The Relationship among EFL Learners' Language Ego Permeability, Socio-Affective Strategies, and Language Achievement with the Mediating Role of Ethnic Identity

Seyediyan, Elham; Nemati, Majid

doi:10.22080/iselt.2026.31163.1167

The Relationship among EFL Learners' Language Ego Permeability, Socio-Affective Strategies, and Language Achievement with the Mediating Role of Ethnic Identity

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

Elham Seyediyan ¹
Majid Nemati ²

¹ Candidate in TEFL, Department of English, University of Tehran Aras International Campus

² English Department, Faculty of Foreign Languages and Literature, University of Tehran

10.22080/iselt.2026.31163.1167

Abstract

Understanding the multifaceted factors that contribute to academic success in language learning is crucial in today’s increasingly multicultural educational contexts. This study investigates the intricate relationships among language ego permeability, socio-affective strategy use, and language achievement in Iranian English-as-a-foreign-language (EFL) learners, while examining the mediating role of ethnic identity. Utilizing a quantitative, correlational, cross-sectional design, the data were collected from 200 intermediate Kurdish and Azeri learners aged 17 to 22 at Iran Language Institute in Urmia. The instruments included the Language Ego Permeability Scale, the Socio-Affective Strategies Questionnaire, and the final scores for the academic achievement measures. The results of structural equation modeling (SEM) and Pearson correlation analyses revealed significant findings. The study further identified ethnic identity as a crucial mediator, enhancing the impact of both language ego and socio-affective strategies on academic achievement. The findings suggest that beyond linguistic competence, fostering socio-affective skills alongside a strong, positive ethnic identity can significantly boost academic performance in multilingual and multicultural contexts like Iran. This research underscores the necessity for holistic, interdisciplinary educational approaches that integrate psychological, social, and cultural dimensions, urging policymakers and educators to create supportive, culturally-responsive language learning environments.

Keywords

Main Subjects

Copyright © 2026 The Author(s). Published by the Faculty of Persian Literature and Foreign Languages at the University of Mazandaran. This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0) license.

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