If people become conscious of dynamic process and multiple identities within them, they can also ‘play’ with their languages and identities, deliberately shifting from one language/variety to another, thereby signalling a change from one identity to another (Byram, 2006).
The interest in the relation between identity and L2 learning, although marginally explored in the SLA field (Menard-Warwick, 2005), goes back to the late 1980s (Norton, 2008). In recent decades and especially over the past decade, however, it has become recognized increasingly (Belz, 2002; Burck, 2011; Block, 2007; Chik and Benson, 2008; Gao et al., 2007; Kanno, 2000, 2003a; Mills, 2001; Pavlenko and Lantolf, 2000; Pavlenko and Blackedge, 2003; Norton, 2000; Norton and Toohey, 2001; Toohey, 2000). The findings demonstrate that people experience life and themselves differently when they speak different languages (Burck, 2011).This happens especially when the languages involved have substantial differences, such as English and Chinese, where a Chinese person may be able to better express his aggressiveness in English (Pavlenko, 2006).
1.1. L2 Identity formation in the ESL context
Most obviously, learning an L2 in an ESL context, above and beyond acquiring linguistic aspects, involves a process of acculturation. A closely related phenomenon is identity formation in such a context. When people travel to live in an environment where the norms and values are different from their own, it is expected that they appropriate the predominant norms and values, in order to be integrated into the new environment (Wenger, 1998; Eckert and McConnell-Ginet, 1992; Mills, 2002; Block, 2007). This requires changes in the individuals' perception, values, and worldview (Brown, 2007)....
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...tudies on the interaction between identity and L2 learning attempt to explore the experiences of immigrant learners in host countries where English represents a dominant means of communication (Belz, 2002; Kanno, 2003a; Norton, 1995, 2000; Norton and Toohey, 2001; Pavlenko, 2001, 2003), while relatively few studies of EFL learners' identity construction in their homeland contexts where the L1 not the L2 is the dominant means of communication, where there is no chance of immersion and the only source of exposure to L2 is the educational setting have been conducted. The findings from the ESL contexts do not seem unanticipated, considering the geographical movement and the societal, and, psychological changes of the learners. Yet, in the case of EFL, the immediate classroom context and the surrounding educational culture are the only sources of exposure (Block, 2007).
Personal identity, in the context of philosophy, does not attempt to address clichéd, qualitative questions of what makes us us. Instead, personal identity refers to numerical identity or sameness over time. For example, identical twins appear to be exactly alike, but their qualitative likeness in appearance does not make them the same person; each twin, instead, has one and only one identity – a numerical identity. As such, philosophers studying personal identity focus on questions of what has to persist for an individual to keep his or her numerical identity over time and of what the pronoun “I” refers to when an individual uses it. Over the years, theories of personal identity have been established to answer these very questions, but the
Language is an important part of who we are. It influences the way we think and behave on a great scale. However, sometimes it is forced upon us to go in different directions just so we can physically and mentally feel as if we belong to the society in which we live in. Just as we see in Amy Tan’s “Mother Tongue” and Richard Rodriguez’s “A Memoir of a Bilingual Childhood”, both authors faced some challenges along the way by coping with two different languages, while still trying to achieve the social position which they desired.
Language is truly part of our identity: our languages shape who we are. That is why we always have to be tolerant and comprehensive with others’ accents, typical phrases, or grammatical errors. Writers that really make an impact when referring to language and identity are Gloria Anzaldua and Amy Tan, with their readings “How to Tame a Wild Tongue” and “Mother Tongue” respectively. These two writers, with completely different backgrounds, shared their views about how language and identity are intertwined.
Although the concept of identity is recurrent in our daily lives, it has interpreted in various ways.
Every year, the number of immigrants in the U.S. has grown “significantly.” Chen predicts that by the year of 2020, public schools will have at least 50 percent of students that are non-English speakers (¶5). This shows that it is important that public schools have a successful ESL program. The purpose of ESL programs is “to enhance” ESL students learning, to help students’ “emotional well-being”, and to accelerate students’ ability to learn the new language. According to Chen, some district schools have failed to support ESL students’ learning. For example, Chen stated that “...[some] school districts [have been] accused of not meeting t...
Monzó and Rueda (2009) conducted a study examining the concept of passing for English proficient in Latino immigrant children. They studied a group of Latino English language learners (ELLs) in and outside of school. They not only observed these students but also interviewed them as well. Within these interviews students opened up about their feelings about their first language, English, and their place in American society. Monzó and Rueda (2009) then found within their data the most common forms of passing for English proficient that these students used.
Many philosophers and psychologist from Jean Piaget to William James have theorized what makes a person who they are, their identity. Jean Piaget believed that the identity is formed in the sensorimotor stage and the preoperational stage. This means that a child is forming his identity as late to the age of seven (Schellenberg, 29) However, identity is strongly impacted by society such as school, church, government,and other institutions. Through our interactions with different situations our personality develops (Schellenberg 34). "In most situations there is a more diversified opportunity for the development of social identities, reflecting what the individual wants to put forth to define the self as well as what others want to accept,"(Schellenberg 35). Therefore, humans, much like animals, adapt to different situations based on who they are with. Individuals are always changi...
