Self-evaluations in SLA/FLA

Regarding the relationship between the self-perceived affective experiences and

the self-evaluated learner performances in SLA/FLA, as can be discovered from

both of the terms, the affective experiences and the learner performances are self-

reported. The emphasis is particularly on the awareness of the Self. Comparing to

the relatively substantial studies with a focus on the exploration of self-perceived

affective experiences’ relationship with objective learner performances in

SLA/FLA, few studies can be found with a focus on its relationship with self-

evaluated learner performances. This might be because of the fluid nature of

emotions and the constant changing self recognition (MacIntyreet. al.,1997).

Because both self-perceived affective experiences and self-evaluated learner

performances are fluid in nature, and might change from time to time, it would

be very difficult to identify their relationships and conceptually illustrate the

changes overtime without an appropriate toolkit (MacIntyre & Serroul, 2014).

Self-evaluation was ‘a process by which students (1) monitor and evaluate the

quality of their thinking and behavior when learning and (2) identify strategies

that improve their understanding and skills’ (McMillan & Hearn, 2008, p. 40).

The definition of self-evaluation was lack of consistency because it largely

depended on the purpose of evaluation, such as evaluation of learner attitudes or

self-report (Krashen, 2009). In the SL/FL area, Bachman (2000) identified two

types of self-assessment according to evaluation purposes, namely, performance-

oriented self-assessment, and development-oriented self-assessment. The

performance-oriented self-assessment was used for the evaluation of the learner’s

performance at one particular point of time; whereas the development-oriented

self-assessment was used to observe ‘the participants for an extended period in

order to detect changes and patterns of development over time’ (Dornyei, 2001, p.

194).

From the few studies which are with a focus on self-perceived affective

experiences’ relationship with self-evaluated learner performances, three features

can be identified. First, these studies can be considered as the performance-

oriented self-assessment. Second, these studies focus on the investigation of

biases between self-evaluated and objective learner performances. Third, the

only emotion that these studies are interested in is FL anxiety; and its measuring

tool is either likert scale questionnaires or (adapted) Foreign Language

Classroom Anxiety Scale (FLCAS).

For example, MacIntyreet. al.(1997) conducted a study on the exploration of

biases in self-ratings and the role of SL Anxiety. They took the learners’ self-

evaluation of their SL proficiency prior to the tests; and these perceived SL

competences were then compared with their objective test scores in a later stage.

Moreover, they utilised a 7-point Likert scale questionnaire to measure the

learners’ SL anxiety. They drew a conclusion that learners with a high level of

anxiety tended to underestimate their ability; whereas learners with a low level of

lower ratings of perceived competence than that of actual one; whereas the

overestimation referred to higher ratings of perceived competence than that of

actual one. On the other hand, Cheng (2008) conducted a study in China that

aimed to explore the relationship between FL anxiety, perceived English writing

competence and actual English writing competence. Cheng utilised several

instruments including adapted Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale

(FLCAS) and drew a conclusion that the learner’s perceived English writing

competence could better predict FL anxiety than their actual competence.

Although both MacIntyreet. al.’s (1997) and Cheng’s (2008) studies investigated

the relationship between FL anxiety, perceived competence and actual

competence in SLA/FLA; their research emphasis, methodology, conceptual

illustrations and findings largely differed. The occurrence for such differences or

such inconsistent findings might be because they utilised different self constructs

or gave different explanations of the same self construct (Mercer, 2012 & 2014).

That is, the different understandings of the self and self-related concepts, such as

self-perceived affective experiences or self-evaluated learner performances, may

cause significant differences in findings. MacIntyreet. al.(1997) considered self-

perceived affective experiences as casual factors to self-evaluated learner

performances; whereas Cheng (2008) considered self-perceived affective

experiences as effects of self-evaluations. Above researchers have different

understandings of the role of an emotion and its relationship with performances;

therefore, their findings are very different, although their research purposes are

Both self-perceived affective experiences and self-evaluated learner

performances are perceptions from the learners’ standpoint. A perception refers

to ‘the way in which something is regarded, understood, or interpreted’ (Oxford

Dictionaries Definitions, 2015). Perceptions have the power to reveal the learners’

understandings, concerns, interests and needs through learning in different ways

(Rudd, 2007). As previously stated, comparing to the substantial number of

studies with an emphasis on the investigation of the relationship between the

individual’s self-perceived affective experiences and the objective learner

performances, the number on the self-evaluations retains certain growing space.

Regarding the self-perceived affective experiences, in the SL/FL area, a given

emotion is usually tied up with the discussion of certain self-related theories

(Bernat & Gvozdenko, 2005). For example, the emotion of fear is usually

discussed together with the Possible Selves Theory, and the dejection-related

emotion of disappointment is usually discussed together with the Self-

discrepancy Theory. In order to have a better understanding of the learners’

perceptions of their affective experiences and performances, I will review the

most frequently discussed self-related theories in the SL/FL area.