Page 37 [37]
OCR
THEORETICAL BACKGROUND learning motivation of secondary school learners. Csizér and Lukács (2010) drew the same conclusion in their study, in which they investigated Hungarian learners. Ihey hypothesized that secondary school students are not old enough to develop their Ought-to L2 selves, which can successfully motivate them. However, as opposed to the findings of previous research on the Ought-to L2 Self, my hypothesis is that in the Hungarian context, it may be an important factor in the L2 learning motivation of secondary school students for two reasons. First, from the academic year 2019/2020, it would have been compulsory for students to obtain at least a B2 level exam to be admitted to a higher educational program, but the Hungarian government withdrew the introduction of this regulation (Öveges-Kálmán 2019). Also, further foreign language exam certificates provide learners with extra points reguired to be admitted to several higher educational programs. Second, at the time when this research project was started (in 2020), in order to obtain the degree certificate at the end of ones studies in a higher education program in Hungary, one had to possess a foreign language certificate proving a certain level of foreign language knowledge. Ihe most common prereguisite for obtaining a degree certificate was possessing at least a B2 level exam; however, this could vary according to different higher education programs in Hungary. It could be concluded that atthe time I started this research project, the above-detailed regulations could have encouraged Hungarian students to obtain a foreign language certificate, which may have ultimately impacted their Ought-to L2 Self. In 2022, however, this regulation was abolished, leaving universities the discretion to decide whether or not to reguire their students to obtain a foreign language exam certificate (for more details see Fajt et al. 2022a, 2022b). Nevertheless, at the time of data collection (in 2020), obtaining a foreign language exam certificate was still an important motivating factor for EEL learners, so I decided to keep the data pertaining foreign language exams and include them in the upcoming analysis (e.g., Chapter 5). 2.3.1.3 L2 learning experience The third and last dimension of the L2 Motivational Self System is the L2 Learning Experience, which Dörnyei (2005: 29) defines as the “immediate learning environment and experience.” This dimension differs from the other two components, which are situated at the self-level. Csizér (2019) points out that even though this dimension is fundamentally different from the other two self-related concepts, which are based on Markus and Nurius’s (1986) possible selves theory, the L2 Learning Experience is an integral part of Dörnyei’s (2005) theory, as this component emphasizes the importance of context in language learning.
