Self-concepts of English-speaking and non-English-speaking students in an English-speaking country

Self-concept is known to have significant influence on academic achievement. Students with a higher English self-concept are more likely to perform better in English and other areas of learning. This chapter examines the academic self-concepts of primary and secondary students in Sydney, Australia. The sample came from schools in western Sydney, one of the most disadvantaged localities in Australia. Results showed: (1) a strong positive correlation between English and general school self-concepts that was generalized to three ethnic groups; (2) non-English-speaking background (NESB) students had lower English self-concept, but not lower math self-concept, than indigenous and non-indigenous English speaking students; and (3) indigenous Australian students' English self-concept was lower than non-indigenous students in the socioeconomically disadvantaged locality of western Sydney. Considering the influence of language on academic performance, there is a need to devise measures to enhance the English self-concepts of disadvantaged students so as to maximise their educational potentials. It is not only an issue of equity and social justice, but also a pragmatic issue of minimizing the social burden of supporting the disadvantaged in unnecessarily prolonged education pursuits.