Teachers, YouTubers, and Acquaintances: Who are the Role Models of South Asian English Learners? Sadaf Khan UGC NET-certified Research Scholar, IIT Indore, India Abstract Being social creatures, humans tend to seek out role models to follow. Role models, especially celebrities, have been known to have a significant impact on all areas of our lives. Similarly, while learning a language, the learners may look for inspiration and follow, or imitate a target language speaker they admire. Muir et al.'s (2019) recent study explored the role models of English language learners all over the world, but there is a lack of research specifically targeting the role models of South Asian English learners. In the study, the researcher set out to explore the role models of South Asian English learners. The data were collected using a questionnaire from fifty-three South Asian English learners. The findings report that teachers, YouTubers, and acquaintances are the most common role models. No clear preference for a native or non-native speaker as a role model was found. More than anything, the English fluency of the role model mattered the most to the participants. The research offers insights into how students and teachers can use Role Models for motivation. Keywords: Role Models, Role Models of Language Learners, South Asian English Learners, Motivation, Teachers as Role Models