Motivation studies have an important role in the studies carried out in the field of foreign and second language teaching for many years. In recent years, the motivational self-system has become an effective motivational theory in the field of L2 teaching. For this reason, it is a necessity to examine the motivational self-system as a theoretical innovation in the field of teaching Turkish as an L2. The main aim of this study based on said necessity, is to investigate the possible relationship between motivational self-system and willingness to communicate inside the classroom of international students who are learning Turkish in Turkey. In order to achieve this aim, data were collected from a sample of 170 participants (73 women and 97 men) from 43 different countries who are learning Turkish in ?Language Teaching, Application and Research Centers‘ (TÖMER) affiliated to Gazi University and Hacettepe University. A questionnaire prepared by combining 2 different scales was applied to the participants. These scales are "L2 motivational self-system" scale and the "L2 willingness to communicate inside the classroom" scale. In the data analysis process of the research, first descriptive analysis was used and then independent samples t-tests were applied. Thus, possible differences between male and female participants' willingness to communicate inside the classroom and motivation were revealed. The possible relationships between the L2 willingness to communicate and the L2 motivational self-system, which are the two structures on which this research is based, were obtained by calculating Pearson correlation coefficients. Revealing the relationship between these two structures can be a guide for researchers who aim to focus on this subject in the future. In addition, it can provide source for instructors and education planners in terms of planning the educational processes of international students learning Turkish.
Motivational self system, second language ideal self, second language ought-to self, willingness to communicate, teaching Turkish as a foreign language.