Publication Date: 2024
System (0346251X)125
This study examined the relationship between language mindsets and emotions through the mediation of competitive and cooperative orientations and positive and negative beliefs about competition. The participants were 603 EFL learners (M for age = 17.29, SD = 0.960). They responded to self-report scales on their mindsets, anxiety and enjoyment, beliefs about competition, and cooperative and competitive orientations. The results showed that growth mindset significantly predicted enjoyment, positive beliefs about competition, and cooperative orientation, while fixed mindsets significantly predicted anxiety, negative beliefs about competition, and competitive orientation. The results also indicated that growth mindsets predicted enjoyment through the mediation of positive beliefs about competition and cooperative orientation, and fixed mindsets predicted anxiety through the mediation of negative beliefs and competitive orientation. The implications of the study for language teachers and researchers are presented. © 2024 Elsevier Ltd
Publication Date: 2024
RELC Journal (1745526X)55(2)pp. 438-453
This study examined the role of positive and negative feedback on goal commitment and energy investment among English as a foreign language learners who experienced directed motivational currents (DMCs). To this purpose, a systematic methodology was used to identify language learners with a DMC experience (six students, four females, two males, mean of age = 19.5). Semi-structured interviews were conducted with the participants. The results of qualitative content analysis indicated that the three key features of DMCs were found in participants’ motivational experiences. In addition, the results showed that positive feedback affected goal commitment in DMCs by increasing goal persistence and sense of self-efficacy, while negative feedback enhanced motivation in DMCs by reducing the discrepancy between current state with the well-defined target state. The results also showed that feedback had some affective consequences that influenced goal pursuit in DMCs. © The Author(s) 2022.
Publication Date: 2024
RELC Journal (1745526X)55(1)pp. 96-110
This qualitative study aimed to examine Iranian language teachers’ mindsets about language learning and teaching, and the ways in which their mindsets influenced their educational practices. The participants of this study were 20 Iranian language teachers who taught general English courses at private language institutes in a city in central Iran. The data were collected through conducting semi-structured interviews with the participants. The qualitative content analysis was conducted, and the main themes and categories were extracted. The results revealed that teachers had categorical (fixed or growth) or mixed mindsets (both fixed and growth mindsets). Moreover, the results showed that teachers’ mindsets influenced teachers’ pedagogical strategies, homework assignment, and their praise type. The findings show that it is important to raise teachers’ awareness about their mindsets and the effects they might have on their teaching strategies and the feedback/praise they give to their students. © The Author(s) 2022.
Publication Date: 2024
Language Teaching Research (1362-1688)28(2)pp. 556-576
This article reports on a mixed methods study that examined the effect of reference of comparison (self-referential vs. normative) and regulatory focus (promotion-focused vs. prevention-focused) on willingness to communicate (WTC) among learners of English as a foreign language (EFL). One hundred female English learners were randomly assigned to the self-referential, normative, prevention, promotion, and control feedback groups. They received different types of feedback for 15 sessions. The students were tested for their WTC, anxiety and communication competence before and after the intervention. The results of MANOVA and paired samples comparisons indicated that self-referential, normative, and promotion feedback positively improved WTC and communication competence and decreased anxiety. However, prevention feedback decreased WTC and communication competence and increased anxiety. Follow-up interview data indicated that feedback influenced WTC by providing learning checks or affecting learners’ self-confidence, reducing anxiety, fostering motivation, and decreasing peer pressure. Finally, it was suggested that teachers should mainly present feedback to emphasize task accomplishments and growth and to inform the students about their progress over time. © The Author(s) 2021.
Publication Date: 2024
Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development (01434632)45(4)pp. 973-986
Directed Motivational Currents (DMCs) are highly intense goal-directed motivational experiences that are characterised by establishing new routines and having positive emotions. The present study aimed to identify the factors that triggered the launch of DMCs among EFL learners. An interview protocol designed based on the core dimensions of the DMC framework [Dörnyei, Z., A. Henry, and C. Muir. 2016. Motivational Currents in Language Learning: Frameworks for Focused Interventions. New York: Routledge] was used to collect the data. Qualitative content analysis was used to analyze the interview data. The results showed that DMCs experienced by the participants were triggered by others-related (i.e. goal contagion and salient others) as well as social-situational factors (i.e. critical life incidents, ego threat, responsibility). Finally, the pedagogical implications and suggestions for future research are presented. © 2021 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.
