Keys, Bridges, and Locked Doors: Multimodal Insights into Affordances for and Constraints to Linguistic Investment

Document Type : Original Research

Authors
Mahmoud Fereydoonfar 1
Ali Mansouri Nejad 2
1 Kosar University of Bojnord, Bojnord, Iran
2 Assistant Professor, Department of English Language, Farhangian University, Tehran, Iran
10.48311/eijh.2025.105897.0
Abstract
This study explored the affordances and constraints shaping Iranian English learners’ linguistic investment through a multi-method approach, including interviews, digital ethnography, visual methodologies, and policy analysis. Findings showed that learners are motivated by economic opportunities, intercultural exchange, and social mobility, viewing English as a form of capital enabling access to global networks and professional advancement. However, ideological and pedagogical barriers such as state-promoted Arabic-centered policies, familial resistance, and inadequate resources create significant constraints. Learners navigate these constraints through covert digital practices and alternative strategies, highlighting the tension between individual aspirations and structural limitations. The study underscores the need for policy reforms that reconcile national identity with global linguistic demands and pedagogical approaches that prioritize communicative competence and digital literacy. Limitations include reliance on self-reported data, suggesting avenues for future research on longitudinal investment trajectories. This research contributes to broader discussions on language, power, and identity in contexts of ideological contestation.

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