Resumen de Predictors of willingness to read in English: testing a model based on possible selves and self-confidence

Gholam Hassan Khajavy, Behzad Ghonsooly

• The aim of the present study is twofold. First, it tests a model of willingness to read (WTR) based on L2 motivation and communication confidence (communication anxiety and perceived communicative competence). Second, it applies the recent theory of L2 motivation proposed by Dörnyei [2005. The Psychology of Language Learner: Individual Differences in Second Language Acquisition. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum; Dörnyei, Z. 2009. “The L2 Motivational Self System.” In Motivation, Language Identity and the L2 Self, edited by Z. Dörnyei and E. Ushioda, 9–42. Clevedon: Multilingual Matters.], L2 motivational self-system (ideal L2 self, ought-to L2 self, and L2 learning experience), in willingness to communicate (WTC) and WTR construct. For this purpose, 180 Iranian university students who were taking general English courses completed the survey questionnaire. Structural equation modelling was utilised to analyse the proposed model of WTR. Results of the analysis indicated that L2 learning experience, ideal L2 self, and communication confidence positively and significantly predicted WTR, and L2 learning experience was the strongest predictor of WTR. Moreover, among the three measures of L2 motivational self-system, ideal L2 self was the strongest positive predictor of communication confidence, and ought-to L2 self-contributed to communication confidence negatively. The results suggest that L2 motivational self-system framework can adequately account for WTC. Also, in contrast to previous studies, it has a higher explanatory power than communication confidence in predicting L2 WTR.