Abstracts Language, Literature, and Linguistic

An Investigation into Emotional Intelligence, Language Learning Strategies and Perfectionism through a Cognitive-Affective Reading-Based Course in an EFL Context

by Seyyed Rasool Mirghasempoor Ahmadi

Reading is a very prominent skill for EFL learners which both directly and indirectly affects learning. Researchers, nowadays, agree that there are other components more than intelligence quotient which can help learners to promote themselves in the path of foreign/second language learning. Moreover, by discovering and introducing Multiple Intelligence, researchers found out there is a notable dimension which is called Emotional Intelligence. Emotional intelligence, as concerned with how an individual recognizes and regulates his or her emotions, has been in limelight quite recently. Scholars, also, declare that because IQ isn’t changeable or lack of ability to promoting, EI can be intensified in order to better learning to be taken place. The present study investigates the effect of Cognitive-Affective Reading-Based Open-Ended stories on emotional intelligence, language learning strategies, and perfectionism. In addition, there is also an investigation on the effects of cognitive-affective reading based courses with its focus on open-ended stories on EI, LLS, and perfectionism. The Persian Version of Bar-On Emotional Quotient Inventory (Bar-On EQ-i), the Persian Version of Perfectionism Inventory (PI), and the Strategy Inventory for Language Learning (SILL) were administered to 48 upper-intermediate Iranian EFL Learners who were chosen randomly at English institute in a posttest pretest quasi-experimental design. After homogenizing the initially selected participants based on their total level of IQ, language proficiency, and reading comprehension, they were divided into experimental and control groups. In order to carry out this study, cognitive-affective reading-based open-ended stories were used for experimental group and in control group ordinary reading courses (defining new words alongside expressing their pronunciation, synonyms, and antonyms) were used. Finally, the inferential statistical analysis was used to find out the results of the study. To analyze the data, Mann-Whitney U test and Spearman Product Correlational procedures were conducted. The results revealed that: 1. Perfectionism is negatively correlated with the total level of emotional intelligence and language learning strategies. 2. The cognitive-affective reading-based course in which open-ended stories were used significantly improved both the subjects’ emotional intelligence and their language learning strategies, but significantly decreased their perfectionism scores.