This study examines the relationship of L2 learners’ motivational and attitudinal factors with the two versions (self-rated and tested) of proficiency. 79 Korean university students were assessed on measures of L2 orientations, motivation, and attitudes toward English using a questionnaire and learning autobiographies. The study also compared participants’ self-reported proficiency with their TOEIC scores. The results show that more of negative values (self-rated proficiency is lower than tested proficiency) came from students with high test scores than low-achieving students. Students defined gaining bilingual proficiency as criterion for success in L2 learning,and their expectation of such desired proficiency is significantly correlated with motivation and perceived significance of English, but not with the self-rated and tested proficiency. Multiple regression analyses suggest that students’ self-awareness of the importance of English learning significantly predicts their motivation, and linguistic L2confidence and self-assessment of target language competence are significant predictors for tested proficiency, but motivational intention is not. Potential interpretations for findings and implications for L2 pedagogy are discussed.

This study examines the relationship between students’ perceptions of learning contexts and motivation to learn English in Korea. Three categories of contexts were operationalized: the transnational context as learners’ international interest including study-abroad desires, the national context as awareness of English learning to prepare for CSAT (College Scholastic Ability Test) and their classroom experience as the last category. A total of 433 high school students were assessed on measures of L2 learning goals, perception of contexts, self-reported L2 proficiency and motivational intention in the questionnaire, followed by focal participants’ interviews and essays. The statistical analyses show that transitional and classroom categories are statistically correlated with motivational intention. However, the national context is negatively correlated with actual motivation. Multiple regression analyses found that the transnational category is the best predictor for motivational intention, while the national category involves the least significant predictor. The students’ classroom experience is also a meaningful, milder than transnational, predictor. Synthesized results of both quantitative and qualitative data suggest that L2 motivation is more of a sociolinguistic construct that should be construed in relation to multiple social contexts. Findings also suggest Dörnyei’s (2005, 2009) notion of the ideal L2 self can better explain the complexity of L2 learning motivation, whereby the integrative-instrumental dichotomy loses its explanatory power.