NOVATEUR PUBLICATIONSINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF INNOVATIONS IN ENGINEERING RESEARCH AND TECHNOLOGY [IJIERT]ISSN: 2394-3696 Website: ijiert.org
VOLUME 7, ISSUE 12, Dec.-2020

ROLE OF SELF-ESTEEM IN SECOND LANGUAGE ORAL AND
WRITTEN PERFORMANCE
FOTIMAKHON ABDUMALIKOVAUzbekistan State World Languages University
fotima_abdumalikova@mail.ru+998901266046
ABSTRACT7KH FXUUHQW VWXG\ DWWHPSWV WR H[DPLQH WKH HIIHFW RI WKH OHYHO RI OHDUQHU¶V VHOI-esteem in second language oraland written production. To be more precise, it investigates how do low and high level of self-esteem influenceon the productive skills of learners as a personal factor DQG WR UDLVH WHDFKHUV¶ DZDUHQHVV DERXW WKH LPSRUWDQFH
of self-HVWHHP LQ WKH VXFFHVV RI OHDUQHUV¶ VSHDNLQJ VNLOO 7KLV UHVHDUFK ZRUN LV EDVHG RQ WKH K\SRWKHVLV LI
learners have a high level of self-esteem, they will be able to trust their own abilities which in turn will increase
their level of oral skill production. The most suitable method to this study will be comparative analyticalmethod in order to demonstrate differences between low self-esteem and high self-esteem in oral and written
language production before and after feedback by the teacher. This study mainly based on questionnaire, twodifferent types of class project results. 7KH DQDO\VLV RI WKH TXHVWLRQQDLUHV¶ UHVXOWV UHYHDOHG WKDW ERWK WHDFKHUVand learners strongly support the importance of self-esteem as an affective factor in improving the oral
production performance.
KEYWORDS: Self-esteem, self-efficacy, learning environment, academic achievement.
INTRODUCTIONJames (1890), White (1959), and Rosenberg (1965) have been the main contributors to the development of
the theoretical concept of self-esteem. Basically, their definitions point to six major components or dimensionsof self-esteem: competence and worthiness; cognition and affect; stability and openness.
We have truly come a long way from the early years of language aptitude research when the likelihood forsuccess in language learning was conceived of primarily in cognitive terms. At this moment in language
teaching history, the role of affective variables and the necessity of focusing on the emotional states of learners
are readily acknowledged by the language teaching community. As this volume clearly attests, thisunderstanding of the emotional vulnerability of language learners is shared by many language teachers andresearchers around the world.
SELF- ESTEEM AND SELF-EFFICACYOne of the primary affective elements is self-efficacy. It is important, here, to understand the distinction
between self-efficacy and self-esteem. Self-HVWHHP LV WKH SHUVRQ¶V IHHOLQJ RI KLV KHU VHOI-worth, whereas selfHIILFDF\ UHIHUV WR WKH SHUVRQ¶V EHOLHI RI KLV RU KHU DELOLW\ WR UHDFK D JRDO This feeling comes from the low selfesteem they have. Someone with low self-esteem is believed to be unconfident, while confidence is strongly
needed by learners to present their English orally. For Amato (2000), self-esteem is a very important factor inproviding learners with the power to be motivated towards their own abilities to enjoy the learning processand experience real communication. Gardner (1994) argued that students cannot defeat the fear that faces themin speaking the foreign language in the classroom. The problem we are confronted with in this research is theNLQG RI UHODWLRQVKLS EHWZHHQ OHDUQHUV¶ VHOI-esteem and their speaking skills.
Self-esteem has been long the focus of study among educators, psychologists, sociologists and linguists.
