Abstract
Although motivation is an extensively discussed topic in applied linguistics, minor languages, such as Czech have not received enough attention. This paper examines the motivation to learn Czech as L2 in the context of Study Abroad in the Czech Republic. First, literature on motivation and the Study Abroad context is reviewed, and the key theoretical frameworks discussed: the socio-educational model (Gardner, 1985, 2009) and the L2 Motivational Self-System (L2MSS, Dörnyei, 2005, 2009). The data collection tools were language learning journals, a questionnaire, and two semistructured interviews. The cases of five students were analyzed against the L2MSS model. The key sources of motivation were the Ideal L2 Self (desire to integrate into the local culture and interact with the speakers of Czech) and the L2 Learning
Experience. The study suugests a link between the learning Czech and the ideal multilngual selves of the American students.