Journal of Critical Applied Linguistics Studies

en In the Shadow of English: Reimagining L2 Motivation through Languages Other Than English (LOTE)-Learners' Voices from Iran تخصصي Special پژوهشي Research <div style="text-align: justify;">This study critically investigates the motivation of undergraduate EFL students at Farhangian University, Zanjan, Iran, to learn Languages Other Than English (LOTEs), a domain historically marginalized in L2 motivation research dominated by English-centric paradigms. addressing a critical gap in LOTEs motivation research dominated by English-learning contexts. Using a mixed-methods approach, data were collected via a semi-structured questionnaire from 24 undergraduate TEFL students (19 female, 5 male) in order to interrogate how cultural identity, heritage, and resistance to monolingual ideologies shape LOTE engagement. Findings reveal that students’ motivations are overwhelmingly rooted in cultural and spiritual affiliations—such as Arabic for Qur’anic literacy and French for literary appreciation—foregrounding identity and affect over instrumental, market-driven goals. Participants exhibited notable resilience despite institutional neglect (e.g., no university LOTE courses), time constraints, and limited resources positioning themselves as agents of change rather than merely motivated learners. By connecting individual motivation to larger structures of power within global language hierarchies and explicitly critiquing the ideological foundations of mainstream SLA theory, this analysis links sustained engagement to the need for institutional support. The study underscores the need to adapt L2 motivation theories (e.g., L2MSS) for LOTEs and concludes with recommendations for transformative teacher education, including curriculum integration to foster intercultural competence and critical multilingual identities among future English teachers.</div> Languages Other Than English (LOTEs), Critical L2 motivation, Pre-service EFL teachers, Iranian higher education, Critical multilingualism, Language hierarchies 91 122 http://cals.gonbad.ac.ir/browse.php?a_code=A-10-57-1&slc_lang=en&sid=1 Mohammadreza Tusi Nasrabadi mohammadrezatusi1@gmail.com 1003194753284600491 1003194753284600491 Yes Mohammad Reza Tusi Nasrabadi (Corresponding Author), Department of English language teaching, Farhangian University, Tehran, Iran. Email: Mohammadrezatusi1@cfu.ac.ir Farzaneh Khezari, Teacher, Ministry of Education, Iran. Email: Farzanehkhezri@gmail.com Farzaneh Khezri Farzanehkhezri@cfu.ac.ir 1003194753284600492 1003194753284600492 No Ministry of education