Educational Resource Information Center (ERIC) accounts for more than 12,000 entries related to the areas
such as self-esteem, self-perception, self-concept and self-image whereas the American Psychological
Association (Psy-CINFO) enlists over 92,000 entries of the same areas, among which 143 entries are entitledpurely as self-esteem in relation with second language acquisition. Self-esteem is one of the fundamental
LQGLYLGXDO¶V DIIHFWLYH FKDUDFWHULVWLFV LQ educational psychology, yet no adequate works have been produced
to it in SLA field. This might be since self-esteem is closely related to the concept of self-confidence, which
has been vigorously reflected in Applied Linguistics with respect to second language acquisition. Certainly
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VOLUME 7, ISSUE 12, Dec.-2020

self-confidence and self-esteem shares a mutual emphasis on individual beliefs in evaluating own attributes
and abilities as a worthy individual SHUVRQ ,Q %URZQ¶V view self-esteem is probably the most persistent aspectof any human behavior, however Carver et al.; termed self-HVWHHP DV DQ HYDOXDWLYH TXDOLW\ RI RQH¶V VHOI-imageand self-concept.
SELF-ESTEEM AND THE LANGUAGE CLASSROOM
Arnold (1999) and many other researchers refer to the importance of affect in the language classroom.
Language learning is an anxiety-provoking experience for many students. As Horwitz et al (1991, 31) note,
The importance of the disparity between the "true" self as known to the language learner and the more limited
self as can be presented at any given moment in the foreign language would seem to distinguish foreign
language anxiety from other academic anxieties such as those associated with mathematics or science.
Probably no other field of study implicates self-concept and self-expression to the degree that language study
does.
Self-esteem is one of the central drives in human beings. When the level of self-esteem is low, thepsychological homeostasis is unbalanced, creating insecurity, fear, social distance and other negative
situations. Self-HVWHHP FDQ H[HUFLVH D GHWHUPLQLQJ LQIOXHQFH RQ D SHUVRQ¶V OLIH for good or bad; when there isvery low self-esteem, this may even bring about a need for clinical treatment. However, though in the context
of language learning low self-esteem is a non-clinical phenomenon, it can have serious consequences. Students
may avoid taking the necessary risks to acquire communicative competence in the target language; they may
feel deeply insecure and even drop out of the class. Three levels of self-esteem have been described in theliterature to capture its multi dimensions, namely, global, situational and task self-esteem. It is a quite fixedand steady characteristic in grown up people, it does not change over time except through wide treatment. ItLV FRQVLGHUHG DV WKH H[DPLQHU RI RQH¶V¶ RZQ YDOXH DFURVV ERWK WLPH DQG GLVFULPLQDWH VLWXDWLRQV It refers toRQH¶V MXGJPHQW RI WKH YDOXH LQ KLV OLIH DV VRFLDO LQWHUDFWLRQ ZRUN HGXFDWLRQ KRPH RU DQ\ FHUWDLQ relatively
discretely defined traits such as intelligence, communicative ability, athletic ability, or personality traits likegregariousness, empathy, and flexibility to the circumstances and the particular qualities of personalities. Task
self-esteem is referred to it because it is connected to specific or particular tasks in particular circumstances.
In scholar education, for example, task self-esteem is related to one side of subject-matter, or in athleticsituations, a certain skill of sport is assessed in relation to task self-esteem. All in all, self-esteem is proved
tKURXJK LWV OHYHOV DQG GHILQLWLRQV WKDW LW KDV WKH PRVW SRZHUIXO LPSDFW RQ OHDUQHUV¶ UHVXOWV DQG LW LV LQ WKHOHDUQHUV¶ KDQGV WR EH H[FHOOHQW RU WKH UHYHUVH GXH WR WKHLU IHHOLQJ WRZDUGV WKHLU FDSDFLWLHVEvery individual has a self-concept though he may find it difficult to accurately describe his self-concept.
Individuality is a combination of self-concept i.e., the way one would see his self and his personality. SelfFRQFHSW LV UHODWHG WR RQH¶V VHOI-esteem and unless a sense of self-esteem is developed, an individual is unableto progress toward what Maslow calls self-actualization (Ritak, 2000).
Arnold (1999), claims that there are different types of selves such as actual self, possible self, ought self andideal self. Defining Self-esteem becomes a complex variable if an attempt is made to differentiate between
these varieties of self since self-esteem as a variable possibly may fluctuate depending on which self-function
serves as a reference point for valuation. Therefore, a same individual can simultaneously hold high, moderate
or low levels of different types of self-esteem.
