آمار

تعداد نشریات21
تعداد شماره‌ها355
تعداد مقالات3,969
تعداد مشاهده مقاله5,578,841
تعداد دریافت فایل اصل مقاله3,731,363
Mobaraki, Melika, Adel, Seyyed Mohammad Reza, Ghaniabadi, Saeed, Rosca, Andreea, Davoudi, Mohammad. (1405). How EFL Learners Navigate Language-Learning Complexities Through Their Imagined Communities and Imagined Identities: Cases of Spanish and Iranian Learners. , 4(1), 14-25. doi: 10.22077/ali.2026.10561.1222
Melika Mobaraki; Seyyed Mohammad Reza Adel; Saeed Ghaniabadi; Andreea Rosca; Mohammad Davoudi. "How EFL Learners Navigate Language-Learning Complexities Through Their Imagined Communities and Imagined Identities: Cases of Spanish and Iranian Learners". , 4, 1, 1405, 14-25. doi: 10.22077/ali.2026.10561.1222
Mobaraki, Melika, Adel, Seyyed Mohammad Reza, Ghaniabadi, Saeed, Rosca, Andreea, Davoudi, Mohammad. (1405). 'How EFL Learners Navigate Language-Learning Complexities Through Their Imagined Communities and Imagined Identities: Cases of Spanish and Iranian Learners', , 4(1), pp. 14-25. doi: 10.22077/ali.2026.10561.1222
Mobaraki, Melika, Adel, Seyyed Mohammad Reza, Ghaniabadi, Saeed, Rosca, Andreea, Davoudi, Mohammad. How EFL Learners Navigate Language-Learning Complexities Through Their Imagined Communities and Imagined Identities: Cases of Spanish and Iranian Learners. , 1405; 4(1): 14-25. doi: 10.22077/ali.2026.10561.1222

How EFL Learners Navigate Language-Learning Complexities Through Their Imagined Communities and Imagined Identities: Cases of Spanish and Iranian Learners

Applied Linguistics Inquiry
مقاله 2، دوره 4، شماره 1، خرداد 2026، صفحه 14-25    اصل مقاله (305.99 K)
نوع مقاله: Original Article
شناسه دیجیتال (DOI): 10.22077/ali.2026.10561.1222
نویسندگان
Melika Mobaraki1؛ Seyyed Mohammad Reza Adel* 2؛ Saeed Ghaniabadi3؛ Andreea Rosca4؛ Mohammad Davoudi5
1Ph.D. Candidate in Applied Linguistics, Department of English Language and Literature, Hakim Sabzevari University, Sabzevar, Iran
2Associate Professor of Applied Linguistics, Department of English Language and Literature, Hakim Sabzevari University, Sabzevar, Iran/Department of English Language and Literature, Faculty of Letters and Humanities, Ferdowsi University of ‎Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran
3Assistant Professor of Applied Linguistics, Department of English Language and Literature, Hakim Sabzevari University, Sabzevar, Iran
4Associate Professor of Applied Linguistics, Department of English and German Philology, University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain
5Associate Professor of Applied Linguistics, Department of English Language and Literature, Hakim Sabzevari University, Sabzevar, Iran
چکیده
Learning language as a social process can be shaped by learners’ imagined communities and imagined identities. This study explores the strategies EFL learners use in navigating the complexities of language learning in a foreign cultural context. The participants were sixteen senior university students (eight from Spain and eight from Iran). The instruments used to collect the data were semi-structured interviews, written narratives, and focus groups. After applying qualitative content analysis, three themes emerged: intercultural negotiation and communicative adaptation; identity construction and transformation; and strategic resource use to build imagined communities and future opportunities. It was found that the participants exercised different strategies to navigate their identity-related challenges. Spanish learners mainly used pragmatic and stylistic adaptations based on cultural interests, whereas Iranian learners engaged in deeper identity construction shaped by professional aspirations. This highlights that language education should be culturally sensitive considering learners’ imagined communities and identities to enhance sociocultural adaptability.
کلیدواژه‌ها
imagination؛ intercultural negotiation؛ identity construction؛ learner agency؛ language learning strategies
مراجع
Al-Mohanna, A. D. (2024). Difficulties and challenges encountered by Saudi EFL learners: A diagnostic study. Scholars International Journal of Linguistics and Literature, 7(10), 288–299. https://doi.org/10.36348/sijll.2024.v07i10.002

