Madeline Ehrman is an independent scholar and consultant, retired from the position of  Director of Research, Evaluation, & Development at the Foreign Service Institute (US Department of State). With advanced degrees in both linguistics and psychology, she has published extensively on topics that combine both fields, e.g., the books Understanding Second Language Learning Difficulties and Interpersonal Dynamics in Second Language Education. Her areas of interest include individual differences in adult language learning, language learning aptitude, the emotional aspects of learning, and helping learners make better use of their metacognition. In addition to continuing to write and consult, she also is pursuing a long-time interest in the work of JRR Tolkien.

In this book, Madeline Ehrman and Zoltan Dornyei demonstrate how concepts from clinical and social psychology can help linguists and teachers understand the conditions which make second language learning more or less effective.
In particular, the authors show how unconscious `scripts' can cause unproductive conflict, demotivation and eventual aversion to language learning. Moreover, the text shows how learning can be facilitated by appropriate use of interpersonal dynamics.