What are Japanese High School Students’ Imagined English-Speaking Future Selves?

The research presented in this article was informed by the notion of language learners having a second language future-speaking self-image and how it can have an effect on their motivation to learn a second language. As part of a larger project, the researcher investigated the presence of L2 (second language) future self-images among 12 Japanese high school students (aged between 15 and 18), who took part in one-to-one interviews with the researcher. A thematic analysis of their responses was conducted to examine the extent to which their L2 future self-images had an influence on their L2 motivation. The results showed that the majority of the participants possessed L2 future self-images which are unique to them and that these have had an effect on their motivation to study English. The qualitative data gathered from one-on-one interviews between the researcher and the participants showed how individual language learning experiences can shape and alter L2 future-selves in multi layered and often complex ways.