2 - Self issues and motivated behaviour in language learning

Summary

Introduction

Cognitive ability is, of course, related to achievement in second or foreign language learning, but from both anecdotal and research sources we know that it is neither sufficient nor necessarily the most important factor. Stern (1983: 386) affirmed that ‘the affective component contributes at least as much and often more to language learning than the cognitive skills’. Similarly, it is no secret that in providing for a happy ending to the language learning story, there is much more involved than the use of the latest methods or gadgets. Affective factors are vital characters in the story. Earl Stevick (1980: 4) gave us a useful framework for organizing these factors when he referred to success in language learning as being determined to a large extent by what goes on inside and between the people who are involved in the learning/teaching process. We can take the inside, then, as the learner's internal characteristics, such as motivation, anxiety or self-esteem, and the between as the relational aspects connecting learners or learners and teacher.

In this chapter we will focus on aspects of both the inside and the between and will explore specifically the importance of issues related to the self for language learning. We will see how research in three self-related areas in language learning – self-esteem, teacher confirmation and the L2 Motivational Self System – indicates that attention to these areas can provide useful support for language learning. As Mercer (2011: 1) says, ‘Teachers often experience first-hand how learner behaviours and attitudes are driven by their sense of self and how this can vary across individuals in ways that are complex and often difficult to predict.’ When dealing with self-related issues, it is, of course, essential to keep in mind the fact that the sense of self is greatly influenced by the individual's relations with others.

Language is closely connected with one's identity, one's ‘subjective view of self’ (Edwards 2009: 2). In many ways, language and self are intertwined. Williams (1994: 77) pointed out that ‘language belongs to a person's whole social being; it is part of one's identity and is used to convey this identity to other people. The learning of a foreign language involves far more than simply learning skills, or a system of rules, or a grammar; it involves an alteration in self-image.’