Developing a Model of the Possible Selves Construction before and after Training on IELTS Writing Skills

Subject Areas : Applied Linguistics

Sanaz Farnia ¹ , Neda Fatehi Rad ² , Hassan Shahabi ³

1 - PhD Candidate, Department of English Language, Kerman Branch, Islamic Azad University, Kerman, Iran
2 - Assistant Professor, Department of English Language, Kerman Branch, Islamic Azad University, Kerman, Iran,E-mail: [e-mail]
3 - Department of Foreign Languages, Kerman Branch, Islamic Azad University, Kerman, Iran

Received: 2023-10-28 Accepted : 2023-12-08 Published : 2024-06-01

Keywords: Expected Possible Selves, Feared Possible Selves, Identity, IELTS Writing Skills, Possible Selves, Responsible Possible Selves,

Abstract :

Selves-theory has some implications for EFL learning. Among different English skills, writing is more tied to selves-theory since it requires ideology transfer as a main element of selves-theory. However, writing academically in a foreign language is a complex struggle for many undergraduate and graduate students and it has attracted much attention in the field of applied linguistics since the last decades of the twentieth century. The present study aimed to explore Iranian EFL learners’ possible selves construction as influenced by teaching IELTS writing skills. To this end,a quasi-experimental design was used. From among IELTS candidates taking part in five IELTS preparation centers in Kerman,90 (45 males and 45 females) candidates were selected as the participants of the present study through cluster sampling. The Possible Selves in Students Questionnaire developed and validated by Zadshir et al. (2020) was used to identify the expected possible selves of the participants. To analyze the data,descriptive statistics and Multi-Variate Analysis of Variance (MANOVA) were run. According to the results, feared selves were stronger than expected and responsible selves among the participants before training on IELTS writing skills. Further,it was revealed that expected and responsible selves were stronger than feared selves among the participants after training on IELTS writing skills. Finally,it was proved that training on IELTS writing skills had a significant effect on EFL learners& construction of the possible selves as well as the dimensions of the possible selves in the future. Implications of the results for EFL curriculum planners,teachers and learners have been discussed.