Research On The Effects Of L2 Motivational Self System On CET-4 Scores Of College Students

Motivation is a critical factor in the process of second language acquisition and has received much attention from researchers.Scholars could gain insight into the dynamic change of learners’ motivation at different learning stages by conducting comprehensive research on motivation,and understand the influence of motivation on learners’ learning processes and outcomes.Despite substantial progress and notable achievements in second language motivation research,there are still some limitations that need to be addressed.In terms of theory,The existing motivation research has not thoroughly investigated motivation from the theoretical perspective of L2 Motivational Self System(L2MSS)and has not given enough attention to the active role of the Present L2 self.In terms of research content,the existing studies primarily focus on the influence of external factors on learners’ motivation,neglecting the crucial influence of learners’ internal motivation,self-identity,and initiative on their motivation to learn.In terms of research subjects,the existing focus of the studies on L2 Motivational Self System primarily revolved around middle school and high school students,with relatively less attention given to the college student population.The L2 Motivational Self System,introduced by D(?)rnyei in 2005,establishes a close connection between motivation,self,and identity,which provides a new perspective for motivation research.Therefore,based on L2 Motivational Self System,this study incorporates elements of possible selves and self-discrepancy theory to further elucidate the concept of the Present L2 Self and subsequently investigates the effects of the college students’ L2 Motivational Self System on their CET-4 scores.The two research questions underpinning this study include:1.What is the general situation of the four components of college students’ L2 Motivational Self System?2.How do the L2 Motivational Self System and its four components affect college students’ CET-4 scores?The questionnaire used in this study is primarily based on the original L2 Motivational Self System questionnaire developed by Liu Zhen in 2012.To make the questionnaire more suitable for the current study,selected items from previous questionnaires that focused on the Present L2 self were incorporated.Both qualitative and quantitative studies are used in this study.The significant findings of this study are as follows:(1)It was discovered that the level of IL2 S was the highest among the four components of college students’ L2 MSS.The degree of the OL2 S came next,then the level of the L2 LE,and finally the level of the PL2 S.(2)The correlations between the four components of college students’ L2 MSS and their CET-4 scores in sequence from high to low were: IL2 S > L2 LE >PL2S>OL2S.The former three variables(IL2S,L2 LE,and PL2S)are positively correlated with their CET-4 scores,while there was no significant correlation between OL2 S and CET-4 scores.IL2 S,L2LE,and PL2 S had a significant impact on college students’ CET-4 scores.They had significant predictive power for college students’ CET-4scores.They explained 18.1%,7.3%,and 1.4% of the total variance,respectively.Overall,the model was able to account for 26.8% of the variance in CET-4 scores.This indicates that the L2 MSS can predict and explain college students’ CET-4 scores to some extent.This study extensively examined the effects of the L2 Motivational Self System on college students’ CET-4 scores,thereby enriching the existing research on second language motivation from a new perspective.Additionally,corresponding English teaching suggestions were given to help college students get more motivated and do better in English in future.