The Impact of Self-Concept on Language Learning

The editors have done a magnificent job in pulling together an excellent resource book that includes all major theories and directions in the field of SLA motivation...

The book turns out to be an essential resource for various reader profiles who are invested in SLA research and, more specifically, in language learning motivation. Researchers doing inquiry in this field will find it an extremely useful resource that undoubtly covers all aspects and perspectives around language learning motivation.

-- Berta Torras-Vila, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Spain * Bellaterra Journal of Teaching & Learning Language & Literature Vol. 9(4), Dec-Nov 2016, 82-86 *

I recommend this book highly to anyone who is interested in the field of motivation research and selfrelated
constructs, and especially to (post-graduate) researchers. The variety of research methods used along with such a diverse sample of participants should ensure that self-concept remains an intriguing construct for further exploration.

-- James Rock, Universita Cattolica del Sacro Cuore di Milano, Italy * System 55 (2015) 158-171 *

This exciting volume provides new insights into recent trends in SLA research: why it matters who the language learners are, how they regulate their own learning, and how their emotions, motivation and identity are shaped by their experiences. The chapters explore language learners in different contexts and show how new theoretical paradigms have shaped the way language learning is modelled. These studies document how new ideas can contribute to innovation in classroom practice.

* Marianne Nikolov, University of Pécs, Hungary *

This volume adds a rich tapestry of theoretical, empirical and pedagogical insights to the growing field of self-concept research in language learning. While current research in this field revolves in particular around issues of motivation, a real strength of this collection is its integration of a diverse range of self-related perspectives (including teacher as well as learner perspectives), and a variety of conceptual frameworks and research methodologies.

* Ema Ushioda, University of Warwick, UK *

Csizér and Magid have drawn together the leading thinkers in one of the most important lines of inquiry in the psychology of language learning. Readers will be treated to a diversity of ideas, perspectives, and implications of the self and its role in L2 motivation. No collection of motivation texts in SLA would be complete without this volume.

* Peter D. MacIntyre, Cape Breton University, Canada *

Overall, this volume deepens the reader’s understanding of the impact of self-concept on language learning in multiple contexts. It would be of great value and interest to L2 acquisition researchers and applied linguists. Learners and teachers of an L2 can benefit equally in accomplishing the task of “motivating the unmotivated”. This book is enlightening, applicable to diverse settings, and flows well. The unique and solid research methods represented throughout the different chapters, the diverse cultural backgrounds of the language learners represented, and the application of multiple theories related to self all make this a worth-reading title for L2 researchers and practitioners.

-- Muhammad Shahbaz, Al-Majmaah University, Al-Zulfi, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in The Canadian Journal of Applied Linguistics: 17, 2 (2014): 113