Future selves, enjoyment and anxiety as predictors of L2 writing achievement

To further understand the role of individual differences in second language (L2) writing, this study investigated how motivation and emotions influence L2 writing achievement. More specifically, it examined how students’ L2 writing future selves (i.e., ideal L2 writing self representing their aspirations, and ought L2 writing self representing their obligations) lead to qualitatively different emotions (anxiety and enjoyment), and how the future selves both directly and indirectly through anxiety and enjoyment affect L2 writing achievement. Questionnaire scales were developed using qualitative data to measure L2 writing selves. The new scales along with existing scales for examining L2 writing anxiety, joy, and motivation, were administered to 85 university students learning English as a Foreign Language (EFL) at a private university in Iran. Multiple regression results showed that the ideal L2 writing self positively predicted L2 writing joy, motivation, and achievement, whereas ought L2 writing self positively predicted L2 writing anxiety and motivation; L2 writing joy and anxiety both predicted L2 writing motivation positively; L2 writing anxiety predicted L2 writing achievement negatively but L2 joy did not. Overall, the findings highlight the qualitative differences in students’ motivation and emotions in L2 writing achievement.