Rethinking language learning motivation through a dialogic lens

Abstract Conventional studies on second language (L2) motivation have often emphasized two key concepts: integrativeness and the ideal L2 self. While each offers valuable insight, they are typically treated as distinct psychological processes, and neither concept alone may sufficiently account for the diverse nature of motivation. This study argues that this limitation stems from the field’s reliance on Saussurean linguistics, which views language learning as the internalization of linguistic knowledge. To address this, Bakhtin’s dialogism is employed, framing language learning as a dialogic process involving the appropriation of others’ words. Using dialogism as a framework, the motivations of two learners of Japanese were examined. Analysis of interview data revealed that the learners’ engagement in actual and imagined Japanese dialogues within various social communications evolved and deepened over time, centering on their appropriation of specific speech genres historically used in these communications. The findings suggest that integrativeness and the ideal L2 self share a common process of identification with the target language and can coexist within the same dialogic process situated in particular forms of social communication.