Impact Of L2MSS Of Engineering Graduate Students On English Achievements From The Perspective Of Dynamic Systems Theory

In the field of second language acquisition(SLA)there is a broad consensus about the important role that motivation plays in the process of learner's second language(L2)competence.It provides the primary impetus to initiate L2 learning and later the driving force to sustain the long and often tedious learning process.L2 Motivational Self System(L2MSS),a recent theory of motivation proposed by D?rnyei,provides a good opportunity to explore this important territory.However,motivation is also one of the most elusive concepts in SLA research,and its complexity and multi-faceted nature have often resulted in conflicting findings in the past.Recently,a new approach,Dynamic Systems Theory(DST)is introduced into the field of SLA by Larsen-Freeman.DST believes that multiple factors of multiple subsystems fully interact,making the development of the system full of dynamic characteristics such as self-organization,dynamic,and nonlinearity.The three basic elements of L2MSS——ideal L2 self,ought-to L2 self,and learning experience,are both a component and also a subsystem.They are three different attracting basins,which are affected by different forces,each with attractor state and repellor state characteristics.Motivation is also influenced by the interaction among various complex and ever-changing components.Therefore DST fits well with L2 MSS,providing the best research method for L2 MSS.From the perspective of DST,the present study takes 35 engineering graduate students as research subjects,using a combination of quantitative and qualitative research.It distributes three times questionnaires across 3 academic terms to examine the impact of L2 MSS of engineering graduate students on English achievements.Three research questions are probed in the study:(1)What is the overall situation of engineering graduate students' L2 motivational self system?(2)To what extent is L2 motivational self system correlated to English achievements of engineering graduate students?(3)How does L2 motivational self system affects changes in Englishachievements of engineering graduate students?Major findings of this study are as follows.(1)L2MSS is common among engineering graduate students and affects their second language learning.Among them,L2 learning experience has the most influence,the second is the influence of ideal L2 self,and the least influence is ought-to L2 self.In terms of the gender differences in L2 MSS of engineering graduate students,there is a significant gender difference in ideal L2 self.Mean value of male students is significantly higher than that of female students.(2)Pearson correlation coefficient analysis of the three times questionnaires shows that engineering graduate students' L2 MSS and English achievements are significantly positively correlated.(3)Moving correlation coefficient graph shows that with the development of engineering graduate students' ideal L2 self and L2 learning experience,their English achievements will increase significantly.On the contrary,with the development of engineering graduate students' ought-to L2 self,their CET-6 scores will decline significantly.Among them,the correlation development between L2 learning experience and CET-6 scores is more stable,it shows that the characteristics of its attractor state are obvious,which confirms the dynamic system characteristics of L2 MSS.In general,the present study confirms the feasibility and validity of applying DST approach to the research of L2 motivation for engineering students.At the same time,this research provides some implications based on the findings,which is beneficial for teachers to help students form a positive second language learning motivation.