A thesis submitted in Partial fulfilment of the requierements for the award of the degree of "Licencié en Pédagogie Appliquée, Agrégé de l'ensignement Secondaire en Anglais"

Résumé

The present study entitled "The impact of self-esteem on oral performance in English : A case study of first Form Arts pupils in Makamba commune" mainly attempted to find out the influence of pupils'self-esteem on their oral performance in English and that of some other personality factors on languaga learning in general and on oral performance in particular. It also aimed at finding out whether the methods used to teach the speaking skill and the teachers' attitude towards pupils' English oral expression contribute to the development of self-esteem and oral performance in pupils learnig English as a foreign language. In order to find answers to the research questions and thereby confirm or reject the hypotheses that guided the study, data were collected through the use of questionnaires administered to a sample of 101 First Form Arts pupils and six teachers of English from six selected secondary schols in Makamba Commune. Through this research, it was found out that pupils' self-esteem and anxiety have a significant influence on their English oral performance. In fac, pupils with high level of self-esteem and low anxiety were found to successfully involve themselves in English oral expression whereas those with low level of self-esteem and high anxity do not involve themselves successfully in oral productions because the latter do not trust in their own abilities and are therefore afriad of expressing themselves in English for fear of making mistakes. It was also found that teachers of English do not sufficiently involve heir pupils in varied oral activities so as to enable them to develop both their speaking ability and their level of selfesteem in terms of English oral performance. Results also showed that the teachers'attitude towards pupils'oral expression is positive and can thus help pupils to develop both their level of English oral expression and their self-esteem in English oral performance. Basing on the findings of the study, the researcher recommended that teachers should enhance pupils'self-esteem by considering them as worthy beings and by drawing their attention to the fact that having hing self-esteem is very important for successful speaking. They should also encourage them to trust in their own worthiness and abilities and not be afraid of speaking English because of the fear of making mistakes. They should also make pupils sufficiently practice English with varied oral activities so as to enable them to overcome negative conceptions of themselves about their capabilities and value. As far as pupils are concerned, they should trust in their worthiness and abilities and dare speak English without worrying about their mistakes in oral performance.