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Internal Frames of Reference in FL Self-Concept Formation

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Towards an Understanding of Language Learner Self-Concept

Part of the book series: Educational Linguistics ((EDUL,volume 12))

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Abstract

Based on Marsh’s (1986a, American Educational Research Journal 23(1): 129–149) Internal and External Frame of Reference Model, this chapter concentrates on factors within the internal frame of reference used by learners in this study in forming their L2 self-concepts. It focuses in particular on the role of learners’ self-concepts in other domains and the resultant internal cross-domain comparisons between their self-concepts at various levels of specificity. It also considers learners’ belief systems about the nature of FLL, specific languages and attributions. Finally, the role of affect is examined and the potential influence of temporary affective states on learners’ reported self-concepts is considered.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    She received a grade “B” in her first-year Italian course and a “C” in her first-year English course. As the courses are taught in different ways with differing content and examined without using comparable standardised procedures, it is difficult to compare the actual abilities implied by these grades. Nevertheless, as a form of external feedback for Joana, these could perhaps have been expected to have had more influence than they seemingly did on her respective self-concepts.

  2. 2.

    German is the mother tongue for all of the learners unless specifically stated otherwise.

  3. 3.

    Note: the term skill domain is understood in this study as an area of language and includes the “skill” areas of reading, writing, speaking, listening, vocabulary, grammar and pronunciation.

  4. 4.

    5 is equivalent to a fail in the Austrian grading system.

  5. 5.

    It is worth noting that the absence of this internal factor from the other data sets is likely to be the result of the single-point data generation method, which would not be conducive to eliciting this kind of temporal factor. As such, it indicates the value of generating data at multiple points in time, in order to avoid distortion from the potential influence of these temporary affective factors on the reported self-concept of the moment.

  6. 6.

    These results were calculated by comparing instances of the co-occurrence of codes for “causality” with the codes for the various internal/external factors emerging from this analysis.

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  1. Department of English, University of Graz, Heinrichstr. 36, 8010, Graz, Austria

    Sarah Mercer

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Mercer, S. (2011). Internal Frames of Reference in FL Self-Concept Formation. In: Towards an Understanding of Language Learner Self-Concept. Educational Linguistics, vol 12. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-90-481-9569-5_5

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