The Impact of Socio-Economic Status (SES) on the Iranian EFL Learners’ Identity Processing Styles and Language Achievement

The present study intended to address the impact of the socio-economic status (SES) on the Iranian EFL learners’ language achievement and identity processing styles. To attain this goal, 148 students studying General English were chosen from Yasuj University of Medical Sciences (YUMS) through availability sampling. As the first step, questions related to social, cultural, and financial background was asked of 20 participants utilizing a semi-structured interview on the basis of purposive sampling. A questionnaire was then developed by the information obtained from the interview representing the factors related to the social, cultural, and financial constructs (variables) and was distributed among the participants (148) of the study. The participants’ English University Entrance Exam (achievement performance) scores were obtained from the Education Office of Yasuj University of Medical Sciences. Afterward, the 40-item Revised Version of the Identity Style Inventory (ISI3) (Berzonsky, 1992) which assesses identity processing styles in individuals was administered and gave each participant a score in three identity processing styles. Examination of the results indicated that the structural relationship between the variables of identity processing styles and language achievement was 0.84 and its standard value was equal to 0.345. This value indicated a positive and average relationship between the two structures. That is, with the change of identity processing styles, the language achievement of the participants has changed.