Matthew T. Apple is Associate Professor in the Department of Communication at Ritsumeikan University. His research interests include individual differences in SLA, L2 vocabulary acquisition and educational statistics.Dexter Da Silva is Professor in the Department of Psychology and Horticulture at Keisen University. He has been working in the field for over 25 years, researching student motivation, identity development, trust and classroom dynamics.Terry Fellner is Associate Professor at the Center for General Education at Saga University. He is a section editor of @CUE in The OnCUE Journal and his research interests include vocabulary acquisition, outdoor language learning and L2 reading.

• Contributor informationEditors’ Preface1. Ema Ushioda: Foreign Language Motivation Research in Japan: An “Insider” Perspective from Outside Japan2. Kimberly Noels: Promoting the Motivation of Japanese Learners of English through Autonomy, Competence, and Relatedness3. Tomoko Yashima: Imagined L2 Selves and Motivation for Intercultural Communication4. Matthew Apple, Joseph Falout, and Glen Hill: Exploring Classroom-Based Constructs of EFL Motivation for Science and Engineering Students in Japan5. Hideo Hayashi: Dual Goal Orientation in the Japanese Context: A Case Study of Two EFL Learners6. Rieko Nishida: A Comprehensive Summary of Empirical Studies of Motivation Among Japanese Elementary School EFL Learners7. Kay Irie and Damon Brewster: L2 Self Motivation Development from Within: A Longitudinal, Multiple-Case Study of Japanese University Students8. Scott Aubrey and Andrew G. P. Nowlan: Effect of Intercultural Contact on L2 Motivation: A Comparative Study9. Yoko Munezane: Motivation, Ideal L2 Self, and Valuing of Global English10. Tatsuya Taguchi: Motivation, Attitudes, and Selves in the Japanese Context: A Mixed Methods Approach11. Michael Johnson: A Longitudinal Perspective on EFL Learning Motivation in Japanese Engineering Students12. Keita Kikuchi: Demotivators in the Japanese EFL Context13. J Lake: Positive L2 Self: Linking Positive Psychology with L2 Motivation14. Joseph Falout, Yoshifumi Fukada, Tim Murphey, and Tetsuya Fukuda: What’s Working in Japan? Present Communities of Imagination15. Ryo Nitta: Understanding Motivational Evolution in the EFL Classroom: A Longitudinal Study from a Dynamic Systems Perspective16. Tomohito Hiromori: Motivational Design for Effective Second Language Instruction17. Yoshiyuki Nakata: Perspectives on L2 Motivation: Bridging the Gaps Between Teachers, SLA Researchers and Teacher Educators

This volume explores a variety of exciting topics regarding L2 motivation research in Japan. A particular strength of this anthology is the focus on the importance of the cultural context. In addition, various research methods and approaches are presented in a well-balanced manner. I am sure that no reader will leave this volume empty-handed.