A Study On The Relationship Of Thai Major Students' L2 Motivational Self System,Self-Efficacy And Academic Achievements

L2 Motivational Self System(L2MSS)has been a hot research topic in the field of second language acquisition since it was first proposed in 2005 by D?rnyei.In recent years,a considerable number of studies have been conducted at home and aboard to test the validity of L2 MSS in different contexts and to explore interrelationships among other variables.Meanwhile,self-efficacy,as another important influencing factor of second language acquisition,has also drawn substantial attention.However,much of the previous research has overwhelmingly focused on English language learners,and there has been a scant concern on languages other than English(e.g.Thai).Therefore,it is of both theoretical and practical significance to put L2 MSS and self-efficacy into a whole framework.This study aimed to explore the relationship among variables of Ideal L2 self,Ought-to L2 self,Thai learning experience,self-efficacy and academic achievements in China's Thai as foreign language context.A model of L2 MSS,self-efficacy and academic achievements was hypothesized and tested in this study,based on a great number of previous studies.The study was conducted in eight universities in Yunnan province and research data were collected by means of questionnaire and interviews.537 valid questionnaires were retrieved and 11 interview responses were recorded.The data collected were submitted to SPSS 18.0 and analyzed through AMOS 17.0.Descriptive statistics,reliability of the subscales and correlations were examined,and a hypothesized model was tested using Structural Equation Modeling.Based on the quantitative and qualitative results,the study obtained the following major findings:(1)Differences were found in Ideal L2 self,Thai learning experience and self-efficacy in terms of different grades,whereas,no differences existed in Ought-to L2 self;(2)L2MSS showed significantly positive correlation with self-efficacy of Chinese Thai major students,among which Thai learning experience had the strongest correlation with self-efficacy;(3)The international structure of L2 motivation was validated in China where Thai as a foreign language context,and statistically supported the tripartite of L2MSS;(4)Ideal L2 self,Ought-to L2 self,Thai learning experience and self-efficacy could account for 24% of variance in academic achievements.Among them,Ideal L2 self and Thai learning experience did not have a direct impact on academic achievements.Ideal L2 self had a positive effect on academic achievements,and Ideal L2 self exerted an indirect influence on academic achievements via self-efficacy.Meanwhile,Ought-to L2 self had a negative effect on academic achievements,and Ought-to L2 self not only exerted direct influence on academic achievements but also had an indirect impact on self-efficacy by its influence of Thai learning experience,thereby it impacted academic achievements in truth.The findings of this study shed much light on second language acquisition,in particular the less commonly-taught language teaching and learning in China.Pedagogical implications of the findings,limitations of the study and possible avenues for future research are discussed at the end of this dissertation.