This paper explores the perceptual learning style, ideal L2 self, and motivated L2 behavior of Chinese, Japanese, South Korean, and Swedish high school students. Guided by Dörnyei’s (2005, 2009a) L2 motivational self-system, this quantitative study extends Al-Shehri’s (2009) and Tae-Young Kim's (2009a) research byreinterpreting the role of perceptual leaming styles in the creation of learners' ideal L2 self and the maintenance of their motivated L2 behavior. The statistical analysis found that learners' perceptual learning styles (i.e., visual, auditory, and kinesthetic styles) were significantly correlated with their ideal L2 self and motivated L2 behavior. However, the results of the regression analysis indicate that none of three perceptual learning styles were meaningful predictors of motivated L2 behavior. Instead, only ideal L2 self were found to be meaningful predictors of their motivated L2 behavior. The ANOVA results indicate that although the Chinese students were more likely to show motivated L2 behavior than the other students, they showed a significantly lower level of the ideal L2 self than the Swedish students. By focusing on the relationship between learners’ perceptual learning styles and motivated L2 behavior based on the L2 motivational self-system, this study provides evidence that the creation of ideal L2 selves plays a pivotal role in sustaining motivated L2 behavior .

This paper investigates the role of L2 learner beliefs in study-abroad (SA) contexts. To date, the research of learner beliefs has relied mostly on survey methods, missing qualitative, critical evaluation reflecting the learners’ voice. 8y adopting multiple qualitative research methods, idiosyncratic SA experience and learners' perception of it are reported by analyzing the data of two Korean college students experiencing changes in L2 learning beliefs and L2 proficiency before and after the SA. The data were collected through language learning autobiographies, semi-structured interviews, and stimulated recall tasks by using photos uploaded to the learners' personal web blogs. The findings show that 1) changes in L2 learning beliefs are related to thedegree of legitimate peripheral participation in SA contexts and 2) L2 learners' mode of belonging to the SA community is a useful conceptual framework for explaining their L2 learning beliefs and their sense of success in SA experience. The results suggest that the crucial factor for successful SA L2 learning may not be L2-rich contexts per se but be the learners' recognition of and appreciation for L2 participation.