The Relationship between Self-system, Metacognitive strategy Use, Anxiety Level, and Reading Comprehension of Iranian Advanced EFL learners

The current study aimed at investigating the relationship between self-system, meta-cognitive strategy use, anxiety level, and reading comprehension of Iranian Advanced EFL learners. For this purpose, 150 advanced EFL learners were asked to take the reading comprehension section of a sample TOEFL iBT reading test and completed three already-validated online questionnaires of self-system (Dornyei, 2003b), metacognitive strategy use (Taraban, Kerr Ryneason, 2004), and anxiety level (Zoghi, 2012). The results of Pearson Product Moment correlations indicated that there was a significant positive relationship between a) self-system and reading comprehension, and b) meta-cognitive strategy use and reading comprehension of Iranian advanced EFL learners. However, a significant negative relationship was found between anxiety level and reading comprehension of Iranian advanced EFL learners. Moreover, the results of multiple regression analysis revealed that among self-system, meta-cognitive strategy use, and anxiety level, selfsystem was found to strongly predict reading comprehension of advanced EFL learners. Furthermore, the results of multiple regression analysis indicated that among the sub-components of self-system (i.e. ideal self, out to self, and learning experiences), ideal self strongly predicted reading comprehension of advanced EFL learners. The results might imply that EFL teachers can enhance learners’ reading comprehension by encouraging them to regulate their self-system and to decrease their ideal self which might lead to lower anxiety levels and consequently better reading comprehension.