Second Language Learning and Teaching. Series editor Mirosław Pawlak, Kalisz, Poland

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1 Second Language Learning and Teaching Series editor Mirosław Pawlak, Kalisz, Poland

2 The series brings together volumes dealing with different aspects of learning and teaching second and foreign languages. The titles included are both monographs and edited collections focusing on a variety of topics ranging from the processes underlying second language acquisition, through various aspects of language learning in instructed and non-instructed settings, to different facets of the teaching process, including syllabus choice, materials design, classroom practices and evaluation. The publications reflect state-of-the-art developments in those areas, they adopt a wide range of theoretical perspectives and follow diverse research paradigms. The intended audience are all those who are interested in naturalistic and classroom second language acquisition, including researchers, methodologists, curriculum and materials designers, teachers and undergraduate and graduate students undertaking empirical investigations of how second languages are learnt and taught. More information about this series at

3 Agnieszka Habrat The Role of Self-Esteem in Foreign Language Learning and Teaching 123

4 Agnieszka Habrat Zakład Filologii Angielskiej Państwowa Wyższa Szkoła Zawodowa im. Stanisława Pigonia w Krośnie Krosno, Podkarpackie Poland ISSN ISSN (electronic) Second Language Learning and Teaching ISBN ISBN (ebook) Library of Congress Control Number: Springer International Publishing AG, part of Springer Nature 2018 This work is subject to copyright. All rights are reserved by the Publisher, whether the whole or part of the material is concerned, specifically the rights of translation, reprinting, reuse of illustrations, recitation, broadcasting, reproduction on microfilms or in any other physical way, and transmission or information storage and retrieval, electronic adaptation, computer software, or by similar or dissimilar methodology now known or hereafter developed. The use of general descriptive names, registered names, trademarks, service marks, etc. in this publication does not imply, even in the absence of a specific statement, that such names are exempt from the relevant protective laws and regulations and therefore free for general use. The publisher, the authors and the editors are safe to assume that the advice and information in this book are believed to be true and accurate at the date of publication. Neither the publisher nor the authors or the editors give a warranty, express or implied, with respect to the material contained herein or for any errors or omissions that may have been made. The publisher remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations. Printed on acid-free paper This Springer imprint is published by the registered company Springer International Publishing AG part of Springer Nature The registered company address is: Gewerbestrasse 11, 6330 Cham, Switzerland

5 Contents 1 Psychological and Pedagogical Background of Self-esteem Cognition and Affect as Inextricable Components of Learning The Importance of the Affective Domain in General Functioning, Education and Second Language Acquisition Psychological Functioning Education Second Language Acquisition (SLA) Self and Self-related Concepts Self-esteem from the Historical Perspective The Typology of Self-esteem Other Typologies of Self-esteem The Antecedents of Self-esteem Other Self-related Constructs: Self-concept and Self-efficacy Self-esteem Development Across the Life Span Childhood Adolescence Adulthood Old Age Self-esteem and Gender Self-esteem and Culture The Individualist and Collectivist Cultural Context Meritocratic and Ego-Protective Educational Culture The Position of Poland Along the Individualist- Collectivist Continuum Global and Ethnic Self-esteem The Role of Self-esteem Self-esteem and Psychological Functioning v

6 vi Contents 1.8 Self-esteem and Learning Self-esteem and Language Learning A Review of Selected Empirical Research on Self-esteem Assessing Self-esteem Methodological Diversity in Self-esteem Studies The Most Popular Measures of Self-esteem The Issue of Validity in Researching Self-esteem Revisited The Role of Self-esteem in Psychological Functioning Participation in Social Groups and Likeability Conformity and Leadership Creativity Antisocial Behaviour Self-esteem and Learning Self-esteem and Learning a Foreign Language Self-esteem and Performance in FL Research Methodology and Results Rationale for the Study Method Participants Instruments Procedure Analyses Results Quantitative Findings Qualitative Findings Limitations of the Study Discussion Foreign Language Self-esteem and the Level of Proficiency Correlates and Predictors of Foreign Language Self-esteem Demography-Related Correlates of Foreign Language Self-esteem Educational Correlates of Foreign Language Self-esteem Personal Correlates and Predictors of FLSE Students with High and Low FLSE The Characteristics of Students with High FLSE The Characteristics of Students with Low FLSE

7 Contents vii 5 Conclusions and Implications for the EFL Classroom The Purpose of the Book Recommendations for Further Research Implications for the EFL Classrooms Appendix A Appendix B References

