Nhóm 4

Introduction
The validity of the tripartite motivational L2 self-system model in explaining the L2
motivational behaviors of a sample of Arab university-level EFL students in southern
Saudi Arabia was investigated in the paper "L2 Motivational Self System Among
Arab EFL Learners: Saudi Perspective" by S. Alshahrani (2016). While this study
confirmed the accuracy of the key components of the L2 Self System model, such as
Ideal L2, Ought-to L2, and English learning experiences, as well as their applicability
in the Saudi context, there are some elements relating to the symbols and categories
included in the tables of data, the functions of the motivating variables, and some
comments that provided a background explanation for the theories relating to The L2
Motivational Self System.

Summary
Abstract
The purpose of the current study is to determine if the motivational L2 self system
tripartite model is effective in describing the L2 behaviors of a sample of Arab
university-level EFL students in southern Saudi Arabia. The theoretical foundation is
the L2 Motivational Self System (2009) by Dörnyei. The results showed that the Ideal
L2 and Language Learning Experiences made significant contributions to the
learners' reported efforts to acquire English at high levels of significance.
1.Background
(Dörnyei, 2005; 2007) Language influences behavior. Integrative orientation refers to
the variables that influence how strongly and in what way learners act to learn a
second language. The desire and aspiration of learners to be recognized as part of
the L2 linguistics community is represented by integrativeness. According to the
conceptual framework presented by Dörnyei (2005), motivation results from a
learner's desire to reduce the gap between his or her idealized self-state and real
self-state. This conceptualization would apply to all speakers of English in the
twenty-first century and would emphasize the impact that learners' perceptions of
themselves as language learners have on their rate of language acquisition. Two
recent conceptualizations of motivation offered by Noels(2003) and Ushioda(2001)
are combined in the L2 Motivational Self System paradigm.
1.1- The L2 Motivational Self System
The L2 Motivational Self System is ideally suited to research the motivational
characteristics of linguistic Franca. It portrays the ideal type of L2 user—a skilled L2
orator—that one hopes to be in the future. Integrativeness and instrumental motives
were found to positively connect with the ideal L2 self. It was also discovered to be
impacted by how students' long-term self-image developed throughout their
language acquisition phase.
The L2 Motivational Self (L2) system in Saudi Arabia plays a crucial role in students'
motivation to learn English, and the goal of this study was to determine whether the
Ideal L2 self can be equated with integrativeness in the Saudi EFL environment. It
also aimed to demonstrate the accuracy of associating integrativeness with the ideal
self. These objectives guided the creation of the following research questions:
1. In the Saudi EFL setting, is integrativeness equivalent to the Ideal L2 Self?
2. How do the L2 Motivational Self system's three primary components connect to
the reported English-learning efforts of students?
3. What other motivational factors appear to be essential for predicting and
explaining variation in L2 motivational behavior in the Saudi EFL setting?
3. Medthod
3.1. Study sampling
During the autumn 2015 semester, the study sample focused on English majors at a
university campus in southern Saudi Arabia. Participants had intermediate
proficiency levels and were young adults, ranging in age from 17 to 24, from varied
socioeconomic backgrounds. All of the participants had studied English for 6 years in
public school as a foreign language before studying it for 2 to 5 years as a major.
3.2. Instrument
Several six-point Likert scale items that were modified from recent L2 motivation self-
system research were used in the study to evaluate the latent variables in the model.
These latent variables contributed significantly to the explanation of the various
language-related self-future images and have been shown to be significant predictor
variables of motivated learning behavior. The final questionnaire included eight items
on it that could be answered in 30 minutes and covered ten motivational scales.
Criteria measure, ideal L2 self, ought-to L2 self, family influence, instrumentality-
promotion, instrumentality-prevention, attitudes toward learning English, attitudes
toward L2 community, cultural curiosity, and integrativeness were the 10 motivating
factors.
4. Procedure
A reliability and factor analysis of the data revealed issues with numerous scales'
dependability. Final rewording of a few items was done, and items having a low
Cronbach alpha internal consistency coefficient (=0.6) were deleted. The remaining
variables showed acceptable alpha values (above 0.7), and as a result, they were
discovered to be crucial in predicting and explaining the L2 motivational model in the
Saudi context.
5. Results and Discussion
5.1 The relationship between Ideal L2 and integrativeness in the Saudi EFL
context
In the Saudi EFL setting, the Ideal L2 self outperformed integrativeness in terms of
its ability to explain variation in the major criterion measure of students' intention to
study. According to the correlation, the two ideas share a same construct domain
and are hence equal. These results corroborate those of earlier studies that looked
at the re-interpretability of Integrativeness in a wider context.
5.2 The relationship between the L2 Motivational Self system’s three main
components
The strongest linear relationship between the criterion measure and the ideal L2 self
is 0.76, which is consistent with findings from EFL learning situations in Pakistan and
Japan. This shows how much emotional affiliation with the L2 group and its culture
affects learners' motivation to learn English. The interest in L2 culture and attitudes
toward L2 members of the learner population were highly correlated with English
learning experiences.
5.3 Other motivational variables predicting variance in Saudi EFL learners’
learning behaviour
Comparing the cultural interest component to instrumentality's prevention-focused
elements, the study sample's reported learning efforts were uniquely explained by
4.5% of the variation. The results showed that a cultural preference for goods made
in English-speaking nations considerably adds to favorably stimulating Saudi EFL
learners' learning efforts. This result supports findings from earlier studies that, in a
variety of learning contexts, cultural interest becomes a significant predictor in the
Motivational Self system model.
Critique
To commence with, the author did a great work with the presentation of data which
were clear and well organized. However, they could be illustrated more
understandably if there had been an explanation of the symbols and categories
included in the tables of data. For instance, there were specific symbols, such as α
M, SD, β , ect. in Table 1 and Table 4. Although Cronbach alpha internal consistency
coefficient was mentioned but which aspect it represented was not clarified. While
the targeted audiences of this paper were not necessarily researchers, it would had
been more reader-friendly if further information about those strategies and their
functions could be included.

Additionally, the functions of the motivating variables also require more explanation.
In particular, a number of factors, including practical research and statistics, looked
at students' motivations for learning English as a foreign language in a setting where
Arabic is the prevalent language. The reasons why some motivating variables have
fewer options than others, however, are not fully understood. Hence, if the specific
context of the study as it relates to this hypothesis is mentioned, it would be more
persuasive.

Lastly, although the paper provided some reliable theories relating to the L2
Motivational Self System for building its background, there are some comments
which were not clearly explained. For example, a holistic reference based on the
synchronization of self-perspective concept in L2 Motivation Self System and the
integrative concept of previous L2 motivation traditional theories, is believed that
“helps to explain the motivational features in diverse learning contexts where there is
limited contact with L2 speakers”. There is no further explanation about the contact
limitation with L2 speakers in the learning context. This lack of explanation would
make the reliability of these results questioned. Therefore, it would have been
convincing if the authors had provided examples of these contact drawbacks.

Conclusion

In conclusion, this research is well written and described. The justification of the
symbols and categories used in the data tables, an explanation of the purposes of
the motivating variables, and comments on background theories relating to the L2
Motivational Self System are a few issues that should be fully addressed in order to
improve the quality of the paper.