Al-Seghayer, K. (2019). Unique challenges Saudi EFL learners face. Studies in English Language Teaching, 7(4), 490–515. https://doi.org/10.22158/selt.v7n4p490

Belio-Apaolaza, H. S., & Hernandez Munoz, N. (2024). Emblematic gestures learning in Spanish as L2/FL: Interactions between types of gestures and tasks. Language Teaching Research, 28(2), 599–631. https://doi.org/10.1177/13621688211006880

Canagarajah, S. (2024). Communication for Specific Purposes as translingual. Iberica. 47, 15–42. https://doi.org/10.17398/10.17398/2340-2784.47.15

Cowen, A. S., Brooks, J. A., Prasad, G., Tanaka, M., Kamitani, Y., Kirilyuk, V., … Keltner, D. (2024). How emotion is experienced and expressed in multiple cultures: A large‑scale experiment across North America, Europe, and Japan. Frontiers in Psychology, 15, Article 1350631. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1350631

Crosby, A. (2025). Fostering engagement through imagined identities: Exploring the role of aspirational goals in Japanese university students’ participation in English language classrooms. International Journal of Language, Linguistics, Literature and Culture, 4(1), 95–103. https://doi.org/10.59009/ijlllc.2025.0102

Darvin, R., & Norton, B. (2015). Identity and a model of investment in applied linguistics. Annual Review of Applied Linguistics, 35, 36–56. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0267190514000191

De Costa, P. I. (2016). The power of identity and ideology in language learning: Designer immigrants learning English in Singapore: Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-30211-9

Dewaele, J. (2010). Multilingualism and affordances: Variation in self-perceived communicative competence and communicative anxiety in French L1, L2, L3 and L4. International Review of Applied Linguistics in Language Teaching, 48(2–3), 105–129. https://doi.org/10.1515/iral.2010.006

Dewaele, J. M., Lorette, P., Rolland, L., & Mavrou, I. (2021). Differences in emotional reactions of Greek, Hungarian, and British users of English when watching television in English. International Journal of Applied Linguistics, 31(3), 345–361. https://doi.org/10.1111/ijal.12333

Dong, R. (2024). Culture: A journey through diversity in language learning. Transactions on Social Science, Education and Humanities Research, 5, 271–275. https://doi.org/10.62051/f9rc5p93

Drisko, J. W., & Maschi, T. (2016). Content analysis: Pocket guides to social work research methods. Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/acprof:oso/9780190215491.001.0001

Early, M., & Norton, B. (2012). Language learner stories and imagined identities. Narrative Inquiry, 22(1), 194–201. https://doi.org/10.1075/ni.22.1.15ear

Fan, H., Chowdhury, R., & Fielding, R. (2025). Toward a synergistic framework of investment and motivation: Bridging imagined identities and English learning of Chinese university students. International Journal of Applied Linguistics, 35(1), 457–471. https://doi.org/10.1111/ijal.12630

Foomani, E. M. (2024). Language, gender and empowerment: A qualitative study of self-identities of women English teachers in Iran. Issues in Educational Research, 34(3), 1016–1032. https://www.iier.org.au/iier34/foomani.pdf

Gelmi, A. (2024). On the nature, uses and functions of imagination in education: A multidisciplinary approach. Educational Philosophy and Theory, 56(12), 1210–1228. https://doi.org/10.1080/00131857.2024.2376635

Goharimehr, N. (2018). Imagined identities and communities in an EFL context. International Journal of Language, Literature and Culture, 5(3), 35–40. https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Nooshin-Goharimehr/publication/331223939_Imagined_Identities_and_Communities_in_an_EFL_Context/links/5c6d15fb4585156b570ae220/Imagined-Identities-and-Communities-in-an-EFL-Context.pdf

