ERIC Number: EJ1468959
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2025
Pages: 18
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1479-0718
EISSN: EISSN-1747-7530
Available Date: 0000-00-00
Young Learners' Academic Self-Concepts for L2/L3 French and English
International Journal of Multilingualism, v22 n2 p322-339 2025
Academic self-concept (ASC) is a student's self-perceived level of ability in an academic domain and a major factor involved in academic performance. We examined the importance of internal/external sources of evaluation for the structure of L2 and L3 ASCs in two groups of 5th/6th graders learning English and French in Switzerland (mean age: 12.1). The target languages were introduced to the children in reverse order as part of the Swiss mandatory curriculum: L2 English/L3 French in Group 1 (n = 464) and L2 French/L3 English in Group 2 (n = 157). Network analysis returned a consistent pattern in the constitution of L2/L3 ASCs irrespective of target language and language curriculum. The children hold distinct ASCs for the L2 and L3. Internal affective variables (intrinsic motivation and anxiety) correlate more strongly with L2/L3 ASCs than external variables (perceived encouragement from teachers and parents, comparison with peers). Dedication to FL learning emerges as a crucial construct that mediates the connection between L2/L3 ASCs and the external variables. Cross-linguistic correlations between L2 and L3 are identified for parental encouragement, extrinsic motivation, dedication, and anxiety, suggesting that these are language-integrated dispositions for instructed FL learning. In comparison, intrinsic motivation and perceived teacher motivation are target language specific.
Descriptors: Self Concept, Academic Ability, Grade 5, Grade 6, Elementary School Students, French, English (Second Language), Second Language Learning, Second Language Instruction, Correlation, Learning Motivation, Anxiety, Academic Achievement, Native Language, Network Analysis, Teacher Motivation, Teacher Student Relationship, Language Aptitude, Foreign Countries, Measures (Individuals), Multilingualism, Italian, Romance Languages, German
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Elementary Education; Grade 5; Intermediate Grades; Middle Schools; Grade 6
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Switzerland
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: 1Institute of Multilingualism, University of Fribourg, Fribourg, Switzerland; 2Department of Multilingualism, Institute of Multilingualism, University of Fribourg, Fribourg, Switzerland