8 List of Figures Fig. 1.1 Self-concept model based on Shavelson, Hubner, and Stanton s model Fig. 1.2 The model of self-concept Fig. 1.3 The relation between self-esteem, self-concept Fig. 2.1 and self-efficacy The traditional methodological pyramid of self-esteem research Fig. 3.1 FLSE and the length of exposure for N = 381 (linear correlation) Fig. 3.2 Group FLSE Fig. 3.3 The relationship between FLSE and aggregated assessment of skills Fig. 3.4 FLSE means and ranges in relation to the place of residence Fig. 3.5 FLSE means and ranges in relation to the knowledge of English by close relatives Fig. 3.6 FLSE levels of participants who disliked (1), N = 71/liked (2), Fig. 3.7 N = 310 the teacher FLSE of students with and without extracurricular FL activities ix

9 List of Tables Table 1.1 The major contributors to the development of the construct self-esteem... 9 Table 2.1 Summary of the selected research on the relationship between self-esteem and psychological functioning Table 2.2 Summary of the selected research on the relationship between self-esteem and learning Table 2.3 Summary of the selected research on language-specific self-esteem and language learning Table 2.4 Review of the selected research into the linkage between self-esteem in multidimensional perspective and various aspects of foreign language learning Table 3.1 Demographic characteristics of the sample (N = 381) Table 3.2 FLSE values in all groups Table 3.3 The correlations between FLSE and length of exposure for each group Table 3.4 The between-group comparison of FLSE at different educational levels Table 3.5 The between-group comparison of FLSE in extended and non-extended groups Table 3.6 Self-assessment of four macro skills (N = 381) Table 3.7 Correlations of FLSE and FL achievement in four macro skills for the whole sample Table 3.8 The final marks obtained in the previous class/year (N = 381) Table 3.9 The proportions of female and male students in the whole sample Table 3.10 Female and male FLSE values in the whole sample Table 3.11 FLSE and the place of residence in the whole sample xi

10 xii List of Tables Table 3.12 FLSE and English-speaking relatives in the whole sample Table 3.13 The proportions of students who liked and disliked their FL teachers in the whole sample Table 3.14 Means, medians and standard deviations of FLSE in groups liking or disliking their teacher in the whole sample Table 3.15 FLSE of students who have/do not have extracurricular FL activities in the whole sample Table 3.16 The descriptive statistics of the L2-related personal factors (N = 381) Table 3.17 The summary of correlations between FLSE and selected L2 learning-related variables in the whole sample Table 3.18 FLSE and L2-related variables

11 Introduction Any class of learners, regardless of the stage of education, type of school and its location (in a metropolitan or rural area), comprises an amazing variety of individuals who are distinct in the name, height, weight, possibly in ethnic background, etc. What bears particular relevance to an instructor, though, is the fact that each of the students displays special talents, aptitudes or attitudes that account for the more or less rapid progress, or, in some cases, lack of progress and serious learning difficulties. There will be students who are keen to work, who stay in good relationships with the teacher and classmates, and others, who are easily demotivated, withdrawn and remain a matter of constant concern for the teacher. The theory and practice of English language teaching has come a long way from the days when success or failure in learning was attributed solely to cognitive processes. The recent years have seen a growing appreciation of the role of affective factors that determine how the learner feels about the subject, the learning activities and themselves. These feelings translate into the sense of agency, motivation and commitment on the learner s part. The acknowledgement of the role of the emotional aspects of learning has become part of the foundations of applied linguistics. Compared to other areas of study, language learning is far more ego-involving, which means that it vastly engages the emotional sphere, whose crucial constituents are the learner s unique self-beliefs. These beliefs account for how the learner views their past experience, their current performance and their future goals. The book is concerned with the role of foreign language self-esteem in learning as a facet of self-beliefs that exerts a notable influence on learner attitudes and behaviours. The construct refers to the learner self-perception in the domain of language learning, i.e. how they feel about themselves in both cognitive and affective terms. Despite its asserted importance, many questions about the impact of foreign language self-esteem on learner attainment have not been thoroughly answered yet. It is believed by the author that by integrating elements of linguistic and psychological exploration, the current research will attend to the characteristics of the construct, its dynamics and its interplay with other factors. Given the absence of studies examining foreign language self-esteem in a developmental perspective, the current research embraces an investigation of xiii

