Volume 73 in the Second Language Acquisition Series.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

"Instead of viewing different perspectives on the self as competing with each other and considering one perspective on the self as being inherently ‘better’ than another, this book takes the view that a fuller, more comprehensive picture of the self in SLA can be gained by examining and combining insights from different perspectives. This original collection of papers thus attempts to provide a thorough overview of the ways in which the self can be conceptualised in SLA contexts. The editors have brought together a diverse range of theoretical perspectives on the self to allow the reader to appreciate the insights that each approach contributes to overall understandings of the self in the domain of second language acquisition and foreign language learning." (Book Cover)

Chapter 1: Introduction to Multiple Perspectives on the Self / Sarah Mercer and Marion Williams
What This Book is About -- Why We Compiled This Book -- Who This Book is For --Organization of the Book

Chapter 2: Self-Efficacy in SLA / Nicole Mills
Introduction -- Social Cognitive Theory -- Self-Efficacy and Academic Performance -- Self-Efficacy and Other Self Constructs -- Self-Efficacy and Language Learning -- Strategies to Guide Self-Efficacy Research -- Fostering Students’ Self-Efficacy Beliefs -- Conclusion

Chapter 3: The Dynamics of Second Language Confidence: Contact and Interaction / Sinthujaa Sampasivam and Richard Clément
Introduction -- Development of the Concept of L2C -- Definitional Issues -- Confidence in Different Contexts -- A Framework for Redefining Language Contact -- Conclusion

Chapter 4: Self-Esteem and Self-Concept in Foreign Language Learning / Fernando Rubio
Introduction -- Conceptual and Definitional Issues -- Theories of Self in Educational and Social Psychology -- The Dynamic Development of Self-Esteem and Self-Concept -- Relevant Research in SLA -- Research Approaches to Self-Concept and Self-Esteem -- Implications for Classroom Practice -- Conclusion

Chapter 5: Identity and Poststructuralist Theory in SLA / Bonny Norton
Introduction -- Central Arguments for Identity and Poststructuralist Theory in SLA -- Poststructuralist Theories of Language, Subjectivity and Positioning -- Poststructural Theory, SLA and Classroom Teaching -- Conclusion

Chapter 6: Dual Identities Perceived by Bilinguals / Chantal Hemmi
Introduction -- Different Views of Identity -- The Study: Identities of Six Bilingual Japanese Women -- Results and Discussion -- Conclusion and Implications

Chapter 7: Relational Views of the Self in SLA / Florentina Taylor
Introduction -- Defining the Self in Social Interaction -- Synchronic Relativity -- Diachronic Relativity -- Synchronic-Diachronic Perspectives in SLA -- Implications for Practice and Future Research

Chapter 8: Imagined and Possible Selves: Stories We Tell Ourselves About Ourselves / Stephen Ryan and Kay Irie
Introduction -- Imagining the Self -- Possible Selves and the Imagination in the SLA Literature -- Pedagogic Applications -- Conclusion

Chapter 9: Motivational Perspectives on the Self in SLA: A Developmental View / Ema Ushioda
Motivation and Self-Related Cognitions: An Introductory Overview -- Motivation and Second Language Learning Timeline -- Motivational Factors Within and Outside the Self -- The Internationalisation of Motivation Within the Self -- Concluding Remarks

Chapter 10: Brain and Self: A Neurophilosophical Account / Georg Northoff
Introduction: Concept of Self -- Concepts of Self -- Methodological Approaches to the Experimental Investigation of the Self-- Neurophilosophical Reflection --Conclusion: Self and Language

Chapter 11: The Self From a Complexity Perspective / Sarah Mercer
Introduction -- Integrative Perspectives on the Self -- Self as a Complex Dynamic System -- Dynamic and Emergent Self -- Researching the Dynamics of the Self -- Issues for Researching the Self as a Complex Dynamic System -- Implications for Practice

Chapter 12: Concluding Reflections / Sarah Mercer and Marion Williams
Introduction -- Defining the Self -- The Contextual Self -- The Temporal Self --Methodological Perspectives -- Pedagogical Implications -- Future Directions

Readership Level: Postgraduate, Research / Professional