Negotiating constraints: L2 motivation, attitudes and ownership

This paper aims to explore the factors that impact the language learning experiences and the perceptions of their second language (L2) selves of two highly motivated 18-year-old students attending their last year of high school in Naples, Italy. Based on the findings that emerged from the analysis of participant responses to a series of questions concerning L2 motivation, ownership and attitudes, it investigates the constraints and future aspirations of these youth, and considers how youth exert agency to seek belonging to imagined communities of English speakers and define their L2 proficiency.