The dynamic interplay of the ideal self, mental imagery and context: A Language learner’s journey of success

Hing Yee Letty CHAN

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingChapters

Abstract

Self-concept is a fascinating topic that has captured the imagination of second language acquisition (SLA) researchers in recent years, especially since the inception of ‘The Motivational Self System’ (Dörnyei, 2005, 2009a), which operationalises motivation as a function of learners’ future identities. Ample studies have examined the role of a future self-guide, the Ideal L2 Self, confirming it to be powerful in explaining learner motivation (e.g., Csizér & Lukács, 2010; Dörnyei & Ushioda, 2009; Henry, 2009, 2010, 2011; Kormos, Kiddle & Csizér, 2011; Magid, 2009; Papi, 2010). Although the self has long been theorised as dynamic and changeable (Cantor, Markus, Hiedenthal & Nurius, 1986), with the widespread use of cross-sectional questionnaire research design, researchers have predominantly approached the self as a static and monolithic construct, considering it as relatively stable across different situations. Nonetheless, with an increasing interest in complex dynamic systems, a dynamic view of possible selves in L2 learning has been theorised (Henry, 2015) and researchers have started to explore the dynamics of L2 imagery in future motivational self-guides (You & Chan, 2015). In the present chapter, I will focus on the dynamics of the ideal self and mental imagery in relation to contextual environments. Copyright © 2016 Letty Chan.
Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationThe dynamic interplay between context and the language learner
EditorsJim KING
Place of PublicationUK
PublisherPalgrave Macmillan
Pages29-46
ISBN (Print)9781349574896, 9781137457134
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2016

Citation

Chan, L. (2016). The dynamic interplay of the ideal self, mental imagery and context: A Language learner’s journey of success. In J. King (Ed.), The dynamic interplay between context and the language learner (pp. 29-46). UK: Palgrave Macmillan.

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