Re-evaluating the L2MSS Scale in the Context of Non-English Major Students

Researchers have been investigating motivation to learn second (L2) and foreign (FL) languages for decades, starting with the socio-educational model, moving on to the multi-dimensional model of motivational variables, and currently incorporating the complex dynamic system theory (CDST). The study examined changes in Dörnyei's L2 Motivational Self-System (L2MSS), which initially included five subscales related to future selves (IL2S and OL2S), instrumentality prevention and promotion (IPro and IPre) motives, and prior learning experience influencing the intended effort for learning (IE). 279 non-English major students in Croatia participated in the study aiming to distinguish the changes in the motivation for L2/FL language learning during post-pandemic era. Only four subscales remained valid after factor analysis of the collected data: the imagined-self, ought-to-self, promotion-focus, and prevention-focus scales. The factor loading of most particles in the original IE scale was less than 0.5, making the scale an insignificant dimension of the measurement instrument. Following recommendations from pre-pandemic research and in accordance with the 2 x 2 motivational theory, the findings suggest a modified multidimensional motivational scale should be used in future research on motivational factors in second language acquisition (SLA).

Re-evaluating the L2MSS Scale in the Context of Non-English Major Students Keywords:

motivation , foreign language , second language , L2MSS , Factor Analysis