In this dissertation, I will present social-cognitive frameworks that support the use of mental imagery for possible self enhancement; and articulate and evaluate a pedagogical intervention designed for the foreign language class. This intervention will allow students to explore and develop prominent and vivid mental representations (self-schemas)…

Research into second language acquisition (SLA) has shown that individual difference (ID) variables can be strong predictors of language achievement (e.g., Dornyei, 2003; Skehan, 2003). Traditionally, this research conceptualized ID variables as static and monolithic variables (e.g., Dornyei, 2010). More recently scholars have questioned this…

Second language learning success relies on instructional methodologies that foster guidance, engagement, motivation, creativity, and active learning in an inclusive environment. As language educators, it is important to establish instructional modes to entice positive behavior and stimulate the senses. The problem to be addressed by the study is…

To date, most classroom-based research into the learning of a third language (L3) in the US has examined patterns of acquisition among various groups of bilinguals. Situated mainly within the context of "Portuguese for Spanish Speakers" (PSS), studies typically group learners based on the sequence / age of onset of their main background…

Learning an L2 is often said to transform an individual into a new (and improved) version of the self. This mixed-method study investigated (1) whether, and if so, in what way such a transformation occurs within the L2 learner self; and (2) whether current theories of self and motivation in the fields of SLA and psychology adequately address L2…

China's growing economic power has led to over one hundred million people speaking Chinese world-wide (Chai & Wang, 2017). Although the Chinese language may not replace English as the most popular language worldwide, it is acknowledged that the Chinese language is an indispensable part of the future world (Zhao & Huang, 2010). However,…

This study explored the use of gamification when teaching Greek as a L2. It examined how Greek teachers in different schools in Cyprus use gamification and if it affects their students in learning. It explored their perceptions of the effects on student motivation and engagement. The study was of qualitative approach and semi-structured interviews…

People have many reasons to want to learn a foreign language: some want to enjoy foreign media in its original form, some need it for business or travel, personal enrichment, and so on. Roughly 1/6 of Earth's population's learn languages with logographic writing systems (LWS) such as Chinese, Japanese and Korean as their native tongues. These…

The present dissertation is a synthesis and meta-analysis of the 15-year-old research domain of the L2 Motivational Self System (L2MSS) model initiated by Dornyei (2005). The study is based on data from 100 studies involving 144 unique samples and 51,905 participants, and it addresses the inter-relationships of L2MSS elements (i.e., the Ideal L2…

This dissertation investigates the initial and ongoing motivations of language revitalization practitioners. This study extends our understandings of language revitalization from the programmatic and sociological levels to the level of the individual practitioner. It also extends theory in L2 motivation into a largely unstudied language learning…

The concept of second language (L2) learning motivation (L2 motivation) has been a focal point of extensive research in second language acquisition (SLA) for over 50years, with both scholars and classroom language instructors acknowledging the pivotal role motivation plays in L2 learning. This action research study tests an MTP within a Chinese…

Second language learner motivation research has witnessed a transition from a historically static approach to a more dynamic approach, yielding extensive research during the past decade. Dornyei (2005, 2009) proposed a vigorous motivation framework, the Second Language Motivational Self System (L2MSS) that highlights the dynamic nature of learner…

This case study investigated why high schoolers in a Midwestern school district chose to continue or discontinue studying Spanish after level II. Data was obtained from an analysis of the district's Spanish curriculum for levels I through III, a preliminary questionnaire administered to interested participants, and semi-structured interviews with…

Foreign language enrollments in U.S. higher education are falling at an unprecedented rate since the 1980s. This mixed methods case study sought to investigate this phenomenon by examining the motivational and attitudinal profiles of 89 beginning-level learners of foreign languages (Spanish, French, Arabic, Japanese) and the contextual factors…

The purpose of this qualitative meta-synthesis is to investigate the demotivation and remotivation of Asian university students in the EFL context and the interplay with sociocultural factors. This meta-synthesis was designed to address three research questions:1. What are the demotivating factors of Asian university students who are learning…