Identity in Language Learning and Teaching

Abstract

Identity in language education and applied linguistics is best understood with reference to changing conceptions of the individual, language, and learning. These changes, in turn, are associated with broader trends in the social sciences, and represent a shift from a predominantly psycholinguistic approach to language education to include a greater focus on sociological and cultural dimensions of language learning (Douglas Fir Group in The Mod Lang J 100:19–47, 2016).

Appendices

The Research Questions

• 1. In two families with contrasting socioeconomic histories, how is social class implicated in the digital literacy practices of each family?

• 2. How do the linguistic practices and identities of language learners in diaspora sites change over time?

• 3. In the context of a transnational study with youth, to what extent do digital innovations build transnational identities across different language learner communities?

• 4. How does educational policy impact teacher practices and teacher identity in a given community?

• 5. With reference to a designated group of diverse language learners or teachers, to what extent is Darvin & Norton’s, (2015) model of investment useful as a tool for the analysis of intersectionality?

• 6. How are the identities of lingua franca speakers negotiated in an online chat room or other social media sites?

• 7. How does a heritage language course impact the identities of college students in a given community?

• 8. To what extent do the identities of language learners in study abroad programs change over time and space?

• 9. In what ways does the practice of translation impact the translator’s identity and investments in a given text?

• 10. With reference to a multiracial group of non-native teachers of English, to what extent is race implicated in teacher experiences of legitimacy as English language teachers?

Suggested Resources

Barkhuizen, G. (Ed.) (2017). Reflections on language teacher identity research. New York: Routledge.

This is a highly readable collection of reflections on language teacher identity research. Barkhuizen has invited leading researchers to draw on their own experiences as teachers and researchers to explore the many dimensions of language teacher identity. The editor’s introduction helps readers navigate the many contributions, and the authors address their respective areas of expertise from both theoretical and methodological perspectives. Key ideas, theories, and research about language teacher identity are presented in a succinct and engaging style.

Darvin, R. & Norton, B. (2015). Identity and a model of investment in applied linguistics. Annual Review of Applied Linguistics, 35, 36–56.

This article locates Norton’s early work on identity and investment within the social turn of applied linguistics, and then presents an expanded model of investment, occurring at the intersection of identity, ideology, and capital. The authors argue that the changing social world, characterized by new technologies and changing patterns of mobility, calls for new questions, analyses, and theories of identity. The model addresses the needs of learners who navigate their way through online and offline contexts and perform identities that have become more fluid and complex. The model thus depicts the increasingly complex relationship between identity, investment, and language learning. The article was awarded the 2016 TESOL Distinguished Research Award.

De Costa, P & Norton, B. (Guest Eds, 2017). Transdisciplinarity and language teacher identity [Special Issue]. The Modern Language Journal, 101 (S1).

This special issue draws on the exciting work of the Douglas Fir Group (DFG, 2016) to engage the following two broad questions: (a) In what ways is language teaching “identity work”? and (b) To what extent does a transdisciplinary approach to language learning and teaching offer insight into language teacher identity? Beginning with an introductory article by the co-editors on the “good language teacher”, the special issue considers how the transdisciplinary framework of the DFG might contribute to our understanding of language teacher identity. The DFG focus on macro, meso, and micro dimensions of language learning at the ideological, institutional, and classroom levels, respectively, proved useful to the diverse contributors. A central finding from the special issue is the need to recognize the rich linguistic and personal histories that language teachers bring into the classroom in order to promote effective language learning.

Norton, B. (2013). Identity and language learning: Extending the conversation (2nd Edition). Bristol, UK: Multilingual Matters.

In this highly-cited second edition, Norton defines identity as “how a person understands his or her relationship to the world, how that relationship is structured across time and space, and how the person understands possibilities for the future.” Drawing on a longitudinal case study of immigrant women in Canada, Norton draws on this construct of identity to explain the language learning experiences of the participants. Her construct of investment, conceptualized as a sociological complement to the psychological construct of motivation, is also integral to the analysis. The book concludes with a compelling Afterword by Claire Kramsch, which addresses Norton’s impact on the field with respect to the three influential concepts of identity, investment, and imagined communities.

Preece, S. (Ed.) (2016). The Routledge handbook of language and identity. Oxon: Routledge.

This 37-chapter volume provides a comprehensive and highly readable overview of research on language and identity in the field of language education and applied linguistics. Contributors are leading researchers from diverse regions of the world, and Preece has organized the contributions into five sections, which include theoretical perspectives, categories of identity, key issues for researchers, case studies, and future directions. The sheer scope and scale of the research on language and identity is striking, and the future of language and identity research in the digital age is particularly exciting.