Motivation and the L2 self: a case study of English secondary learners in multilingual Mauritius

Drawing on Dornyei’s ‘L2 Motivational Self System’ (2009), this article explores English language learning motivation among adolescent students in a secondary school in Mauritius. A mixed-methods approach, with the qualitative method being dominant, was used to fill in the gap of research pertaining to English language teaching and learning in Mauritius. Analysis of the findings reveals that there appears to be no major differences with regard to motivational factors among Form 4, Form 5, Lower and Upper 6 students. The learners’ robust ideal L2 selves mediate and reinforce the subtleties and complexities of English language learning motivation. Teasing out the linguistic and sociocultural particularities of Mauritius, I argue that motivation is characterised by a complex web of interrelated factors impacting on the students’ learning experiences