Publication Date: 2024
Computer Assisted Language Learning (0958-8221)37(7)pp. 1726-1743
This article reports on a study that examined the relationship between language learners’ L2 grit and language mindsets and their attitudes toward CALL. The participants of the study were 625 EFL learners (male = 165, 26.4%; female = 460, 73.6%) with the mean age of 24.4 years (SD = 1.74). They were asked to respond to questionnaires on language mindsets, L2 grit, and attitudes toward CALL. The data were analyzed through regression and structural equation modeling (SEM). The results indicated that fixed mindsets predicted the effectiveness of CALL negatively and exhibition to CALL positively, whereas growth mindsets positively predicted the effectiveness of CALL. The results also indicated that persistence of effort positively predicted surplus value of CALL and teacher’s influence on CALL, and consistency of interest predicted degree of exhibition to CALL. © 2022 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.
Publication Date: 2024
Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development (01434632)
Metaemotions, described as secondary emotions about one’s own primary emotions, are considered as the antecedent of systematic and purposeful behaviours in learning and education. Research in other disciplines suggests that meta-emotions are related to emotion regulation and emotional experiences, however, their relationship with the psychological factors involved in learning a second language is not sufficiently studied. To fill this gap, the present study investigated the interrelations between metaemotions, willingness to communicate, anxiety, and enjoyment. To this end, 346 Iranian intermediate English as a foreign language (EFL) learners were recruited to participate in the study. The participants responded to questionnaires on willingness to communicate, metaemotions, enjoyment, and anxiety were administered. The results of path analysis revealed that different meta-emotions could predict anxiety and enjoyment differently. Besides, significant correlations were found between meta-emotions and willingness to communicate. The suggestions for future research in the field are presented. © 2024 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.
Publication Date: 2024
Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development (01434632)45(8)pp. 3188-3204
Relatively few studies in the field of second language acquisition have undertaken to investigate the interrelationships of constellations of individual difference variables. This is certainly true of how complexes of ID factors impact motivation to learn an additional language. In order to address this gap, the paper reports a study that examined the ways in which enjoyment, anxiety, boredom, L2 grit and self-perceived competence interact with each other and affect motivated learning behaviour in the case of 238 Iranian students majoring in English. The data were collected through an online questionnaire and, following confirmatory factor analysis, were subjected to path analysis. Among other things, the results showed that intended effort was the consequence of a complex interplay of factors, with the combined impact of these factors not always being obvious. It was also revealed that L2 motivation may in some circumstances be positively influenced by academic emotions that are generally considered to have a detrimental effect on L2 learning (i.e. anxiety, boredom). © 2022 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.
Publication Date: 2023
Language Teaching Research (1362-1688)27(3)pp. 575-592
This study examined the effect of feedback, feed up (comments on goals and students’ success in achieving goals) and feed forward (comments on the next step in learning during the semester) on writing motivation, writing self-efficacy, and writing anxiety. Two hundred and ten female intermediate language learners (agemean = 17.2) were assigned to seven experimental conditions: feedback, feed up, feed forward, feedback + feed up, feedback + feed forward, feed up + feed forward, and feedback + feed up + feed forward (n = 30 for each group). Based on group assignment, the participants received feedback, feed up, and feed forward for 12 sessions and took writing motivation, writing self-efficacy, and writing anxiety scales as pretest and posttest. The results of MANOVA and paired samples t-test comparisons indicated that groups that received feedback significantly improved in terms of self-efficacy. In addition, groups who received feed up and feed forward significantly improved in terms of writing motivation. The results also showed that the combination of feedback, feed up and feed forward could decrease learners’ writing anxiety. Based on the findings of the study, it is recommended that teachers present feed up and feed forward along with feedback to improve non-linguistic aspects of L2 writing among their students. © The Author(s) 2020.
