Examining the role of motivational factors and personal selves in Persian language learning

The research aims to analyze the relation between personal Possible Selves and motivational factors and their effect in Persian language learning. Motivation and its impact on language learning has always been an important subject in language education. The analysis of different types of motivation and motivational factors can help progress language teaching. In order to learn a language properly, we must identify effective variables of this field. The basis of this research is the theory of L2 Motivational Self System in which the principal elements of this system and also the impact of several self-motivation variables such as L2 Use and Willingness to Communicate in the L2 Class on motivational self system’s factors have been evaluated. A questionnaire was distributed among 146 Persian language learners of different nationalities. The results have been analyzed by SPSS 18 software. The results of this research showed that there is a direct relation between anxiety variable and instrumentality-promotion, learning experiences, ideal L2 self, and intended effort while it doesn’t have a significant correlation with instrumentality-prevention, WTC or L2 use. Also, ideal L2 self has a direct relation with instrumentality prevention and instrumentality promotion factors.Promotion and Prevention instrumentality factors have approximately the equal amount of positive effect on intended effort…  The analysis show moreover that ought-to L2 self and learning experiences predict significantly the L2 use, but there is no significant relation between ideal L2 self and the mentioned variable. These learners are not anxious to speak in class, while their willingness to communicate in L2 leads them more to acting in class than their practical L2 use. Extended Abstract: Prior to Gardner's and his colleagues' research, language learning was considered to be more dependent on intelligence and language talents. Gardner and colleagues considered the role of motivation to be very important in this regard, and divided it into two types of motivation: integrative and instrumental motivation. (See Gardner & Tremblay, 1994; Gardner & Lambert 1972). Later, based on the theories of researchers such as Deci and Ryan (1985), Noels, Vallerand and Clément (See Noels et al. 2000), the concepts of internal and external motivation were discussed. Marcus and Norius spoke of Possible Selves (1986). And Dörnyei introduced the L2 motivational Self System (Csizer & Dörnyei, 2005). Since long time, motivation and its impact on language learning is one of the most important issues in education. Examining and identifying a variety of motivations and motivational factors can be an effective step in improving the quality of language teaching. This research is based on Possible Selves concept and the L2 Motivational Self System. In addition to the main elements of this system, the role of several self-motivating factors such as the emotional variable of anxiety and the two variables of L2 willingness to communicate in class (WTC) and L2 use in class have been evaluated. The research variables are: 1. Ideal L2 self, 2. Ought-to L2 Self, 3. L2 Learning experiences 4. Intended effort, 5. Instrumentality-prevention items, 6. Instrumentality-promotion items, 7. L2 use in class, 9. L2 willingness to communicate in class. The concepts of Selves derive from the different perceptions that one has of oneself in different situations by comparing oneself to others. The perceptions through which one creates feelings and mental images of oneself. (Ruel, 1987). In this study, the variable of anxiety is considered as a motivational possible self. In fact, anxiety has a significant inverse effect on language learning. Brown (2012) and McIntyre & Gardner (1991) enumerate two types of deep and superficial anxiety, reminding that it is very important for the teacher to identify and manage language anxiety of students. (Quoted by Atar Sharghi, 2019). One of the features of this research is that there is a distinction between L2 use in class and L2 willingness to communicate in class. Although the WTC has been explored by many researchers, the practical realization of this whish, which is L2 use, has not yet been explored in any study as an independent motivational variable, and this research is the first step in this case. A language learner may have a strong desire to speak in class, but for psychological or social reasons such as shyness or perfectionism or fear of being ridiculed by classmates, it is difficult to engage in classroom conversations; While it may not be important for another language learner to speak in class, but talk more in class because of his/her more self-confidence and courage. This study aims to answer 3 questions: 1.  What are the correlation relations among the motivational factors for these Persian learners? 2. Which of the two variables of L2 willingness to communicate and L2 use affect more the intended effort factor? 3. What is the impact of the main elements of the L2 motivational self system (Ideal L2 self, Ought-to L2 Self, L2 Learning experiences) on the variables of L2 use, and Intended effort? For this purpose, based on the selected theory and concepts, a questionnaire was prepared and distributed during 2 semesters of 2018-2019 among 146 advance Persian learners of Persian Language Teaching Center of IKI University. Most of the questionnaire items were previously used in the researches of Taguchi et al. (2009) and Papi and Teymouri (2012) and its validity and reliability were confirmed. The variables of Intended effort and anxiety have already been studied in the Papi's paper (2010). The questionnaire, with necessary changes according to the studied languages and factors, has been used also by Atar Sharghi & Akbari (2019) for Iranian learners of French, and by Atar Sharghi (2019) for non-Iranian Persian learners. The SPSS 18 software was used to analyze the data, and statistical analysis of Pearson correlation coefficient and multiple regressions were performed. The results of this research showed that there is a direct relation between anxiety variable and instrumentality-promotion, learning experiences, ideal L2 self, and intended effort, while it doesn’t have a significant correlation with instrumentality-prevention, WTC or L2 use. Also, ideal L2 self has a direct relation with instrumentality-prevention and instrumentality-promotion factors. Promotion and Prevention factors have approximately the equal amount of positive effect on intended effort…. The analysis show moreover that ought-to L2 self and learning experiences predict significantly the L2 use, but there is no significant relation between ideal L2 self and the mentioned variable. These learners are not anxious to speak in class, while their willingness to communicate in L2 leads them more to acting in class than their practical L2 use.