A study on the relationship between the confidence and self-esteem of Japansese teachers of English

Analysis of the interview on English teaching

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to find out whether Japansese teachers of English feel the pressure of inferiority to native English speakers and feel that they should not make any mistakes while teaching in class, and to analyse how different their reactions are depending on their levels of confidence in their teaching and English language skills when they face those pressures, through the data from interviews. The correlation between those individual confidence levels and self-esteem, an important factor of teachers’ mental health, is also analyesd. After analysing the data from interviews, results suggest that they feel these pressures and react differently depending on their levels of confidence, and then support themselves through those reactions. While confidence in teaching skills is related to teachers’ self-esteem, no specific English language skills or knowledge seem to be related. Teachers who can make use of their English language skills or knowledge in which they are confident, along with their established teaching styles matched with the contents of the lessons and students’ needs in class, tend to maintain high self-esteem.