Publication Date: 2023
Learning and Motivation (00239690)82
Counterfactual beliefs are ideas about how one's past could have been better (upward counterfactuals) and worse (downward counterfactuals). In this study, we investigated how language learners’ upward and downward counterfactual beliefs about their language ability were related to their self-efficacy and performance. In so doing, we examined the mediating role of learners’ different sources of self-efficacy. The study sample included 320 Iranian intermediate level language learners (190 males and 130 females) at a language institute in Isfahan, Iran. The results of the study indicated that upward counterfactual thinking was negatively related to self-efficacy and language performance, while downward counterfactual thinking positively predicted self-efficacy. Moreover, the results showed that upward counterfactual thinking predicted self-efficacy indirectly via the mediation of four sources of self-efficacy (mastery experiences, vicarious experiences, verbal persuasion, and emotional and physiological states) and language performance through the mediation of vicarious experiences and verbal persuasion. In addition, downward counterfactual thinking indirectly predicted self-efficacy through the mediation of vicarious experiences and emotional and physiological states, as well as language performance via the mediation of vicarious experiences. © 2023 Elsevier Inc.
Publication Date: 2023
Assessing Writing (10752935)56
Teachers’ comments on how the students’ performance might have been if they performed in a specific way can have several implications for their motivation and engagement. This study examined the effects of upward and downward counterfactuals comments on the motivational aspects of L2 writing. To this end, 189 English as foreign language (EFL) learners were randomly assigned to three groups of upward counterfactual, downward counterfactual and control conditions and received counterfactual communication about a piece of writing. They were asked to answer to self-report scales on motivation, anxiety, growth mindsets, intended effort, willingness to write and perceptions of the rater. The results indicated that upward counterfactual communication positively influenced L2 writers’ motivation, anxiety, growth mindsets, intended effort, willingness to write and perceptions of the rater, while downward counterfactual communication produced negative effects in regards to these motivational variables. The implications of the study for research and practice are presented. © 2023 Elsevier Inc.
Publication Date: 2023
Current Psychology (19364733)42(2)pp. 1467-1476
Directed Motivational Currents (DMCs) refer to periods of intense and enduring motivation in quest for a well-defined target goal or vision (Henry, Davydenko, & Dörnyei, 2015). This study used a qualitative methodology to examine group-level DMCs among English as Foreign Language (EFL) learners at a university level. To this end, a systematic methodology was used to identify individuals who experienced a DMC-type motivation. This resulted in identifying three groups with group-level DMC experience (N for all groups = 8, 6 female and 2 male). In-depth interviews were conducted with all members of the three groups. The results of qualitative data analysis indicated that the three key features of DMCs (goal-orientedness, salient structure, and positive emotionality) existed in participants’ collective motivation experience. Moreover, the results indicated that characteristics such as high responsibility, unity and coherence, collective efficacy, entitativity, attractiveness, and contagious motivation and emotions propelled energy and motivation in group-level DMCs. The implications of the study for researchers and teachers are presented. © 2021, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC part of Springer Nature.
Publication Date: 2023
Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development (01434632)44(2)pp. 83-95
This study investigated the relationship between need for closure and need for cognition and foreign language anxiety and enjoyment. The participants of the study were 232 EFL learners at a university in Iran. Self-report questionnaires on need for closure, need for cognition, foreign language classroom anxiety and foreign language enjoyment were administered. The results of path analysis indicated that different aspects of need for closure and need for cognition predicted foreign language anxiety and enjoyment both directly and indirectly. The findings of the study highlight that the ways in which language learners’ approach or avoid language knowledge and information play an important role in their emotions toward foreign language learning. © 2020 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.
Publication Date: 2023
Language Teaching Research (1362-1688)
Learning about the factors that play a positive or negative role in language teachers’ dissatisfaction, stress and exhaustion, and challenge their identity as a teacher might provide teaching programs with suggestions on how to prevent teacher burnout. This study investigated whether teachers’ mindsets about stability or malleability of teaching ability (fixed and growth mindsets) and self-efficacy predicted their burnout and professional identity beliefs. The participants of the present study were 166 English as a foreign language (EFL) teachers. The teachers completed self-report scales on teaching mindsets, burnout, professional identity, and self-efficacy. The results of path analysis showed that fixed teaching mindsets productively predicted emotional exhaustion and depersonalization while growth teaching mindsets and teacher self-efficacy positively predicted personal accomplishment and teacher professional identity. The implications for future research in the field are presented. © The Author(s) 2023.
