ABSTRACT

This chapter focuses on the reports on a mixed-methods study that compared the motivational development and academic decision-making of Chinese and international undergraduate English majors at two universities in mainland China. In parallel with the field in general, the recent theoretical focus of L2 motivation research in China has concentrated on the role of the self in language learning. The L2 Motivational Self System is based on the premise that a possible self that includes proficiency in an L2 will provide motivation to learn the language. The L2 Motivational Self System has been used to illuminate characteristics of English majors at Chinese universities, and scholars have looked to the influence of Chinese culture when interpreting their findings. The study used a mixed-methods research design that combined questionnaires and interviews with English majors at two highly ranked universities located in separate cities in mainland China.