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Abstract
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Second language (L2) writing has increasingly been conceptualized as a cognitively, socially, and affectively complex skill that is influenced by a range of individual difference variables (Kormos, 2012; Leki et al., 2008). Among these variables, motivation and self-related constructs have received sustained scholarly attention, particularly within the framework of the L2 Motivational Self System (L2MSS) proposed by Dörnyei (2005, 2009). Central to this framework is the concept of the Ideal L2 Self, which represents learners’ aspirational images of themselves as competent future L2 users and functions as a powerful motivational driver of sustained language learning behavior. Recent research has extended the L2MSS framework to the domain of L2 writing, giving rise to the construct of the Ideal L2 Writing Self. Empirical studies have demonstrated that learners who possess vivid and well-developed ideal L2 writing selves tend to exhibit higher levels of writing engagement, enjoyment, strategy use, and writing achievement (Jang & Lee, 2019; Tahmouresi & Papi, 2021; Fathi et al., 2024). At the same time, the assessment of L2 writing has evolved toward integrated writing tasks, which require learners to synthesize information from reading and/or listening sources while producing written output. Integrated writing performance is widely considered to reflect authentic academic literacy demands but is also cognitively demanding and affectively taxing for EFL learners (Cumming, 2013; Knoch & Sitajalabhorn, 2013). Despite growing interest in motivational and self-based predictors of integrated writing performance, relatively little attention has been paid to the psychological mechanisms through which ideal L2 writing selves exert their influence. One construct that may play a crucial mediating role is self-esteem. Self-esteem refers to individuals’ overall evaluation of their self-worth and competence (Coopersmith, 1967; Baumeister, 1998). In educational contexts, self-esteem
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