the role of ideal language l2 selves in shaping efl learners’ attitudes towards online language learning: extending the technology acceptance model (tam)

One of the crucial issues for successful information-communication technology (ict) integration relies on users’ acceptance of the target ict. considering the strong mutual relationship between learners’ attitudes and motivation, this explanatory study extended the technology acceptance model (tam) with the l2 motivational self-system to investigate iranian efl learners’ attitudes towards online language learning. accordingly, 468 iranian high school learners from eight cities during the academic year of 2021-2022 experienced online language learning on three platforms sky room, adobe connect, and bigbluebutton, then answered two questionnaires on language learning motivation developed by you and dorniey (2014) and smith et al. (2020) as well as tam designed by david (1989) and atif et al. (2015). the partial least squares analysis (pls-sem) showed that learners’ ideal l2 self, ought-to l2, current l2 self, and language learning attributions’ positively predicted the value of online language learning and its ease of use. having been predicted by the ease of use and usefulness, attitudes positively mediated between learners’ language learning motivation and their behavioral intention to participate in online language learning in the future. related pedagogical implications include encouraging iranian efl learners to have a future self-image, escalating their inherent interest in learning the english language online, and improving their self-image about their present language abilities.