Exploring English self-concept and investment of successful EFL learners from a Chinese secondary school
Academic self-concept, a central psychological construct that powerfully explains learners’ varied motivations and learning behaviors, needs to be further explored to deepen our understanding of language learner psychology. Drawing on self-reported learning histories, this study investigates the Eng...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań
2024-10-01
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| Series: | Studies in Second Language Learning and Teaching |
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| Online Access: | https://pressto.amu.edu.pl/index.php/ssllt/article/view/31971 |
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| author | Hengjie Chen Dingfang Shu |
| author_facet | Hengjie Chen Dingfang Shu |
| author_sort | Hengjie Chen |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Academic self-concept, a central psychological construct that powerfully explains learners’ varied motivations and learning behaviors, needs to be further explored to deepen our understanding of language learner psychology. Drawing on self-reported learning histories, this study investigates the English self-concept of successful English as a foreign language (EFL) learners and their mediated learning behaviors from the theoretical lens of personal investment theory (Maehr & Braskamp, 1986). Data were collected from 12 students at a key secondary school in Shanghai using retrospective narratives and semi-structured interviews. The analysis revealed three categories of cognitive and affective characteristics in the learners’ English self-concept and the corresponding investment features with subtle differences identified. Participants espoused average to high competency beliefs and moderate to strong positive affect toward English learning, nurtured by positive self-beliefs such as interest and self-efficacy formed through early English learning experience. Their sustainable, targeted, and resilient investment in English learning was also underpinned by the perception of mastery and performance goals appropriately afforded by teachers, parents, peers, or the school. Practical implications for parents and educators are discussed in terms of what they can do to help learners build positive self-perceptions as EFL learners. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-03e9d8abce244f5c83a6f69abcbcc41b |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2083-5205 2084-1965 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-10-01 |
| publisher | Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Studies in Second Language Learning and Teaching |
| spelling | doaj-art-03e9d8abce244f5c83a6f69abcbcc41b2025-01-10T10:24:02ZengAdam Mickiewicz University in PoznańStudies in Second Language Learning and Teaching2083-52052084-19652024-10-0114476979010.14746/ssllt.3197130243Exploring English self-concept and investment of successful EFL learners from a Chinese secondary schoolHengjie Chen0https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8883-7491Dingfang Shu1https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0890-4915East China University of Science and TechnologyShanghai International Studies UniversityAcademic self-concept, a central psychological construct that powerfully explains learners’ varied motivations and learning behaviors, needs to be further explored to deepen our understanding of language learner psychology. Drawing on self-reported learning histories, this study investigates the English self-concept of successful English as a foreign language (EFL) learners and their mediated learning behaviors from the theoretical lens of personal investment theory (Maehr & Braskamp, 1986). Data were collected from 12 students at a key secondary school in Shanghai using retrospective narratives and semi-structured interviews. The analysis revealed three categories of cognitive and affective characteristics in the learners’ English self-concept and the corresponding investment features with subtle differences identified. Participants espoused average to high competency beliefs and moderate to strong positive affect toward English learning, nurtured by positive self-beliefs such as interest and self-efficacy formed through early English learning experience. Their sustainable, targeted, and resilient investment in English learning was also underpinned by the perception of mastery and performance goals appropriately afforded by teachers, parents, peers, or the school. Practical implications for parents and educators are discussed in terms of what they can do to help learners build positive self-perceptions as EFL learners.https://pressto.amu.edu.pl/index.php/ssllt/article/view/31971successful language learneracademic self-conceptsecondary school studentsefl learning personal investment |
| spellingShingle | Hengjie Chen Dingfang Shu Exploring English self-concept and investment of successful EFL learners from a Chinese secondary school Studies in Second Language Learning and Teaching successful language learner academic self-concept secondary school students efl learning personal investment |
| title | Exploring English self-concept and investment of successful EFL learners from a Chinese secondary school |
| title_full | Exploring English self-concept and investment of successful EFL learners from a Chinese secondary school |
| title_fullStr | Exploring English self-concept and investment of successful EFL learners from a Chinese secondary school |
| title_full_unstemmed | Exploring English self-concept and investment of successful EFL learners from a Chinese secondary school |
| title_short | Exploring English self-concept and investment of successful EFL learners from a Chinese secondary school |
| title_sort | exploring english self concept and investment of successful efl learners from a chinese secondary school |
| topic | successful language learner academic self-concept secondary school students efl learning personal investment |
| url | https://pressto.amu.edu.pl/index.php/ssllt/article/view/31971 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT hengjiechen exploringenglishselfconceptandinvestmentofsuccessfulefllearnersfromachinesesecondaryschool AT dingfangshu exploringenglishselfconceptandinvestmentofsuccessfulefllearnersfromachinesesecondaryschool |