Abstract
This exploratory correlational study addresses the issue of Yemeni EFL Learners’ Future Self-images, Ideal Self-images and Ought-to Self-image and their relationship to the English language proficiency, mainly, speaking and writing --fourth level students, Department of English Sana’a University of the academic year of 2017-2018. It also aims at exploring which of the two Future Self-images addressed is more evident amongst Yemeni EFL learners. In addition, the study attempts to ascertain the role of gender on Future Self-images. Data gathering instruments were all set and validated for the purpose of the study; which were Future Self-images questionnaire (12 Ideal Self-image items & 12 Ought-to Self-image items), English proficiency (speaking & and writing) tests and two Scoring Scales. Fifty two Students (12 males and 40 females (the sample) took both the Future Self-images questionnaire and the English proficiency tests in the academic year 2017-2018. and two Data gathering instruments were all set and validated for the purpose of the study; which were Future Self-images questionnaire (12 Ideal Self-image items & 12 Ought-to Self-image items), English proficiency (speaking & and writing) tests and two Scoring Scales. Fifty two Students (12 males and 40 females (the sample) took both the Future Self-images questionnaire and the English proficiency tests in the academic year 2017-2018. Descriptive analyses— frequencies, and, t-test for independent groups, and Pearson-product moment correlation— were utilized to analyze the data. Results show that Yemeni EFL students have higher Ought-to Self-image mean scores (3.6) than Ideal Self-image mean scores (3.04) Further, each of the two Future Self-images, Ideal Self-image and Ought-to Self-image has a bipolar direction in regard to male and female students. While, female students have higher mean Ideal Self-image scores (2.6) toward learning English, their counterpart male students have higher mean Ought-to Self-image scores (3.15). Furthermore results revealed a significant and strong relationship between Yemeni EFL learners’ ---Ideal Self-images—Ought-to Self-image-- and speaking and writing proficiency respectively and uniquely. This article ends with some recommendations and suggestions for future research.
Highlights
Exploration of learners’ motivation facilitates investigating the factors that drive learners to dedicate their efforts to foreign language (L2) proficiency, and offers deeper perspectives into how L2 language learners connect to their present social surroundings and even the globe (Ryan, 2009)
1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE PROBLEM New conceptualization of L2 motivation provides alternative lens in the form of ‘possible selves’. This is drawn from the discipline of psychology, from which a motivational drive for actions in the present in order to achieve a like-to-be self—or evade a like-to-avoid self (Dörnyei, 2005, 2009a)
The framework draws on a thread of research in motivational psychology called ‘Possible selves’ and ‘Self-discrepancy’ (Markus & Nurius, 1986; Higgins, 1987)
Summary
Exploration of learners’ motivation facilitates investigating the factors that drive learners to dedicate their efforts to foreign language (L2) proficiency, and offers deeper perspectives into how L2 language learners connect to their present social surroundings and even the globe (Ryan, 2009). The (LMSS) is similar to that of motivation in the socio-educational model, but with an emphasis on the learners' L2 future speaking images In line with this trend, researchers approached the concept of Future Self-images' links to foreign language (EFL) skill abilities, speaking and writing (cf., Assulaimani, 2015; Nzanana, 2016), suggesting, Ideal Self-image and Ought-to Self-image be enough tools to explore learners speaking and writing. As important as the affiliation found between learners’ perceived importance of improving speaking skills and the Ideal Self-image are the inferences of the relationships between the Yemeni EFL learners' stranded ability of speech and the Ought-to Self-image by way of solely meeting tests' requirements and yet found their outcomes rather disappointing when it comes to their ability of speech This indicates that Ought-to Self-image motivated learners are likely to prefer formal grammar based teaching, whereas Ideal Self-image motivated learners prefer a more informal communicative approach of teaching methods. In this table the focus is mainly on the number of the subjects, the methods of investigations were used, the conclusion that were reached as far as the aim and experimental setting were concerned
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