Cross-cultural Study of Grit among Iranian, Turkish, and Iraqi EFL Learners

Abstract

Introduction: Positive psychology has been a buzzword in language learning and teaching practices recently. Among different concepts, grit, a tendency to maintain stamina to tackle long-term challenges, has received significant but inadequate consideration. Therefore, the current study aimed to investigate the role of grit in learning English as a foreign language (EFL) by Iranian, Turkish, and Iraqi learners. Methodology: Using a non-experimental and descriptive design, the present study explored three cohorts from Iranian, Turkish, and Iraqi learning contexts to compare EFL learners’ grit to examine whether language played a role in their perseverance of effort combined with passion. A total of 684 EFL learners participated in the study from three different cultures. The data for the study were collected via Google form employing the domain-specific L2 grit scale designed by Teimouri et al. (2020).   Results: The findings revealed that Persian learners’ grit in language learning was higher than the other two groups in terms of proficiency level. Moreover, regardless of the EFL learners’ first language, learners at advanced levels had the highest mean, followed by the intermediate and elementary groups. However, there was no significant interaction between the first language and proficiency. Conclusion: In conclusion, grit can act as a strong predictor of EFL learners’ achievement as their level of English proficiency increases. The findings could benefit material developers and teachers and help them consider grit as a predictor of achievement for EFL learners.