12 xiv Introduction a sample that represents three stages of education from lower secondary to tertiary, distinguishing further between varied proficiency levels and demographic characteristics of the participants. The insight into the developmental dynamics, major correlates and predictors of foreign language self-esteem may enable to transform the findings into practical pedagogical advice applicable in foreign language classrooms, catering for ego-protecting, learner-friendly atmosphere. The study is divided into a theoretical and practical part, further subdivided into chapters, each of them concluded with a résumé of the main points. The first chapter begins with a brief reminder of the inseparability and reciprocity of cognitive and affective domains in learning, followed by an outline of the major constituent processes belonging to each of the domains. The next section addresses the question of what is self-esteem and explicates the definitional concerns in distinguishing between the main self-related concepts. The major theoretical models of the core construct are reviewed, departing from the historical perspective towards developing its working definition for the purposes of the volume. The chapter also describes the structure of self-esteem, followed by its most prominent typologies. In view of the subsequent parts, the section which presents the multidimensional and multifaceted nature of self-esteem seems crucial as it depicts the position of foreign language self-esteem in the hierarchy of self-views. The next parts explain the sources of high or low self-esteem, its dependence on cultural background and its development across lifespan (with special emphasis on adolescence and the onset of adulthood) as well as its influence on psychological functioning, as it is viewed by modern psychology. A broad theoretical background to the construct having been introduced, the analysis of its relevance to learning follows. Self-esteem is then situated in SLA context, and its relation to other important constructs in the domain of FL learning is considered. It is also discussed why self-esteem bears importance for attainment in FL learning. The aim of Chap. 2 is to present a review of empirical research on self-esteem in its various dimensions. It opens with an overview of designs, methods and instruments that have been developed by other researchers and a discussion of challenges and pitfalls in measuring self-esteem that researchers need to be aware of. There follows an inventory of researches into the impact of self-esteem on a range of aspects of psychological functioning, selected on the basis of their relevance to educational context. The chapter continues by outlining the findings of studies into the interaction between self-esteem and learning, and it contains a separate section on the interplay between the focal construct in a multidimensional perspective and some important aspects of FL learning. The chapter ends with considerations of correlates of foreign language self-esteem scrutinized in reference to different age groups, educational settings and proficiency levels. The part also pertains to skill-specific correlates of self-esteem. Each section closes with a summary of findings that partly informed the research design used in this study. Chapter 3 opens the empirical part, and its initial paragraphs present the general aim of the research conducted for the purposes of the study. The rationale for the

13 Introduction xv current study encompasses three major goals. The first one is to observe the dynamics of foreign language self-esteem across three stages of education in the Polish system, and between varied levels of proficiency. The second one is to examine selected correlates and predictors of the central construct, and the third one is to present a profile of a high and low self-esteem learner, enhancing the symptoms of either of the types of experience and its possible antecedents. The next parts contain detailed descriptions of the method adopted, specifications of instruments, procedures and analyses, as well as an account of the sample and research design. The remaining sections contain a thorough report of the results obtained in the quantitative and qualitative research. The chapter is concluded with a summary of findings and the specification of limitations of the study. Chapter 4 is devoted to the discussion of the results. It commences with the analysis of changes that foreign language self-esteem is subject to according to changing proficiency (operationalized for the purposes of the book as the growing length of exposure, intensity of instruction or achievement in L2). The middle part features considerations on some important correlates and predictors of L2 self-esteem, divided into demographic or educational. The final section is an analysis of characteristics of students who hold either high or low foreign language self-esteem. The final chapter recapitulates the main aims pursued by the book and its main hypotheses. It strives to propose a comprehensive framework for understanding foreign language self-esteem against the Polish secondary and tertiary educational background. There is also an outline of directions for further studies into the construct with proposals of alternative research designs, sample or instrument selections. Further, the chapter contains an extensive set of implications for FL teaching practices, all of which could engender class atmosphere conducive to developing an optimal level of foreign language self-esteem. In conclusion, as the author of the book, I strongly hope that the findings of my research reflect some aspects of the complex and manifold reality that every teacher faces in a classroom and that it will increase the sensitivity of educationalists to the immense diversity of self-related issues that learners of all ages bring with them to lessons. For both practitioners and academics, I hope it might be a humble inspiration for future work towards optimization of ELT methodologies from the global and local point of view. It needs to be admitted that the work on the research has given me invaluable opportunities to enrich the understanding of the affective domain and discover some fascinating mechanisms or relationships that may amplify or invalidate the outcomes of the efforts of the learner, their teachers, course book writers, syllabus designers, etc. The insights gained in the process of writing the book have intimidated me with the immense complexity of the domain, impossible to embrace by the research, but at the same time they have helped me to develop new sensitivity to foreign language learner differences and their diverse needs.