Second Language System of Motivational Selves and English Language Skills: The Role of Socio-Economic Status among Iranian Language Learners

Second Language System of Motivational Selves and English Language Skills: The Role of Socio-Economic Status among Iranian Language Learners1 A. Parastaar Aski* M.H. Abdollaahi, Ph.D.** A. R. Moraadi, Ph.D.*** H. R. Hassanaabaadi, Ph.D.****   Learning English in Iran is quite popular, yet not all are successful at this task. To shed light on this dilemma and its root causes, the roles of socio-economic status and motivational selves among Iranian English learners are explored in this research. A total of 892 participants in this research sampled through proportional sampling from among high school and university students. Measures used are questionnaires on motivational selves and socio-economic status, and a standard test in English language skills. Analysis of the collected data shows that the ideal and ought-to selves, next to attitude towards learning English, explain the variance in English language skills. Furthermore, it is the attitude in the learning environment, rather than other people’s expectation through ought-to self, that informs motivation. Also the SES mediates the effect of the ideal self on second language learning, i.e. those with high SES who have a better ideal self, learn language skills better than those with low SES because the former do not benefit from a high ideal self.   Keywords: motivational selves, ideal self, ought-to self, attitude towards second language learning, language self-confidence, socio-economic status ______________________ Date received: Dec. 31, 2016                   Date accepted: Dec. 24, 2017 1. This paper is derived from the corresponding author’s doctoral dissertation. *Doctoral Student in Educational Psychology, Kharazmi University (Corresponding Author). [email protected] **Associate Professor of Clinical Psychology, Kharazmi University.  [email protected] ***Professor of Clinical Psychology, Kharazmi University.  [email protected] ****Assistant Professor of Educational Psychology, Kharazmi University.  [email protected]