Brown (1994) offers a wealth of discussion about various closely related affective variables including selfesteem, self-concept, self-image, self-confidence, anxiety, willingness to communicate, language ego andintegrative PRWLYDWLRQ LQ WKH KLVWRU\ ODQJXDJH OHDUQLQJ DQG SHGDJRJ\ 1HJDWLYH EHKDYLRXU VWLPXODWHV OHDUQHU¶V
low expectations and every failure is seen by them as a confirmation of their low expectations and previous
negative perceived self. Similarly, Deutsch & Solomon (1959) found that a negative valuation of self by othersmight be more satisfactory for an individual having low self-esteem than a high appraisal. Arnold (1999)
advocates the need for self-acceptance a highest human priority, in the light of motivation theory. Brown(1994) studying self-esteem also explored concluded that self-belief and self- image tends to play a critical
UROH LQ JXLGLQJ DQG UHJXODWLQJ RQH¶V EHKDYLRU 7KHUHIRUH KH VXJJHVWV WKDW limited perceived beliefs can bereformed with the help of mental imagery as human feelings are closely related to their mental images
including self-image.
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NOVATEUR PUBLICATIONSINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF INNOVATIONS IN ENGINEERING RESEARCH AND TECHNOLOGY [IJIERT]ISSN: 2394-3696 Website: ijiert.org
VOLUME 7, ISSUE 12, Dec.-2020

If learners visualize themselves performing a language task successfully e.g. speaking a target language
fluently and interactively, this strong mental image would help him in reducing negative beliefs andaffirmative starting point in real learning situation. In the context of language learning, Dornyei (2006) implies
the same notion of ³LGHDO VHOYHV´ E\ FRLQLQJ WKH WHUP DV ³,GHDO / 6HOI´ $V VWDWHG E\ KLP LW LV FUXFLDO IRU
every learner to reduce the difference between actual-self and ideal-self. Ideal L2 Self is a powerful motivatorin second language learning. Throwing light upon all these valuable studies, Arnold (1999) emphasis that
IRFXVLQJ RXU DWWHQWLRQ RQ OHDUQHUV¶ self-HVWHHP LQ D ODQJXDJH FODVV URRP PD\ FRQWULEXWH WR GLUHFW OHDUQHUV¶
energy towards productive language acquisition which they in particular circumstances consume innonproductive identity beliefs making them divert from learning tasks and opportunities.
Norgueras & Rosa (1996) explored the relation among self-esteem, self-evaluation and oral communicative
language proficiency in ESL classroom at University of Puerto Rico. This research was based on three years
descriptive case study of the first-\HDU VWXGHQWV LQ RQH RI WKH FDPSXV LQ WKDW XQLYHUVLW\ .UDVKHQ¶V $IIHFWLYHfilter hypothesis served as theoretical foundation for the study. For the first variable i.e., oral proficiency inEnglish language, Norgueras & Rosa (1996) selected an adopted version of Bachman-palmer oral interview
test while on the other hand Ramos-Perea self-report self-esteem instrument and self-esteem instrument werechosen for the second variable. Statistical outcomes computed with the help of Pearson Product Moment&RUUHODWLRQ WR H[SUHVV DOO SRWHQWLDO SDLULQJ RI WKH UHODWLRQVKLSV DPRQJVW WKH OHDUQHUV¶ VHOI-esteem in the ESL
setting with levels of their oral proficiency indicated insignificancy of the relation but the qualitative analysisof the data obtained through self-esteem instrument revealed that learners with positive self-esteem scoredhigh oral ESL proficiency. Besides the dissimilar outcomes in two different paradigms, it was concluded toothat ODQJXDJH OHDUQLQJ HQYLURQPHQW LQ (6/ FODVVURRP OLNHZLVH LQIOXHQFHG OHDUQHUV¶ YDULDQW OHYHOV RI VHOIesteem. These results determined that learners though have high self-esteem, yet they may possibly havedifferent levels of self-esteem due to different language learning environments.
