EFL Learners’ Construction of L2 Ego and Its Relationship With Emotional Intelligence

Document Type : Research Article

Authors

Department of English, Quchan Branch, Islamic Azad University, Quchan, Iran

Abstract

The present study mainly aimed at determining the association between emotional intelligence (EI) and L2 ego components. In so doing, initially, to develop a measure to evaluate L2 ego, a sample of 9 university teachers was interviewed, and a pool of 126 English-major undergraduate students responded to the questionnaire designed by the researchers. The result of intercoder reliability proved satisfactory, and structural equation modeling (SEM) confirmed support for the factor structure of the measures. The final validated questionnaire included 3 factors and 16 items. The results of SEM showed that there was a moderate positive relationship between L2 ego and EI. The statistical analyses indicated that among L2 ego components, personality traits and cognitive styles made significant contributions to explaining EI. In the end, the interplay between L2 ego components, ego boundaries, and emotions is discussed, and the potentially helpful implications are offered for EFL learners and teachers.

Keywords


Abdolrezapour, P. (2017). Improving learners’ oral fluency through computer-mediated emotional intelligenc activities. ReCALL 29(1), 80-98.
Abdolrezapour, P. (2018). The relationship between emotional intelligence and complexity, accuracy, and fluency in EFL learners’ oral performance. Cypriot Journal of Educational Sciences, 13(3), 310-318.
Bainbridge, A., & Del Negro, G. (2020). An ecology of transformative learning: A shift from the ego to the eco. Journal of Transformative Education, 18(1), 41-58.
Balistreri, E., Busch-Rossnagel, N. A., & Geisinger, K. F. (1995). Development and preliminary validation of the ego identity process questionnaire. Journal of Adolescence, 18(2), 172-192.
Bar-On, R. (1988). The development of a concept of psychological well-being [Unpublished doctoral dissertation]. Rhodes University, Johannesberg.
Beauchamp, C., & Thomas, L. (2009). Understanding teacher identity: An overview of issues in the literature and implications for teacher education. Cambridge Journal of Education, 39(2), 175-189.
Berzonsky, M. D. (1990). Self-Construction over the life span: A process perspective on identity formation. In G. J. Neimeyer & R. A. Neimeyer (Eds.), Advance in personal construct psychology (pp. 155-186). AI Press.
Borg, S. (2003). Teacher cognition in language teaching: A review of research on what language teachers think, know, believe, and do. Language Teaching, 36(2), 81-109.
Brackett, M. A., & Katulak, N. A. (2007). Emotional intelligence in the classroom: Skill-based training for teachers and students. In J. Ciarrochi & J. D. Mayer (Eds.), Applying emotional intelligence: A practitioner's guide (pp. 1-27). Psychology Press.
Brackett, M. A., & Salovey, P. (2006). Measuring emotional intelligence with the Mayer-Salovey-Caruso emotional intelligence test. Psicothema, 18, 34-41.
Brown, H. D. (2014). Principles of language learning and teaching (6th ed.). New York: Pearson Education, Inc.
Campbell, J. L., Quincy, Ch., Osserman, J., & Pedersen, O. K. (2013). Coding in-depth semistructured interviews: Problems of unitization and inter-coder reliability and agreement. Sociological Methods & Research, 42(3), 294-320.
Cherniss, C. (2004). Intelligence, emotional. In Encyclopedia of applied psychology (Vol. 2, pp. 315-319). Elsevier.
Chio, E., & Son, U. (2017). Relationships among emotional intelligence, ego-resilience, and communication competence in nursing students. Journal of Korean Clinical Health Science, 5(3), 915-924.
Choi, J., Kang, D., Choi, H., & Yim, D. (2020). How do affective variables (motivation, linguistic confidence, ego-resilience) predict language-based problem-solving skills in second language learners? Clinical Archives of Communication Disorders, 5(2), 66-76.
Costa, A., & Faria, L. (2015). The impact of emotional intelligence on academic achievement: A longitudinal study in Portuguese secondary school. Learning and Individual Differences, 37(1), 38-47.
Crookes, G. V. (2013). Critical ELT in action: Foundations, promises, praxis. Routledge.
Dastgoshadeh, A., & Ghafar Samar, R. (2013). Possible selves theory: A new framework for language teacher self and identity research. International Journal of Language Learning and Applied Linguistics World, 5(1), 144-155.
Dewaele, J. M. (2018). The relationship between trait emotional intelligence and experienced ESL/EFL teachers’ love of English, attitudes towards their students and institution, self-reported classroom practices, enjoyment and creativity. Chinese Journal of Applied Linguistics, 41(4), 468-487.
