6.1.1.3 The "self task

Another activity in which the learners had the opportunity to reflect on their own
person was the "self' task (adapted from Barrow; 1986,304, see the handout
corresponding to this task in Appendix 4). In it the learners had to think about
themselves according to three different perspectives. First they analysed the way they see
themselves as being, which is called perceived self (the circle on the left of the diagram
in the handout), in comparison which the way they would like to be, i.e. their ideal self
(the right circle). Then, they also had to determine which elements of the perceived self
were also part of the ideal self, that is to say, the traits that are ideal for them but they
already have got. In other words, the things about themselves they are happy with (this is
the intersection of the two circles). The written outcome of this activity was three lists of
personal features.

The content of their responses reflected the same phenomenon noticed in the
written and oral accounts. For the perceived self, the answers were

T: I am a bit lazy

F: I don't work at the 100% of my capacity
Ga: Sometimes I do not understand oral language
K: I am forgetful

E: I am short

The ideal self was generally convergent with the perceived self. Notice, for
instance, the way three participants correlate their beliefs:

Perceived self                       Ideal self

T: I am a bit lazy                        I have to commit myself

Ga: Sometimes I do not understand Don't get frustrated when I don't
oral language                         understand oral language

E: I am short                          Accept myself the way I am

It was very interesting to talk to the learners in relation to this task. In this way I
understood some of their reasons for their answers. For example, when I read that E
perceived herself as a short person, I thought that she had not understood that this task
was only related to their experiences about learning languages. When I talked to her I
learned that I was wrong:

E: I feel very short, and when I am in a class, or interacting in a group of
foreigners, I am very aware that everybody else is taller than me, so I
feel "little" and I feel that taller people say more important things.

Through this task, it was also possible to know the learners in a different way. It was

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