한국 대학생 학습자들의 영어에 대한 꿈

Second language (L2) motivation is considered one of the most influential factors in learning a second language. Recent studies on L2 motivation adopted the sociocultural perspective and have emphasized the relationship between learner motivation and contextual influences. Drawing on Norton's (2000, 2001) notion of imagined communities and imagined identities, the present study attempted to explore how Korean college students perceive English and how their perception of English is related to their imagined communities and imagined identities. Sixteen college students who had been selected as exchange program students participated in the study. Individual interviews were conducted on their English learning experiences, goals, perceptions of English, and ideal images of English learners. The findings show that the participants perceived English as a necessary tool to gain access to their imagined communities. The participants' perception of their imagined identities helped them to maintain their second language learning motivation and to create opportunities to use English. The results suggest that second language motivation is closely related to learners' imagined identities and that these identities are constructed through learners' active participation and negotiation of ambivalence in the learning process.