“ It’s easy to become anything you wish….so long as you’re willing to forfeit your soul” stated by Gene Luen Yang (29). In other words it means that it is easy to become a new person, as long as you are willing to give up your identity. In the articles “Always Living in Spanish” and “ Aria: Memoir of a Bilingual childhood” the author argues how the people had to adapt to the new circumstances they live in. Additionally they had to adjust to the new culture to be accept it in the new society they live in. However there were times people had to give up their own language to learn the new language, but still remember or practice their own language at home. Even though people would try to adapt to the
As many people from other linguistic background are migrating to the United States, it is important that the school systems keep ELL programs available for the students in the public schools not only so the students can move freely in an English- language dominated society but because those students are the future of this great nation and deserve to have the same opportunities as English language student as well. To conclude ELL programs can be a very vital tool that public school systems can provide for English speaking students.
...xpressing her Chinese culture. Mastering a second language allows her to articulate her and her mother’s thoughts; it is a foundation for her pride and a foundation to express herself. For Gloria Anzaldua, instead of choosing one language over the other, she chose a mix of the two and fights for it. She realized the value of her language when she lost it and now treasures it. The kind of Spanish she speaks is neither English nor Spanish, but both. It is overflowing with culture from Medieval Spain, France, Germany, etc., just from the origins of the words. It is her pride and a representation of herself, fighting and living. In conclusion, in addition to Lera Boroditsky’s article proving that the structure of language affects how we think, the articles by Eric Liu, Amy Tan, and Gloria Anzaldua show how language is a foundation for a person’s culture, pride, and self.
In the twentieth century, the avoidance of the using L1 in classrooms dominated teachers’ minds; as well it was implemented in many policies and guidelines of language teaching (Cook, 2001). Thornbury (2010) listed a set of arguments against using L1 in L2 classrooms mainly for that the translation of L2 into another language will play negative effects on students’ learning process. He pointed out that the use of L1 will result learners to have a cognitive dependence on their mother tongue at the expense of developing independence TL learning. Although the two language systems are not equivalent in many aspects, students may have an awareness of the notion of equivalence of the two languages if translation serves to convey meanings. Some argue that the use of translation to convey the meaning of the TL is more efficient and more memorable. However, Thornbury (2010) sees the opposite. He stated that the simple and direct way of translation will make L2 knowledge less memorable since the process lacks mental efforts in working out meanings.
This text explains that language does not shape our identities and desires so much as our identities and desires are acquired from language (Richter 1046). Lacan explains that the symbolic stage consists of the Other and the Other is not complete because there is a lack. This concept suggests that there is always a signifier missing from the collection of signifiers composed by the Other. Lacan then asserts that the subject is now ruled by language, and this symbolic discourse forms the structures of cultural and social identities (Richter 1046). Lacan also describes the use of metonymy and this is a mode of symbolization in which one thing is signified by another that is associated with it, but it is not from the same class.
Bilingual education have been a serious issue for immigrant student. Beginners in education who move to the United States, have an issue with communication, in how to understand English, and losing their identity. For immigrants students, not knowing a second language affect seriously their life in the United States. In his article “An Education in Language,” Richard Rodriguez presents how the English language became a barrier that changed him and his family. Rodriguez explains how hard the challenge of understanding English was for him during his early years of school. Besides, Rodriguez illustrates that his parents’ lives were affected by lacking education and their opinion about it. In addition, he moved over to pursue higher education.
The L2 Motivational Self System represents a major reformation of previous motivational thinking by its explicit utilization of psychological theories of the self. The actual model has grown out of the combined effect of two significant theoretical developments, one taking place in the L2 field, the other in mainstream psychology. Indeed, L2 motivation researchers have always believed that a foreign language is more than a mere communication code that can be learnt similarly to other academic subjects, and have therefore typically adopted paradigms that linked the L2 to the individual’s personal core, forming an important part of one’s identity. Thus, proposing a system that explicitly focuses on aspects of the individual’s self is compatible with the whole-person perspective of past theories (Dörnyei, 2009). (Study 8, p. 1) The L2 motivational self system is based on the idea that learners’ drive to reduce the perceived discrepancy between one’s here-and-now (actual) self and their future L2 selves provides the necessary motivation for language learning behaviors (Mostafa & Papi, 2014). (Study 11, p. 4) This model of motivation contains two self-related components: Ideal L2 self and Ought-to L2 self. In this model, Ideal L2 self is one’s ideal self-image expressing the wish to become a competent L2 speaker. The Ought-to L2 self contains ‘attributes that one believes one ought to possess (i.e. various duties, obligations, or responsibilities) in order to avoid possible negative outcomes’ associated with not being able to speak the L2 in question (Kormos, Kiddle & Czice, 2011). (Study 3, p 3)This study is the most updated one regarding the field of motivation and it’s widely used nowadays; although, you can’t forget all previous
An individual is constructed through many aspects , whether it be their likes/dislikes, personalities, goals or self assigned origin(s), etc. One of these aspects that help build up and sketch an individual is the language they choose to speak. This does not simply include choosing between English or French but choosing or learning to speak high/low language, or the type of slang one uses, and even the rules that are set up with that language the individual has obtained.