Situating identity‐based motivation theory in second language acquisition: Foundations, comparisons, and implications

Abstract Second language (L2) motivation research is facing a validation crisis surrounding the L2 motivational self‐system, the field's most widely used framework. Critical reviews have underscored its conceptual and empirical limitations, leading to calls for alternative approaches. This conceptual article introduces one such promising alternative, identity‐based motivation (IBM) theory first introduced by psychologist Daphna Oyserman. IBM explains motivation as context‐sensitive, tied to identities activated in the moment and to interpretations of difficulty as either threatening or identity‐congruent. When tasks are perceived as aligned with salient identities, persistence and engagement increase. The article outlines IBM's theoretical foundations, compares them with constructs currently used in L2 research, and explores further implications. IBM emerges as a theoretically well‐specified, empirically grounded, and pedagogically relevant model that can offer new directions for theorizing L2 motivation.