motivation, seeing these as a continuum rather than a dichotomy and links
self-determination to the importance of three basic human needs: for auto-
nomy(the need to actively participate in determining one’s own behaviour),
competence (the need to feel capable of controlling the environment and
outcomes), and relatedness (the need to be related to others).
see also motivationself-efficacy n
a person’s belief in their own capabilities and their ability to attain specific
goals. A learner’s sense of efficacy affects their motivation to learn, the
goals they set, the effort they devote to attaining these goals and their
willingness to persist in the face of difficulty. Self-efficacy has been found
to influence learners’ achievement in language learning.
self-esteem n
a person’s judgement of their own worth or value, based on a feeling of
“efficacy”, a sense of interacting effectively with one’s own environment.
Efficacy implies that some degree of control exists within oneself. Self-
esteem is an affective variable in language learning and low self-esteem may
negatively influence second language learning.
self-evaluation n
also self-assessment
checking one’s own performance on a language learning task after it has
been completed or checking one’s own success in using a language. Self-
evaluation is an example of a metacognitive strategy in language learning.
see also self-rating
self-instruction n self-instructional adj
(in education) approaches to learning in which a learner works alone
or with other learners, without the control of a teacher. The use of self-
instructional activities in language teaching helps to give learners a greater
degree of control over their own learning. It is based on the belief that learning
is sometimes more effective if learners can make choices about the kinds of
things they wish to learn, the strategies they use, and the amount of time
they can spend on a learning task.
self-monitoring n
also self-observation
1 observing and recording information about one’s own behaviour for the
purpose of achieving a better understanding of and control over one’s
behaviour. In teacher education, teachers may be taught procedures for
self-monitoring