Turkish EFL Learners’ Motivational Self Systems: A Cross-sectional Study

Abstract

This paper reports the findings of a research, with a twofold aim of investigating L2 motivational self system of Turkish EFL learners and exploring how the constructs of this model interact with each other. To this end, we conducted a mixed methods research with 1168 participants from three populations of Turkish EFL learners, secondary school, high school and university students. The findings show that the tripartite mode of L2 motivational self system explains the Turkish EFL learners’ language learning motivation and that the constructs of this model contribute towards the language learning motivation following different paths for the three groups of learners from secondary school, high school and university. To investigate the possible changes these constructs undergo over time, language learning motivation trajectories of individual learners were also explored. The findings show that there is a dynamic interplay among these constructs. The findings also indicate patterns and emergence of attractor states in these interactions. Finally, it is found that the attractor states themselves also undergo changes over the learners’ trajectories, shaping whilst being shaped by the components of L2 motivational self system.

Keywords

• English as a Foreign Language
• Language Learning Motivation
• L2 Motivational Self System
• Complex Dynamic Systems Theory

Türkiye’de İngilizceyi Yabancı Dil Olarak Öğrenenlerin Yabancı Dil Benlik Sistemlerinin Kesitsel Desenle İncelenmesi

Abstract

Bu makale, İngilizceyi yabancı dil olarak öğrenen Türk öğrencilerin ikinci dil motivasyon benlik sistemlerini incelemeyi ve bu modeldeki kurultuların birbirleriyle olan etkileşimlerini anlamayı amaçlayan iki aşamalı bir araştırmanın sonuçlarını raporlamaktadır. Bu amaçla, karma araştırma modeli kullanılan bu çalışmada İngilizceyi yabancı dil olarak öğrenen Türk öğrencilerden, ortaokul, lise ve üniversite öğrencilerinden oluşan üç gruba dâhil 1168 katılımcı yer almıştır. Bulgular, ikinci dil motivasyon benlik sisteminin İngilizceyi yabancı dil olarak öğrenen Türk öğrencilerin motivasyonlarını açıkladığını ve bu modelin kurultularının ortaokul, lise ve üniversite öğrencilerinden oluşan üç farklı grubunun yabancı dil öğrenme motivasyonlarını farklı yollar izleyerek yordadığını göstermektedir. Bu kurultuların zamanla geçirdikleri olası değişimleri incelemek için katılımcıların yabancı dil öğrenme motivasyonlarının gidişizleri de incelenmiştir. Bulgular kurultular arasında dinamik bir etkileşimin olduğunu; bu etkileşimlerde örüntülerin ve değişkenlerin meylettiği çekerlerin ortaya çıktığını göstermektedir. Son olarak, çekerlerin de zamanla dil öğrencilerinin gidişizlerinde değişime uğradığını, ikinci dil motivasyon benlik sistemlerinin bileşenlerince değiştirildiklerini ve bu bileşenleri değiştirdiklerini göstermektedir.

Keywords

• Yabancı Dil Olarak İngilizce
• Dil Öğrenme Motivasyonu
• İkinci Dil Motivasyon Benlik Sistemleri
• Karmaşık Dinamik Sistemler Teorisi

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