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Motivation can be conceptualized as a dynamic process which is a key contributor to mastering a second language. This study used the L2-Motivational Self System as the basis for a conceptual framework for studying the effects of external factors on learners' motivation. In particular, the role of teachers and parents was studied as the external facets of predicting learners' motivation. One hundred and twenty EFL teachers along with 1,270 of their students participated in the study. To measure motivation, the Persian version of Dörnyei's L2 Motivation Self-System Scale was utilized. Three key components of the scale, namely, criterion measure, attitudes to L2 learning, and instrumentality promotion were employed in measuring motivation. To assess the role of family in motivating learners, another subscale of Dörnyei's questionnaire, i.e., family influence was used. To gauge teacher burnout, the educator version of the Maslach burnout inventory (MBI-ES) was used. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was run to analyze the causal 166 External Factors Affecting Second Language Motivation… relationships among the variables. The results revealed that teacher burnout negatively influenced learners' criterion measure and their attitudes to learning English. However, the path leading from teacher burnout to instrumentality promotion was not significant. Furthermore, three direct, positive, and significant paths leading from family influence to learners' criterion measure, instrumentality promotion, and attitudes to learning English were detected. Finally, findings are discussed with reference to the context of Iran.

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The present study investigated the impact of Smart Schools Programs on the learners' reading comprehension ability in an EFL (English as a Foreign Language) context. In so doing, the study utilized an experimental design with 64 participants in the control group and 60 participants in the experimental group who were students of junior high school grade one in Mashhad. The results of a pretest indicated that the participants of the two groups were homogenous with regard to their proficiency level. In addition to the main course book, the experimental group was exposed to Smart School software program, smart board, Power Point Presentation (P.P.P.), and World Wide Web (Internet) but in control group the main course book was just taught through traditional chalk and board instruction. Moreover, after the interval of three weeks a delayed post-test was administered to check the participants' recall rate of reading knowledge by the two groups. The results of the post-test indicated that Smart Schools Programs have a positive and significant influence on learners' reading comprehension ability. Moreover, in the delayed post-test, experimental group showed significantly higher scores than the traditional group.

The purpose of the present study is to explore the interrelationship between four components of Dörnyei's Motivational Self-System (criterion measure, ideal L2 self, attitudes to L2 culture and community, and family influence) and willingness to communicate in the second language (L2 WTC). Questionnaire data were collected from 160 Iranian EFL learners.Results of multiple regression analysis indicated that four aforementioned motivational factors can account for approximately 10 percent of the variance in WTC among Iranian EFL learners. Furthermore, this study found that WTC correlated significantly and positively with all motivational factors except family influence. Besides, it was found that among the components of WTC, WTC in reading correlated with both criterion measure and ideal L2 self. WTC in writing did not correlate with any of the motivational factors. WTC in listening was associated with criterion measure as well as ideal L2 self, although the magnitude of correlation with ideal L2 self was higher. The discussion and implications of the findings are presented with reference to the earlier findings.