Arab Educational Information Network

This exploratory correlational study addresses the issue of Yemeni EFL learners’ future self-images, ideal self-images and ought-to self-image and their relationship to the English language proficiency, mainly, speaking and writing --fourth level students, department of English Sana’a University of the academic year of 2017-2018. It also aims at exploring which of the two future self-images addressed is more evident amongst Yemeni EFL learners. In addition, the study attempts to ascertain the role of gender on future self-images. Data gathering instruments were all set and validated for the purpose of the study; which were future self-images questionnaire (12 ideal self-image items & 12 ought-to self-image items), English proficiency (speaking & and writing) tests and two scoring scales. Fifty-two students (12 males and 40 females (the sample) took both the future self-images questionnaire and the English proficiency tests in the academic year 2017-2018. And two data gathering instruments were all set and validated for the purpose of the study; which were future self-images questionnaire (12 ideal self-image items & 12 ought-to self-image items), English proficiency (speaking & and writing) tests and two scoring scales. Fifty-two students (12 males and 40 females (the sample) took both the future self-images questionnaire and the English proficiency tests in the academic year 2017-2018. Descriptive analyses- frequencies, and, t-test for independent groups, and Pearson-product moment correlation- were utilized to analyze the data. Results show that Yemeni EFL students have higher ought-to self-image mean scores (3.6) than ideal self-image mean scores (3.04) further, each of the two future self-images, ideal self-image and ought-to self-image has a bipolar direction in regard to male and female students. While, female students have higher mean ideal self-image scores (2.6) toward learning English, their counterpart male students have higher mean ought-to self-image scores (3.15). Furthermore, results revealed a significant and strong relationship between Yemeni EFL learners’ -ideal self-images- ought-to self-image- and speaking and writing proficiency respectively and uniquely. This article ends with some recommendations and suggestions for future research. (Published abstract)