ABSTRACT
This chapter examines more closely how the constructs of motivation, investment and agency mediate L2 learning. One of the most researched constructs in second language acquisition (SLA), motivation has been considered a key variable in explaining success in L2 learning. The concept of investment was conceptualized by Bonny Norton in the 1990s as a complement to the traditional construct of motivation as a fixed personality trait. Motivation, investment, and agency play significant roles in mediating L2 learners' learning experiences and the development of their semiotic repertoires. Depending on contextual circumstances, L2 learners may be differently motivated to participate in their contexts of learning. At the meso level of social activity, L2 learning is mediated by ever-changing degrees of motivation, investment, and agency. Recognizing the significant role that investment plays in L2 learning, L2 teachers must be ever mindful of how their teaching practices are linked to students' investments in their future communities and identities within them.
