Language educators consider student motivation as fundamental in supporting student learning and central to making sound pedagogical decisions in order to help students develop competence in the target language. However, many teachers opt for using simplistic and prescriptive formulas or one-size-fits-all motivational models that claim positive learning results in the shortest amount of time. Unfortunately, teachers will soon discover that these models did not really make a difference in their students' levels of engagement and effort. There is a need to move away from fixed or static ideas of a language learner--and its simplistic rigidity--and, instead, think about learners' motivation as a multifaceted construct. This article outlines the current developments in the theory of language learning motivation in an effort to understand its complex nature, and identifies how identity constructs such as the "possible L2 selves" and "transportable identities" help place students' individualities at the center of pedagogical choices that support the multifaceted nature of language learners. Finally, this article provides practical examples of how to integrate these constructs into the design of everyday language learning activities.