Speaking and listening are the two collaborative Language skills. Where several studies have affirmed thesignificance of listening comprehension in authentic put for speech production, there many of them also havesuggested that better input-output results cannot be attained without cautious attention to psychologicalfactors, due to which learners usually scores variedly regardless of their expected grades and self-esteem is
one of the overpowering issue concerning these variations. Self-esteem and language learning in real situations
are positively correlated where the strength of one variable directly affects and influences the other one. In thelight of these deliberations, emotions and psychological factors have more influence on female learners thanmales and those females with high self-esteem tend to show better performance in learning tasks as comparedto male learners (Brown, 1994).
A relationship existing among all three types of self-esteem with oral proficiency; primarily task self-esteem
was highly correlated to L2 oral communicative language proficiency. She hence agreed with Brown (1994)
YLHZV WKDW RUDO SHUIRUPDQFH LV VWURQJO\ LQIOXHQFHG E\ OHDUQHUV¶ JOREDO DQG WDVN VHOI-esteem. All the Affectivefactors related to motivation such as defense mechanisms, anxiety, internal attitudes, self-esteem, selfregulation, self-management, beliefs and emotional intelligence play an essential role in stimulating or
SUHYHQWLQJ OHDUQHUV¶ DXWRQRPy. Like students differ, teachers too vary in their teaching style, and preferredstrategies. Brown (1994) concludes that enabling learners to acquire as much as they can, it is indeed necessary
to provide them with assistance, involving a program would help them to continue their learning process in a
relatively stress-free and untroubled manner. This implies a meaning that providing learners with opportunity
to learn in their preferred styles, instead of always outside of them would likely help the students but
VRPHWLPHV DOVR KHOS WHDFKHUV LQ XQGHUVWDQGLQJ WKH GLIIHUHQFH EHWZHHQ D OHDUQHU¶V DQG D WHDFKHU¶V preferences.
He suggests that still much research remains to be done on the issues such as how individual differences playout at the highest levels of proficiency and in what are the ways in which teachers as well as program
DGPLQLVWUDWRUV FRXOG EH WUDLQHG LQ RUGHU WR PDNH KHDOWKLHU XVH RI OHDUQHUV¶ LQGLYLGXDO GLIIHUHQFHV.
REFERENCE
1) Amato, P. R. (2000). The consequences of divorce for adults and children. Journal of Marriage and Family,
62, 1269-1287.
2) Arnold, Jane. (2019). The importance of affect in language learning. Neofilolog. 11-14.
10.14746/n.2019.52.1.2.
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NOVATEUR PUBLICATIONSINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF INNOVATIONS IN ENGINEERING RESEARCH AND TECHNOLOGY [IJIERT]ISSN: 2394-3696 Website: ijiert.org
VOLUME 7, ISSUE 12, Dec.-2020

3) Brown, H. D. (1994). Principles of Language Learning and Teaching. Upper Saddle River, NJ: PrenticeHall.
4) Gardner, H. (1994). Intelligence in Theory and Practice: A Response to Elliot W. Eisner, Robert J.
Sternberg, and Henry M. Levin. Teachers College Record, 95, 576-583.
5) Horwitz, E. K., Horwitz, M. B., Cope, J. A. (1986). Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety. The ModernLanguage Journal, Vol. 70 (2), 125-132.
6) James, William. [1890] 1983. The principles of psychology. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University
Press. ISBN 0674706250
7) Nogueras, C. R. H., & Rosa, C. (1996). Self-esteem and oral communicative language proficiency in thePuerto Rican teaching-learning process. Doctoral dissertation, Inter American University of Puerto Rico.
8) Rosenberg, M. (1965). Society and the adolescent self-image. Princeton, NJ: PrincetonUniversity Press.
9) White, R. W. (1959). Motivation reconsidered: The concept of competence. Psychological Review, 66(5),297±333. https://doi.org/10.1037/h0040934

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