Towards an Understanding of Language Learner Self-Concept

✍ Scribed by Sarah Mercer (auth.)

• Publisher: Springer Netherlands
• Year: 2011
• Tongue: English
• Leaves: 219
• Series: Educational Linguistics 12
• Edition: 1
• Category: Library

✦ Synopsis

This book contributes to our growing understanding of the nature and development of language learner self-concept. It assesses the relevant literature in the disciplines of psychology and applied linguistics and describes in-depth, qualitative research examining the self-concepts of tertiary-level EFL learners. Although researchers in applied linguistics and SLA have recognized the importance of self-constructs, there remains little empirical work in the context of foreign language learning that focuses exclusively and at length on this central psychological construct. The content of this monograph draws on interdisciplinary sources, with input from psychology and applied linguistics. It will appeal to students and researchers interested in language-learner psychology as well as self-related constructs in general. The text provides insights into how learners view themselves, and how these self-beliefs can develop and affect the progress of an individual’s language learning.

✦ Table of Contents

Front Matter....Pages i-xiii
Introduction....Pages 1-11
What Is Self-Concept?....Pages 13-33
Understanding Self-Concept in the FLL Context....Pages 35-71
How Do Learners Form Their Self-Concepts?....Pages 73-96
Internal Frames of Reference in FL Self-Concept Formation....Pages 97-125
External Frames of Reference in FL Self-Concept Formation....Pages 127-165
Implications for Educators and Researchers....Pages 167-179
Back Matter....Pages 181-220

✦ Subjects

Language Education; Applied Linguistics; Pedagogic Psychology