Gullberg, M. (2022). The relationship between gestures and speaking in L2 learning. In T. M. Derwing, M. J. Munro, & R. I. Thomson (Eds.), The Routledge handbook of second language acquisition and speaking (pp. 386–398). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003022497

Heidt, M. A. (2022). Imagination as a tool for participation in communities for middle‐school German students. Die Unterrichtspraxis/Teaching German, 55(1), 112–125. https://doi.org/10.1111/tger.12198

Hjulstrom, E. (2025). Educational imagination. Speki. Nordic Philosophy and Education Review. https://doi.org/10.5617/speki.11694

Holmes, K. J., Kassin, L., Buchillon-Almeida, D., & Canseco-Gonzalez, E. (2024). Emotion regulation elicits cross-linguistically shared and language-specific forms of linguistic distancing. Scientific Reports, 14, Article 22605. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-73440-6

Huang, W. C. (2025). Transforming self-identity in EMI: The interplay of behavioral engagement, motivational intensity, and self-efficacy. Education Sciences, 15(4), Article 429. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci15040429

Ishihara, N., & Cohen, A. D. (2021). Teaching and learning pragmatics: Where language and culture meet. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003168188

Kanno, Y., & Norton, B. (2003). Imagined communities and educational possibilities: Introduction. Journal of Language, Identity & Education, 2(4), 241–249. https://doi.org/10.1207/S15327701JLIE0204_1

Kharchenko, N. (2014). Imagined communities and teaching English as a second language. Journal of Foreign Languages, Cultures and Civilizations, 2(1), 21–39. https://jflcc.thebrpi.org/journals/jflcc/Vol_2_No_1_June_2014/2.pdf

Komala, I., & Hudiyono, Y. (2025). Psychological obstacles in second language acquisition and how to overcome them. Eduvest-Journal of Universal Studies, 5(2), 2202–2213. https://doi.org/10.59188/eduvest.v5i2.50026

Lee, J. (2014). Experiences of intensive English learners: Motivations, imagined communities, and identities. English Language Teaching, 7(11), 28–38. http://dx.doi.org/10.5539/elt.v7n11p28

Li, J. (2018). A resource-oriented functional approach to English language learning. Canadian Modern Language Review, 74(1). https://doi.org/10.3138/cmlr.3302

Liu, G., Zhang, Y., & Zhang, R. (2024). Bridging imagination and informal digital learning of English: A mixed-method investigation. Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development, 45(10), 4533-4553. https://doi.org/10.1080/01434632.2023.2173214

Lund Dean, K., & Jolly, J. P. (2012). Student identity, disengagement, and learning. Academy of Management Learning & Education, 11(2), 228–243. https://doi.org/10.5465/amle.2009.0081

Luong, V. A., & Tran, T. Q. (2021). Imagined communities and identities in English as a foreign language (EFL) learning: A literature review. Journal of English Teaching Adi Buana, 6(2), 109–123. https://doi.org/10.36456/jet.v6.n02.2021.4360

Marzban, B., Adel, S. M. R., Eghtesadi, A., & Elyasi, M. (2025). A qualitative analysis of identity and investment among advanced Iranian EFL learners in private schools. Language Related Research, 14(4), 405–445. https://doi.org/10.29252/LRR.14.4.13

McLeod, C. N. (2025). Black Twitter as “master” social architects: Maintaining online community boundaries through the production of time and place. Social Media + Society, 11(3). https://doi.org/10.1177/20563051251374500  

Nagashima, L. (2025). Bridging cultures: A Japanese student’s path to intercultural communication. Education Sciences, 15(9), Article 1205. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci15091205

Norton, B. (2001). Non-participation, imagined communities, and the language classroom. In M. Breen (Ed.), Learner contributions to language learning: New directions in research (pp. 159–171). Pearson Education. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315838465

Norton, B. (2013). Identity and language learning: Extending the conversation. Multilingual Matters. https://faculty.educ.ubc.ca/norton/Norton%202013%20Intro.pdf

Norton, B., & Pavlenko, A. (2019). Imagined communities, identity, and English language learning in a multilingual world. In J. Cummins & C. Davison (Eds.), Second handbook of English language teaching (pp. 703–718). Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-46301-8_43

