Thriving Through Motivational Intelligence: An Intervention Programme Based on Life Capital, Mindset and Vision

Abstract

This article reports on the findings of a research study which has approached language learning motivation (LLM) following Ushioda's (2009) person-in-context relational view of L2 motivation, Consoli's life capital (2021, 2022), Dweck's mindset (2017) and Dörnyei's vision system (2009). Our study provides insights into how LLM research is key to bolstering broader societal transformations and positive social impacts through a two-day intervention programme during which undergraduate L2 learners of English were introduced to the concepts of life capital, mindset, and vision through a series of motivational activities. The qualitative analyses of the data, divided into three steps, pre-, during, and post-intervention programme, allowed us to track the student's motivation and to highlight the critical role of such motivational courses. As a result, the authors introduce the notion of motivational intelligence, defined as a set of motivational skills which enable individuals to self-regulate their life-long growth process considering the potential of their life capital, and which, building on Sternberg's (2022) attitudes of intelligence, may act as catalysts that help individuals to refine their attitudes toward language learning and effectively deploy their intelligence for personal and societal advancement.