Personality Variable of Self-Esteem and EFL Reading Comprehension

The contribution of psychology to the process of learning, in general, and language learning, in particular, is so pervasive that there is hardly an aspect of language learning/teaching which could not be related to psychology. Among the psychological variables involved in language pedagogy, personality factors can have great significance. The aim of the present study is to determine if there is any association between the crucial personality factor of selfesteem (self-concept) (along with the sex variable) and the reading comprehension achievement of English major university students. The instruments used were Beck Self- Concept Scale (1967), the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language, 1992), and the Nelson Standard Reading Test (1977). The findings of the analysis of two-way ANOVA revealed that the independent variables of self-esteem and sex have a significant effect on students' performance in EFL reading comprehension although their interaction (selfesteem/ sex) was not significant.