Dewaele, J. M., & Dewaele, L. (2020). Are foreign language learners’ enjoyment and anxiety specific to the teacher? An investigation into the dynamics of learners’ classroom emotions. Studies in Second Language Learning and Teaching 10(1), 45-65.
Dörnyei, Z. (2005). The psychology of the language learner: Individual differences in second language acquisition. Routledge.
Dörnyei, Z. (2007). Research methods in applied linguistics. Oxford University Press.
Dörnyei, Z., & Ushioda, E. (2011). Motivation, language identity, and the L2 self. Multilingual Matters.
Ehrman, M. (1993). Ego boundaries revisited: Toward a model of personality and learning. Georgetown University Round Table on Languages and Linguistics 3, 330-362
Ehrman, M. (1996). Understanding second language learning difficulties. SAGE.
Ehrman, M. (1998). Motivation and strategies questionnaire. In J. Reid (ed.), Understanding learning styles in the second language classroom (pp. 169-174). Prentice Hall.
Ehrman, M. (1999). Ego boundaries and tolerance of ambiguity in second language learning. In J. Arnord (Ed.), Affect in language learning (pp. 68-86). Cambridge University Press.
Fahim, M., & Pishghadam, R. (2007). On the role of emotional, psychometric, and verbal intelligences in the academic achievement of university students majoring in English language. Asian EFL Journal, 9(4), 240-253.
Galton, F. (1879). Psychometric experiments. Brain, 2(2), 149-162.
Garrison, D. R., Cleveland-Innes, M., Koole, M., & Kappelman, J. (2006). Revisiting methodological issues in transcript analysis: Negotiated coding and reliability. Internet and Higher Education, 9(1), 1-8.
Ghanizadeh, A., & Moafian, F. (2010). The role of EFL teachers' emotional intelligence in their success. ELT Journal, 64(4), 424-435.
Gholami, M. J., Pishghadam, R., & Shayesteh, S. (2021). Emosensory competence, as an undisclosed construct of communicative competence, predicts L2 speaking ability. Journal of Research in Applied Linguistics, 12(1), 33-47. https://doi.org/10.22055/RALS.2021.16723.
Gil-Olarte, P., Palomera, R. & Brackett, M. (2006). Relating emotional intelligence to social competence and academic achievement in high school students. Psicothema, 18, suppl., 118-123.
Goldstein, T. (2003). Teaching and learning in a multilingual school: Choices, risks, and dilemmas. Lawrence Erlbaum.
Goleman, D. (1995). Emotional intelligence. Bantam Books.
Goleman, D. (1998). Working with emotional intelligence. Bantam Books.
Guiora, A. Z., Brannon, R., & Dull, C. (1972). Empathy and second language learning. Language Learning, 22, 111-130.
Guiora, A. Z. (1994). The two faces of language ego. Psychological Belgica, 34(2-3), 83-97.
Guiora, A. Z., Brannon, R., & Dull, C. (1972). Empathy and second language learning. Language Learning, 22(1), 111-130.
Harklau, L. (2000). From the ‘good kids’ to the ‘worst’: Representations of English language learners across educational settings. TESOL Quarterly, 34(1), 35-67.
Hiver, P. (2013). The interplay of possible language teacher selves in professional development choices. Language Teaching Research, 17(2), 210-227.
Hofstede, G. (2001). Culture's consequences: Comparing values, behaviors, institutions and organizations across nations. Sage.
Hsu, J. (2009). EFL teachers’ values and identity in Japan. The Journal of Kanda University of International Study, 21, 385-399.
Illeris, K. (2014). Transformative learning and identity. Journal of Transformative Education, 12(2), 148-163.
Johnson, R. B., & Christensen, L. (2012). Educational research: Quantitative, qualitative, and mixed approaches (4th ed.). Los Angeles: SAGE.
Kaly, W. P., & Heesacker, M. (2003). Effects of a ship-based adventure program on adolescent self-esteem and ego-identity development. The Journal of Experiential Education, 26(2), 97-105.
Kline, R. B. (2011). Principles and practice of structural equation modeling (3rd ed.) New York, NY: Guilford Press.
Krippendorff, K. (2004). Content analysis: An introduction to its methodology (2nd ed.). Sage.
Le Compete, M., & Preissle, J. (1993). Ethnography and qualitative design in education research. Academic Press.
Li, E., & Li, S. (2018). The mediating role of ego-resilience on the relationship between EL and nursing performance among clinical nurses. Heath Communication, 13(1), 19-27.
Li, C., Huang, J., & Li, P. (2021). The predictive effects of classroom environment and trait emotional intelligence on foreign language enjoyment and anxiety. System, 96. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.system.2020.102393.
Lombard, A. (2007). Sensory intelligence: Why it matters more than IQ and EQ. Metz Press.
Mavrou, I., & Dewaele, J. (2020). Emotionality and pleasantness of mixed-emotion stimuli: The role of language, modality, and emotional intelligence. International Journal of Applied Linguistics, 30(2), 313-328.
