Self-esteem and identity

[lee115]

A section of Chapter 9 in Forbidden Language talked about language and its relationship to self-esteem. It was interesing to read that bilingualism was related to higher self-esteem. Would those students in EO classes begin to feel less about themselves because their L1 is never spoken or not allowed?

[birdy]

I haven’t read the book; however, I know that the L1 influences how well the L2 is learnt. Usually the learners transfer the knowledge they learnt in their first language to the next one, e.g. grammar rules, organizing writing … etc. Some things from their L1 will help them to learn the L2. I believe that as a teacher it is important to appreciate their first language and motivate learners to improve both languages. Moreover, I feel it is offensive to forbid someone to use their language skill, especially because it is part of their culture. I know many teachers that especially allow emigrant children to write some tasks in their native language and have them present it to other children. They seem to feel very special to show their expertise in their L1 and it can create an environment were language, culture and knowledge is shared and appreciated.

My son was raised bilingual from birth, and he always attended schools in both of his languages. He is proud of himself, and he knows that it is a gift to grow up with two languages. I don’t think that it had any affect on his self-esteem.

[TeacherScrev]

I believe that a student's self-esteem is connected to his own perceptions about the language he is learning. At the beginning of the school year, it is often beneficial to have your students complete an informal self-checklist to help them develop the self-awareness necessary for the students to work towards using successful language-learning strategies. When students have an understanding of their own learning styles, they can learn to focus on the learning strategies they use. It is important for them to realize which learning strategies are not working to their advantage. Students who keep a notebook specifically dedicated to observations about their learning can build intrinsic motivation and autonomy in their language learning process. These students will tend to have higher self-esteems because they are actively aware of their language goals and how to attain them.