Multiple Perspectives On The Self In Sla

This collection of papers brings together a diverse range of conceptualisations of the self in the domain of second language acquisition and foreign language learning. The volume attempts to unite a fragmented field and provides a thorough overview of the ways in which the self can be conceptualised in SLA contexts.

This book unites a range of emerging topics in the burgeoning transdisciplinary fields of second language acquisition and interculturality in a study abroad context. It explores key issues, trends and approaches within each strand and how the strands relate to one another, painting a big picture of the diversity and complexity underpinning second language acquisition in a study abroad context. The chapters highlight themes such as social networks, input and interaction issues, learner identities and study abroad in lingua franca contexts, while also presenting other themes spanning the breadth of second language acquisition and interculturality research, such as individual differences and linguistic development. This comprehensive and cohesive volume showcases the latest innovative research using quantitative, qualitative and mixed method approaches across a range of source and target language learner cohorts, and highlights emerging themes and directions for future research.

Positive psychology is the scientific study of how human beings prosper and thrive. This is the first book in SLA dedicated to theories in positive psychology and their implications for language teaching, learning and communication. Chapters examine the characteristics of individuals, contexts and relationships that facilitate learning: positive emotional states such as love, enjoyment and flow, and character traits such as empathy, hardiness and perseverance. The contributors present several innovative teaching ideas to bring out these characteristics among learners. The collection thus blends new teaching techniques with cutting-edge theory and empirical research undertaken using qualitative, quantitative and mixed-methods approaches. It will be of interest to SLA researchers, graduate students, trainee and experienced teachers who wish to learn more about language learning psychology, individual differences, learner characteristics and new classroom practices.

This edited collection explores the processes of second language learning and teaching from a psycholinguistic perspective. Authored by leading experts in the field, the book includes studies focusing on theoretical, empirical and practical aspects of second and foreign language education. Part One offers contributions devoted to a range of learner-related factors, dealing with affective and cognitive variables, the process of reading and the acquisition of lexis. Part Two brings together papers related to teacher awareness of second language instruction that focus on conversational styles, fostering intercultural pragmatics, teacher job satisfaction, the development of instructional materials and challenges of teacher training in different contexts. It is of interest to researchers as well as graduate and postgraduate students seeking fresh inspirations for their own empirical investigations of the ways in which second and foreign languages are taught and learned.

Young-old learners are an underresearched group in foreign/second language research. The present mixed-methods study aims to provide a more differentiated view of this group in the context of lifelong learning and, more specifically, learning English as a foreign language. The author draws from concepts in gerontology, psychology, adult education, and foreign/second language research to investigate the L2-self-concepts of young-old language learners at Volkshochschulen in Germany.

The analysis and understanding of multilingualism, and its relationship to identity in the face of globalization, migration and the increasing dominance of English as a lingua franca, makes it a complex and challenging problem that requires insights from a range of disciplines. With reference to a variety of languages and contexts, this book offers fascinating insights into multilingual identity from a team of world-renowned scholars, working from a range of different theoretical and methodological perspectives. Three overarching themes are explored – situatedness, identity practices, and investment – and detailed case studies from different linguistic and cultural contexts are included throughout. The chapter authors' consideration of 'multilingualism-as-resource' challenges the conception of 'multilingualism-as-problem', which has dogged so much political thinking in late modernity. The studies offer a critical lens on the types of linguistic repertoire that are celebrated and valued, and introduce the policy implications of their findings for education and wider social issues.

This book unpacks data from conversations with bi-/multilingual EFL teachers whose L1s are languages other than English and who are from understudied contexts – Argentina, Egypt, Estonia, Senegal, Turkey, Ukraine, and Vietnam – to provide insights into the formation of ideal teacher selves. The author discusses the complexities surrounding the development of the teachers’ selves and motivation, as well as their intertwinement with the sociopolitical realities of their individual contexts. The work reveals how these realities, and the specific social interactions that occur therein, influence the language learning and teaching processes; it also challenges the notions of and the need for a native/non-native speaker dichotomy in the field. Expanding on Ushioda’s (2009) person-in-context approach and reflecting on the multilingual settings of the teachers, the integration of the context-specific politics of language learning and teaching is a fresh approach to work in motivation.

This book demonstrates how foreign language self-esteem (FLSE) affects foreign language (L2) learning and teaching, and how it fluctuates with growing proficiency. Further, it explains the interaction between FLSE and a range of factors of recognized importance in second language acquisition (SLA). The theoretical part of the book presents the main pillars of self-esteem as well as its notable influence on psychological functioning and learning, with special emphasis being placed on L2 learning. In turn, the empirical part presents the findings of a study that explored the trajectory and behavioural outcomes of FLSE across three stages of education. The book closes by outlining future research directions, as well as some pedagogical implications. In particular, the findings of the study can be employed in teaching English as a foreign or second language by helping instructors understand the significance of learners’ individual differences.