Introduction

Marion Williams and Sarah Mercer

What This Book is About

In recent years, the key role of the self in second language acquisition (SLA) has increasingly been gaining recognition from SLA writers, and there has been a dramatic increase in research on this topic. However, accompanying this growth in interest in this area, there has been an escalation in the range of theoretical conceptualisations of the self. While this is a positive indication of the vibrancy of developments in this field, there exist a number of confusions owing to the variety of definitions and overlapping terms. The aim of this book is to bring together a range of perspectives on the self, which are often seen as competing, to unite what is currently a somewhat fragmented field and to provide an overview of some of the different ways in which the self has been conceptualised. Our aim is to provide an insight into the way in which each perspective contributes to our overall understanding of the self in SLA. We hope that viewing these perspectives collectively in one volume will lead to a deeper understanding of the concept and an appreciation of the merits of the theoretical and methodological diversity in this area.

Why We Compiled This Book

For a number of years both editors have shared an interest in the insights that can be gained from the field of educational psychology in furthering our understanding of language learning processes. For example, Williams, in her book together with Burden (1997) Psychology for Language Teachers, examined a number of psychological areas that were receiving attention at the time and linked these to language teaching. Some 15 years later, while together compiling the book Psychology for Language Learning (Mercer et al., 2012), both editors were struck by the growing focus in the field on perspectives related to the self and the many different ways of conceptualising these that exist. For example, in her chapter on motivation in the 2012 book, Ushioda, referring to Dornyei's (2005) L2 self system of motivation, theorises the motivation construct from a self-related viewpoint, arguing that concepts of 'self' have come to dominate research on motivation in education, and that examining the self system reframes the motivation construct in enlightening ways. In addition, recent work in other areas of language learning psychology, such as goals, self-determination, attributions, mindsets and perceptions of successes and failures, all centre around notions of the self.

Similarly, in writing her book Towards an Understanding of Language Learner Self-Concept, Mercer (2011) found considerable overlap between various self-related terms, such as self-efficacy, self-esteem, self-concept and identity. Brinthaupt and Lipka (1992: 1) explain that there is 'wide disagreement about how to define the self, measure it, and study its development' and highlight the problems that researchers thus face in selecting constructs, differentiating between terms and comparing studies. However, we do not see this diversity as inherently problematic, but rather we choose to view it as a potential strength; if employed and integrated appropriately, epistemological and methodological diversity can give rise to a richer, more comprehensive view of the self than a single perspective alone.

As the self is a field of study that is expanding rapidly within SLA, it seems to be timely to examine the different perspectives that exist and consider the implications of the various viewpoints for the future of this growing field of research. We therefore felt a need to bring the different perspectives together to help us to see their commonalities, differences and areas of overlap to facilitate a more unified view of the self. Our intention is to see how different views might complement each other and, when combined, elaborate our understanding of the self. If we want a full picture of the self, we need to bring all the pieces of the picture together.

In working on the book, we have been delighted by the enthusiastic response of the contributors and it has been extremely rewarding and enlightening to work with such a collection of distinguished scholars, each with a different perspective on the field. While we may embrace different conceptualisations of the self, we all share a passion and conviction of the importance of the self in SLA and the need to better understand its nature and role in language learning processes.

Who This Book is For

This book is essentially aimed at those interested in the topic of the self in language learning, whether carrying out research in this field or teaching on postgraduate programmes, training teachers, studying at postgraduate level or teaching a foreign language. In order to ensure the volume remains accessible to those working at various levels of specialisation in the field, we have attempted to explain different concepts clearly as they arise. In addition, each chapter ends with guidance for further reading in the particular area, and we hope this will motivate a whole new generation of specialists in the self in SLA to keep moving the field forward.

Organisation of the Book

The book is organised into 12 chapters, with 10 of them focusing on a different perspective on the self. The introductory chapter is intended to set the scene, whereas the concluding chapter attempts to pull together the main threads and considers directions for the future. While each chapter presents a particular viewpoint, we have allowed the contributors flexibility in whether their main focus is on a theoretical perspective or an empirical research study. Indeed, we deliberately intended to encourage diversity, enabling contributors to draw out their own emphasis. The chapters have been loosely ordered sequentially from more tightly defined constructs to more holistic views of the self.

The volume begins with Mills' chapter on self-efficacy, in which she explores Bandura's social cognitive theory focusing on how self-efficacy is formed. She reports on several studies in which the subsequent implications of the theory for pedagogy are empirically investigated and concludes that it is crucial for learners to 'feel competent and capable in their ability to acquire a foreign language'. Chapter 3 by...