Mayer, J. D., Caruso, D. R., Salovey, P. (2016). The ability model of emotional intelligence: Principles and updates. Emotion Review, 8(4), 290-300.
Modarresi, G. (2019). Developing and validating involvement in translation scale and its relationship with translation ability. Forum: International Journal of Interpreting and Translation, 17(2), 225-248.
Modarresi, G. (2021). The impact of task-based (collaborative) output activities on learner engagement in writing tasks. Journal of Language Horizons, 6(12), 81-101. https://doi.org/10.22051/lghor.2021.35238.1453.
Modarresi, G., & Jeddy, A. (2018). The association between dynamic assessment of grammar and fluid intelligence: A case of undergraduate EFL students. International and Multidisciplinary Journal of Social Sciences, 7(3), 297-321.
Norton, B. (1997). Language, identity, and the authorship of English. TESOL Quarterly, 31(3), 409-430.
Oyserman, D., & Markus, A. (2006). Possible selves and academic outcomes: How and when possible selves impel action. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 91(1), 188-204.
Peirce, B. N. (1995). Social identity, investment, and language learning. TESOL Quarterly, 29(1), 9-31.
Petrides, K. V., & Mavroveli, S. (2018). Theory and applications of trait emotional intelligence. Psychology, 23(1), 24-36.
Philips, E. M. (1991). Anxiety and oral competence: Classroom dilemma. The French Reviews 65(1), 1-5.
Pishghadam, R. (2015). Emotioncy in language education: From exvolvement to involvement. Paper presented at the 2nd Conference of Interdisciplinary Approaches to Language Teaching, Literature, and Translation Studies, Mashhad, Iran.     
Pishghadam, R., Jajarmi, H., & Shayesteh, S. (2016). Conceptualizing sensory relativism in light of emotioncy: A movement beyond linguistic relativism. International Journal of Society, Culture & Language, 4(2), 11-21.
Pishghadam, R., Makiabadi, H., Zabetipour, M., Abbasnejad, H., Pooresfahani, A., & Shayesteh, Sh. (2020). Development, validation and application of an inventory on emo-sensory intelligence. Teaching English Language, 14(2), 173-216.
Rahimi Domakani, M., Mirzaei, A. M., & Zeraatpisheh, S. (2014). L2 learners’ affect and pragmatic performance: A focus on emotional intelligence and gender dimensions. Journal of Research in Applied Linguistics, 5(2), 149-174.
Razmjoo, S. A., & Neissi, S. (2010). Identity processing styles and language proficiency among Persian learners of English as a foreign language. Psychological Reports, 107(3), 822-832.
Reeves, J. (2009). Teacher investment in learner identity. Teaching and Teacher Education, 25, 34-41.
Salovey, P., & Mayer, J. D. (1990). Emotional intelligence: Imagination, cognition and personality, 9(3), 185-211.
Schmiedek, F., & Li, S.-C. (2015). Intelligence: Central conceptions and psychometric models. In International encyclopedia of the social & behavioral sciences (2nd ed., Vol. 12, pp. 290-296). Elsevier.
Schutte, N., Malouff, J., Hall, L., Haggerty, D., Cooper, J., Golden, C. & Dornheim, L. (1998). Development and validation of a measure of emotional intelligence. Personality and Individual Differences, 25(2), 167-177.
Schwartz, S. J., Mullis, R. L., Waterman, A. S., & Dunham, R. M. (2000). Ego identity status, identity style, and personal expressiveness: An empirical investigation of three convergent constructs. Journal of Adolescent Research, 15(4), 504-521.
Spielmann, G., & Radnofsky, M. L. (2001). Learning Language under tension: New directions from a qualitative study. The Modern Language Journal 85(2), 259-278.
Swain, M. (2013). The inseparability of cognition and emotion in second language learning. Language Teaching, 46(2), 195-207.
Tabachnick, B. G., & Fidell, L. S. (2001). Using multivariate statistics (4th ed.). HarperCollins.
Tavakkoli, Z., Rakhshandehroo, F., Izadpanah, M., & Moradi-Shad, M. (2014). Ego identity types and language proficiency of Iranian EFL learners. Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences, 98, 1885-1894.
Tseng, W. T., & Schmitt, N. (2008). Toward a model of motivated vocabulary learning: A structural equation modeling approach. Language Learning, 58(2), 357-400.
Wang, J. (2020). The enlightenment of second language ego to oral English teaching in senior high school. Theory and Practice in Language Studies, 10(10), 1310-1314.
Winnicott, D. W. (2007). The maturational processes and the facilitating environment. Karnac.
Vygosky, L. S. (1978). Mind in society: the development of higher psychological processes. Harvard University Press.
Zhale, K., Ghonsooly, B., & Pishghadam, R. (2018). Effects of conceptions of intelligence and ambiguity tolerance on teacher burnout: A case of Iranian EFL teachers. Journal of Research in Applied Linguistics, 9(2), 118-140.