Publication Date: 2023
Contributions to International Relations (27315061)pp. 49-80
In this chapter, the authors argue that Qatar established its nation brand by simultaneously improving different qualities needed for creating a nation brand. In so doing, the chapter presents information about different aspects of Qatari nation brand and Qatar’s political activities. Also, different aspects of nation branding such as Qatar’s economic profile, different humanitarian activities performed by Qatar, and this state’s endeavors to promote sport and tourism in the country are described in detail in this chapter. © 2023, The Author(s).
Publication Date: 2023
Contributions to International Relations (27315061)pp. 89-92
This chapter presents the final remarks about the study. It evaluates the extent to which the use of nation branding and soft power assisted Qatar to respond to the shock and awe of the blockade. It also states that the process of nation branding helped the state of Qatar to create a protective shield of strategic tools that made it difficult for other countries to attack this small state and to incorporate the elements of soft power to maintain its role in the region and internationally. © 2023, The Author(s).
Publication Date: 2023
International Journal of Multilingualism (14790718)20(2)pp. 347-364
This study sought to investigate the relationship between language mindsets and grammar learning strategies and grammatical performance among English as L2 and L3 learners. Moreover, this study examined fixed and growth language mindsets across gender and language groups. The sample included 320 (NL2 = 160, NL3 = 160) intermediate Iranian EFL learners who responded to self-report scales ta as well as a grammar test. Independent samples t-tests indicated that there were significant differences between mindsets scores of male and female L2 learners. The results also revealed that L2 learners endorsed more growth mindsets than L3 learners. Finally, path analysis showed that language mindsets significantly predicted grammar learning strategies and grammar scores of both L2 and L3 learners. © 2021 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.
Publication Date: 2023
Innovation in Language Learning and Teaching (17501237)17(1)pp. 88-101
This study examined the effects of praise for intelligence and praise for effort on Iranian EFL learners’ language mindsets, perceived communication competence, speaking anxiety, and willingness to communicate (WTC). The students in three English classes (N = 63, all junior high school students) in a private language institute filled in self-report scales on language mindsets, perceived communication competence, speaking anxiety, and WTC, and then were assigned to praise for effort, praise for intelligence, and control conditions for 14 classroom communication sessions. They answered the same scales in the last session of the experiment. The results of quantitative analysis indicated that praise for effort enhanced learners’ growth mindsets, communicative competence, and WTC, and decreased their speaking anxiety. In contrast, praise for intelligence and no praise decreased students’ growth mindsets. Praise for intelligence further decreased students’ WTC and increased their speaking anxiety. Follow-up qualitative data gathered by interviews with 12 students further suggested that praise for effort facilitated learners’ WTC by increasing their growth mindsets and lowering their speaking anxiety. Finally, we discussed practical implications for how language teachers enhance students’ success in classroom communication. © 2021 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.
Publication Date: 2023
Contributions to International Relations (27315061)pp. 35-47
This chapter describes the state of Qatar in terms of different geographical and demographic characteristics. This was done because the authors believe that an in-depth understanding of nation branding and soft power in Qatar would be possible when a good understanding of different political, geographical, and demographic issues related to the country is obtained. Moreover, this chapter describes the key pillars of Qatar Vision 2030 as the government’s major plan for country development in different domains such as economy and humanitarian issues. © 2023, The Author(s).
Publication Date: 2023
Contributions to International Relations (27315061)pp. 81-88
This chapter elaborates on the links between the blockade of Qatar and its relationship with Qatari nationals’ psychological well-being and their sense of national identity. To this end, the chapter reviews the research on various psychological and attitudinal effects of the blockade on Qatari people. Moreover, it presents the research on how the development of a sense of national identity influenced Qataris’ well-being during the blockade. Finally, the chapter presents the results of research on the use of social media before and after the blockade and how social media were used to show national identity and support for the government after the blockade. © 2023, The Author(s).
Publication Date: 2023
Contributions to International Relations (27315061)pp. 7-33
This chapter presents the theoretical underpinnings for the book. First, soft power is defined and related issues to soft power are discussed. Next, the chapter introduces the notion of nation branding as an important asset in responding to political challenges. Moreover, the chapter presents different theoretical underpinning and empirical findings related to nation branding. Finally, the chapter explains public diplomacy and its relationship with soft power and nation branding. © 2023, The Author(s).
