Summary. The article discusses the problems of self-confidence and its importance in language learning as well as suggests a series of activities for improving it.
Key words: self-confidence, speaking skills, cognitive process, cultural beliefs, psychological process, introversion.
Philological sciences
УДК 17.51
Nazarova G.P.
Teacher of English language and literature Department
Bukhara State University
Umurova Kh.H.
Teacher of English language and literature Department
Bukhara State University
SELF-CONFIDENCE AND ITS IMPORTANCE IN LEARNING LANGUAGES
Summary. The article discusses the problems of self-confidence and its importance in language learning as well as suggests a series of activities for improving it.
Key words: self-confidence, speaking skills, cognitive process, cultural beliefs, psychological process, introversion.
Self-confidence is extremely important in almost every aspect of our lives, yet so many people struggle to find it. Sadly, this can be a vicious circle: people who lack self-confidence can find it difficult to become successful. Confident people inspire confidence in others: their audience, their peers, their customers, and their friends. Gaining the confidence of others is one of the key ways in which a self-confident person finds success.
Self-confidence is also very important in language learning. Researches in language teaching have revealed that foreign language learners often seem passive and silent in language classrooms. In the age of globalization, however, there is an urgent need for English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teachers to enhance their students' confidence to help them take part more actively in classroom oral activities.
Some researchers believe that speaking skills are an important part of the curriculum in language teaching, and the ability to speak in a foreign language is at the very heart of what it means to be able to use a foreign language. This importance relies on two aspects. First, our personality, our self-image, our knowledge of the world, and our ability to reason and express our thoughts are all reflected in our spoken performance in a foreign language. Being able to speak to friends, colleagues, visitors, and even strangers, in their language or in a language which both speakers can understand, is surely the goal of very many L2 learners. Second, the linkage between students' classroom participation and their academic achievement is undeniable. Studies have shown that when students participate actively in class, their academic achievement seems to be higher than that of those who are passive in class. Krupa-Kwiatkowski summarized in her study that "interaction involves participation, personal engagement, and the taking of initiative in some way, activities that in turn are hypothesized to trigger cognitive processes conducive to language learning". The importance of the ability or perception of ability to speak should not therefore be underestimated by either teacher or pupil.
In our teaching experience, we have come such situations when some of the students keep silent all the time in class. They don't want to speak English. Even when they know the answer to a simple question, they hesitate to open their mouths. Or, they have inhibition to speak out their ideas. Encouraging students to talk in a language classroom is thus a problem that most language teachers face. Thus, although not extensively researched, reticence has been receiving increasing attention in the last decade due to the growing importance of oral proficiency in L2 learning situations. As researches show, there are many reasons for this reluctance of students’ to speak in English classes:
- fear of losing face (e.g., being laughed at);
- low proficiency in the target language; previous negative experiences with speaking in class;
- cultural beliefs about appropriate behavior in classroom contexts (e.g., showing respect to the teacher by being quiet); -habits (e.g., becoming used to a passive role in the classroom); Many previous studies have shown that there is a direct relationship between students' confidence and their speaking behavior in L2. For example, Lai attempted to identify Hong Kong secondary students' level of confidence in using English and the factors leading to different confidence levels in oral participation in classrooms. The findings show that most of the subjects "felt a lack of confidence in using English as a means of communication in the classroom". In another study, Mac Intyre et al. suggest that self-confidence significantly contributes to the learner's willingness to communicate in a foreign language. According to them, affective factors such as motivation, personality, intergroup climate, and self-confidence underlie willingness to communicate and the factor of self-confidence— including overall self-confidence in L2 and situational self-confidence in communication—play an important role in determining the learner's willingness to communicate.
Another main factor which influence to students’ unwillingness to speak is language anxiety. Various studies comparing students’ levels of anxiety in their foreign language class to their other classes indicate that students experience considerably more anxiety in their foreign language classes. The concept of ‘foreign language anxiety’ is still in its infancy, thus second language research has not yet adequately defined it in precise terms. Further, there are many varying degrees of intensity, which seemingly make it difficult to apply boundaries towards a set definition. Some generalizations can, however, be made. Gardner and MacIntyre define language anxiety as “the apprehension experienced when a situation requires the use of a second language with which the individual is not fully proficient”. Some of the symptoms include nervousness, tension, apprehension, and introversion. Many other factors such as motivation, personality, experience, and self-confidence may also play a role. Researchers have developed models to account for some of these factors.
From our teaching experience, we know that there are many activities that can be used to develop self-confidence in English classes. Learners can practice and develop spoken English skills in many ways. Regularly communicating with native English speakers on a varying degree of topics is the best way to learn to speak English fluently. However, relatively few learners of English have such an opportunity. To eventually be able to speak English fluently, learners of English must have materials with important content on everyday topics (audios, videos, printed texts/study books, etc.) for beginner, intermediate and advanced levels of study. The materials must include dialogues, monologues, questions - answers with important content, lists of difficult word meanings and phrases/expressions with usage sentences, and comprehensive vocabulary on all everyday topics. Here are some possible ideas:
Above-mentioned speaking activities can be used in EFL classes for promoting students’ self-confidence. Yet, we would like to note that not all activities can be effective. It is teachers’ responsibility to choose or adapt materials according to the students’ level of English and fields of interests. ESP teachers may reform the speaking activities in accordance with their students’ professional interests. For instance, if it medical school students, activities can be changed into the topics on medicine. Through this, teachers will help their students to develop their English in accordance with their future profession.
The list of used literature
