L2 Motivational Self System and Chinese Character Achievement: A Study of Beginning-Level Lao Mandarin Learners

The present study examined the relationship between Mandarin learners' motivation, their intended learning efforts, and their language achievement. Specifically, drawing on Dörnyei's L2 Motivational Self System, in this study, learners' motivation was operationalized in terms of their Ideal L2 Self, Ought-to L2 Self, and L2 Learning Experience. The sample comprised 123 beginning-level Mandarin learners (HSK Levels 1 and 2) who were taking a compulsory Mandarin course in Laos. They completed a questionnaire assessing their L2 motivation and intended learning effort and a Chinese character recognition test assessing their Chinese character achievement. The results revealed significant positive correlations between intended learning efforts and all three L2MSS components. Only L2 Learning Experience, however, was significantly and negatively correlated with Chinese character achievement. In addition, intended learning efforts were not significantly correlated with Chinese character achievement in this sample. Implications for future research are discussed.