L2 motivational self system and relational factors affecting the L2 motivation of Pakistani students in the public universities of Central Punjab, Pakistan

This thesis presents a study of Pakistani undergraduate students’ motivation to learn English, using Dörnyei’s (2009) L2 Motivational Self System as the main theoretical framework, while including some context-specific factors. This study has two primary aims; firstly to analyse the usefulness of Dörnyei’s model for describing the L2 motivation of a sample of Pakistani students, and secondly to capture other contextual and relational motivational factors which may be salient in this under-researched context. The study applied a mixed method approach. A structured questionnaire survey was designed and administered to over 1000 undergraduates in seven public sector universities of Central Punjab, Pakistan. Both descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyse the questionnaire data. In addition, twenty semi-structured interviews were also conducted and their data was analysed using thematic analysis.

The study provided considerable support for the validity and effectiveness/relevance of the L2 Motivational Self System in the Pakistani context. Participants’ L2 learning attitudes and ideal L2 selves emerged as the strongest contributors to their reported learning efforts. Both quantitative and qualitative data revealed that Milieu strongly influences participants’ future selves and L2 motivation. The qualitative data further elaborated that English-related social values and pressures were also mediated by significant others. Moreover, a proposed new construct – National Interest – was also found useful in capturing the in-depth view of the contemporary L2 motivation of the participants, highlighting the need to understand the association of English with their national identities and interests. The data revealed that these Pakistani learners’ image of themselves as future English-users is associated with a desire for the socioeconomic development, internal harmony and the international reputation of their country in a challenging global context. Overall, the study presented a combination of personal and relational factors strongly affecting participants’ L2 motivation.