The role of second language motivation in constructing the self: An empirical study to investigate the role of motivational trajectories in negotiating and reconstructing academic sojourners’ desired selves in the UK

This study is an endeavour to explicate the dissonance of the linguistic quality outcome of study abroad (SA) experiences by exploring the second language (L2) motivation of six academic sojourners in Manchester. A person-in-context approach revealed that developing intimate relationships with ‘native-speakers’, providing L2-mediated interaction opportunities with international students, and social approval were key determinants of the extent to which SA students were invested in social practices.