An analysis of the relationship between the attitudes of Iranian EFL learners to native English speakers and their reported identity change

摘要

This study aimed at exploring the possible differences between Iranian English and non-English major students in terms of their attitude towards native English speakers and reported self-identity change. It also attempted to investigate the possible significant relationships between these two variables. The results of the independent-sample t-tests revealed a statistically significant difference for a subcategory of Attitude, that is, ethnocentricism, indicating that probably due to greater familiarity with English language and culture, students of English major were less prejudiced to their local language and culture as their mean (M=2.74; SD=0.51) was lower than that of non-English majors (M=3.02; SD=0.69). It was also observed that for English major participants, there was a close relationship between total attitude and variables of productive identity change, split identity change and total identity change; whereas for non-English major participants, it was found that total attitude had a statistically significant correlation just with the variable of subtractive identity change. These findings could shed light on the nature of the relationship between language learners' attitude to native speakers and their identity development in an EFL context.