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Self‐Esteem in the Foreign Language: A Preliminary Investigation
Author(s) -
Anderson Pamela L.
Publication year - 1982
Publication title -
foreign language annals
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.258
H-Index - 49
eISSN - 1944-9720
pISSN - 0015-718X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1944-9720.1982.tb00234.x
Subject(s) - test of english as a foreign language , psychology , self esteem , perception , index (typography) , foreign language , statement (logic) , mathematics education , language assessment , social psychology , linguistics , philosophy , neuroscience , world wide web , computer science
This paper investigates the self‐esteem of adults learning English as a second language. Subjects indicated their abilities on a fifteen‐statement index and teachers, using a similar index, indicated their perceptions of the students' abilities. These were compared to one another and to the TOEFL scores for the students. The results—that students and teachers do not view the students' language abilities similarly—are related to motivational and cultural factors. It is suggested that self‐esteem, as indicated on the perception indices, may be a factor in motivating students. Further investigation using this type of measure could prove useful in assessing student needs.