Publication Date: 2022
Sustainability (Switzerland) (20711050)14(22)
This study aims to investigate the ways in which the linguistic landscape of a territory might be influenced by socio-political changes and movements to ensure social and cultural sustainability. To this end, this article reports on a study that examined the linguistic landscape of Doha after certain social and political changes since 2017. Further, this study aimed to examine how messages about power, unity sustainability, and national identity were communicated through the use of monolingual and bilingual signs in Doha. The article concludes that sudden socio-political changes can exert an influence on the linguistic landscape, and the linguistic landscape can be used as a tool for communicating messages about unity, sustainability, power and national identity. Moreover, the findings of this study suggest that the linguistic landscape can be used to maintain and improve social and cultural sustainability. © 2022 by the authors.
Publication Date: 2022
System (0346251X)109
Learning a second language (L2) is a prolonged process and it is full of challenges. Resilience is an important capacity to help learners to deal with challenging situations and cope with daily setbacks and struggles. This study examined the antecedents and consequences of resilience in language learning contexts. The participants of the study were 300 Iranian EFL learners at a state university (63.3% females). The participants answered a self-report questionnaire of their resilience, mindsets, psychological well-being, L2 selves, and perceived competence. The data were analyzed through structural equational modeling. The results showed that resilience was an important factor in predicting engagement (both in-class participation and effort) and well-being (high flourishing and positive affect, and low negative affect). That is, resilient learners are not only engaged learners, but also happy learners. The results also indicated that growth language mindsets and ideal L2 self independently predicted resilience and indirectly predicted engagement and well-being via resilience. These findings suggest that promoting resilience could be an important aspect of learners’ well-being and engagement in second language education. © 2022 Elsevier Ltd
Publication Date: 2022
Reading and Writing Quarterly (15210693)38(2)pp. 156-167
This study examined the effect of different types of praise on writing students’ anxiety, motivation, mindsets, and perceived competence. In doing so, 180 English-majoring university students (102 female, 78, male) were randomly assigned to praise for effort, praise for intelligence, and no praise conditions (N = 60 for each group). The groups received praise types in two success and failure conditions and then answered to self-report scales on anxiety, motivation, growth mindsets, and perceived writing competence. The results of multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) and post hoc comparisons indicated that praise for effort positively improved learners’ anxiety, motivations, competence and growth mindsets, while praise for intelligence negatively influenced them. The implications of the study for writing instructors and suggestions for future research in the field are presented. © 2021 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.
Publication Date: 2022
Journal of Intercultural Communication Research (17475759)51(3)pp. 309-325
Recent developments regarding mindsets have led to interesting findings in respect to language learning. Despite this interest, no one to the best of our knowledge has investigated individuals’ mindsets regarding the learnability of second language (L2) pragmatic norms. This study was set out to explore the structural relation between L2 learners’ belief systems -fixed and growth mindsets- and their L2 pragmatic norms including recognition, evaluation, perception, and conformity. Questionnaire data were collected from 213 learners of English as a foreign language in the context of Iran. The participants were asked to respond to questionnaire items on pragmatic norms, competence, motivation, and mindsets. Results of path analysis revealed that fixed and growth mindsets and L2 pragmatic competence positively predicted evaluation, perception and conformity to L2 pragmatic norms via the mediation of motivation. Our findings indicate that language mindsets play an important role in learners’ motivation to learn and use the pragmatic norms of the language they are learning. Results also imply that growth mindset should be encouraged among both language teachers and learners in order to achieve better outcomes in teaching pragmatics. © 2021 World Communication Association.
Publication Date: 2022
Language Teaching Research Quarterly (26676753)30pp. 50-68
Previous research on willingness to communicate (Henceforth WTC) has shown that several teacher factors can affect learners’ WTC. However, the effect of teachers’ perceptions of learners’ WTC on teachers’ communicative and instructional behavior has remained understudied. This study aimed to examine how teachers’ perceptions of learners’ WTC affected the frequency and method of their turn allocations. The in-depth study was conducted with three teachers in Iran over a period of one semester. Qualitative data were obtained from observations, audio and video recordings of classroom interaction, and interviews with teachers. Analysis revealed that teachers gave more voluntary turns to those whom they perceived to have a higher level of WTC. Also, the method of turn allocation was different for such students. These findings are important because they can raise awareness among teachers and enable them to ensure all learners are given opportunities to participate. © 2022 Language Teaching Research Quarterly. All rights reserved.
