Foreign language (FL) learning motivation among students is an important topic in the European context, as the respect for linguistic diversity has been seen as a key principle of the European Union and learning several languages is necessary for many people (Baïdak et al., 2017). This is especially true for the examination of FL learning motivation among students with different socioeconomic status (SES), as notable discrepancies in the achievement of different SES groups of students have been documented in many European countries (e.g., the differences in PISA 2018 average reading scores between advantaged and disadvantaged students were over 100 points in Belgium, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Hungary, Luxembourg, the Slovak Republic, and Switzerland, the OECD average gap being 89 points; OECD, 2019).

Recent review of EFL learning motivation research (Vonkova et al., 2021), however, has shown that the majority of research on EFL learning motivation between years 2016 and 2020 has been conducted in Asia, only a few studies focusing on Europe (10 in Spain and 3 in Sweden out of 90 analyzed studies). Also, there is a scarcity of research on the relationship between FL learning motivation and SES (Iwaniec, 2020). So far, only a few studies have studied this relationship among European students, such as Alejo and Piquer-Píriz (2016) in Spain, Iwaniec (2020) in Poland, and Vonkova et al. (2024) in the Czech Republic. Thus, the link between FL learning motivation and SES among students in Europe merits further investigation.

Currently, the L2 motivational self-system (L2MSS) is the most commonly used FL learning theory (Vonkova et al., 2021). The theory has originated in the work of Zoltán Dörnyei from Hungary (Dörnyei, 2009), who distinguished three major motivational components: the ideal L2 self, the ought-to L2 self, and L2 learning experience. The ideal L2 self concerns a desirable self image of the kind of L2 user a learner would like to become, the ought-to L2 self refers to the attributes a learner believes he/she ought to possess to meet expectations of others and to avoid possible negative outcomes, and L2 learning experience covers motives related to the immediate learning environment and experiences, such as the influence of the teacher or the peer group (Dörnyei, 2009; You & Dörnyei, 2016). L2MSS theory is a theoretical framework to L2 learning motivation we have adopted in this study.

Our study contributes to filling the gap in the current research regarding our understanding of the relationship between SES and foreign language learning motivation. We build on the findings of Vonkova et al. (2024) and aim to further explore individual ought-to L2 self items and their link to selected students’ SES-related variables. Such an analysis can help enhance our understanding of the ought-to L2 self construct and contribute to future research on the link between L2MSS components and SES in European countries. Specifically, our research question is as follows: What is the link between Czech students’ ought-to L2 self, at the level of individual items, and their selected socioeconomic characteristics (school type, and parental education)?

We utilize the data set from Vonkova et al. (2024) collected among Czech students finishing their lower secondary studies (ca. 14 to 15 years old). The students attended either a basic school (in Czech základní škola) or a multi-year grammar school (in Czech víceleté gymnázium), which is a selective type of school with a standardized admission exam. The data were collected at 35 basic schools and 30 grammar schools. We analyze data from 664 students who provided responses to all the variables under study. We administered a slightly modified version of an L2MSS questionnaire from Lamb (2012) containing six items targeting ought-to L2 self rated on a four-point scale (1) disagree, (2) somewhat disagree, (3) somewhat agree, (4) agree. The items were (Vonkova et al., 2024): Ought-to1: I need English to avoid failing my exams. Ought-to2: Young Czechs are obliged to learn English well. Ought-to3: I have to study English well to be a good pupil. Ought-to4: Learning English is necessary because people surrounding me expect me to do so. Ought-to5: Adults who can’t use English may be considered ignorant. Ought-to6: If I fail to learn English I’ll be letting other people down. As for socioeconomic characteristics, we have used the information about whether the student is from a selective grammar school (compared to a basic school). Also, we have examined whether at least one of the student’s (step/foster) parents reached ISCED (International Standard Classification of Education) 6 or a higher level of education according to the ISCED 2011 classification.

The preliminary analysis has revealed that being from a selective grammar school (compared to a basic school) is associated with a higher reported agreement with most ought-to L2 self items. Thus, in terms of students’ ought-to L2 self, being from a selective, academically demanding school appears to be a relevant factor. Students from grammar schools, however, seem not to report notably more agreement, for example, with the statement that learning English is necessary because people surrounding them expect them to do so (Ought-to4). Thus, not all parts of ought-to L2 self are related to the school type students’ attend. Having a parent with the educational level ISCED6 or higher is, similarly to attending a grammar school, associated with a higher agreement on most ought-to L2 self items. A large difference seems to be, for example, in the case of item Ought-to5 (Adults who can’t use English may be considered ignorant.). Students with more highly educated parents, however, seem not to report notably more, for example, that they have to study English well to be a good pupil (Ought-to3). Overall, our preliminary findings suggest that ought-to L2 self is related to school type as well as parental education, though these relationships are not consistent across all aspects of ought-to L2 self. A more detailed analysis is required to further explore the patterns of relationship between different aspects of ought-to L2 self and different SES-related characteristics of students. Also, the role of school in the development of FL learning motivation among students with different SES requires further investigation.

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