their Ideal L2 Self and Ought-to L2 Self evolved during their first three years of university. With a mixed methods research design, the study investigated the changes in the participants’ L2MSS by a questionnaire survey conducted twice among English-majored juniors and seniors. One-on-one semi-structured interviews were conducted among 18 representative participants whose L2MSS had shown noticeable changes to unveil the possible factors accounting for the changes. Findings revealed that while the ideal L2 self-remained the strongest predictor of overall L2MSS, it declined slightly over time. The influence of the ought-to L2 self-increased significantly as students became more willing to follow the advice from their parents. Qualitative data highlighted key factors shaping these transformations, including career adjustments, parental influence, perceived difficulties in English learning, and anxieties about job market competitiveness. The study contributes to L2 motivation research by illustrating the dynamic nonlinear evolution of the L2MSS.