Prieto-Arranz, J. I., & Jacob, K. (2019). A transcultural approach to EIL teaching and its impact on learners’ national identities. Atlantis, 41(2), 11–34. https://doi.org/10.28914/Atlantis-2019-41.2.01

Putri, I. P., Nasruddin, E., & Wahab, J. A. (2018). Imagined communities and the construction of national identity. International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 8(7), 565–572. http://dx.doi.org/10.6007/IJARBSS/v8-i7/4399

Ruane, C. (2025). Ideological tensions between the English language teaching system and cosmopolitan aspirations in the South Korean context: reflections from a group of bilingual Koreans. Asian Englishes, 27(2), 330–350. https://doi.org/10.1080/13488678.2024.2426307

Sabouri, M., Ghaniabadi, S., Adel, S. M. R., & Davoudi, M. (2025). The role of agency and identity in the language socialization of Iranian EFL learners during the COVID-19 pandemic: An ethnographic study. Language Related Research, 15(5), 57–83. https://doi.org/10.48311/LRR.15.5.57

Seijas, J. M., & Parra, M. L. (2021). Engaging students with social, cultural, and environmental sustainability topics in the Spanish-speaking world: A reimagined beginner Spanish curriculum. In M. de la Fuente (Ed.), Education for sustainable development in foreign language learning: Content-based instruction in college-level curricula (pp. 87–104). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003080183

Shahidzade, F., & Mazdayasna, G. (2022). The identity construction of Iranian English students learning translated L1 and L2 short stories: Aspiration for language investment or consumption? Frontiers in Psychology, 13, Article 972101. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.972101

Soltanian, N. (2025). English language learning and imagined communities in the Iranian EFL context. Teaching English as a Second Language Quarterly (Formerly Journal of Teaching Language Skills), 44(2), 55–80. https://doi.org/10.22099/tesl.2025.51331.3340

Soltanian, N., & Ghapanchi, Z. (2024). An investigation into Iranian English language learners’ investment in imagined communities. Mextesol Journal, 48(2). https://doi.org/10.61871/mj.v48n2-2

Taguchi, N. (2018). Contexts and pragmatics learning: Problems and opportunities of the study abroad research. Language Teaching, 51(1), 124–137. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0261444815000440

Taguchi, N., Chen, Y., & Qin, Y. (2023). Metapragmatic knowledge and transfer of learning across speech acts. Applied Linguistics, 44(2), 217–238. https://doi.org/10.1093/applin/amac043

Tajeddin, Z., Mostafaei Alaei, M., & Moladoust, E. (2021). Learners’ perspectives on imagined community of practice in English as an international language. Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development, 44(10), 893–907. https://doi.org/10.1080/01434632.2021.1921784

Teng, F. (2017). Imagined community, identity, and teaching Chinese as a second language to foreign students in China. Frontiers of Education in China, 12(4), 490–514. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11516-017-0035-0

Ubaidillah, M. F., Elfiyanto, S., Rifiyani, A. J., & Islam, S. (2024). When EFL learner identity intersects with their investment: Stories from Indonesia. Journal on English as a Foreign Language, 14(2), 403–424. https://doi.org/10.23971/jefl.v14i2.8475

Vinall, K., & Shin, J. (2019). The construction of the tourist gaze in English textbooks in South Korea: Exploring the tensions between internationalisation and nationalisation. Language, Culture and Curriculum, 32(2), 173–190. https://doi.org/10.1080/07908318.2018.1513022

Wenger, E. (1998). Communities of practice: Learning, meaning, and identity. Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511803932

Wu, H. Y. (2017). Imagined identities and investment in L2 learning. Taiwan Journal of TESOL, 14(2), 101–133. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1171160.pdf

Xu, G., & Kim, J. (2022). Building and sustaining a group of Chinese EFL learners’ imagined identities and agency. Sustainability, 14(8), Article 4659. https://doi.org/10.3390/su14084659

آمار
تعداد مشاهده مقاله: 180
تعداد دریافت فایل اصل مقاله: 7


نماد الکترونیک 

 

سامانه مدیریت نشریات علمی. قدرت گرفته از سیناوب