Download Theories of language learning

Language Awareness Forum 1
Language and Identity
French 102
Vanderbilt University
Copyright Virginia M. Scott 2013
All Rights Reserved
Series Overview
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This semester you will see 3 presentations designed
to make you think about second language learning.
Each presentation will begin with guiding questions to
engage you in the material; the presentations end
with discussion topics.
After each presentation you will write a 1 ½ page
reflection on the topic synthesizing your thoughts
and reactions.
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Guiding questions
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What does “identity” mean?
In what ways might your
identity change by studying
French ?
What is the relationship
between language and
identity for French speakers
in the world today?
(Picasso, 1925)
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What does “identity” mean?
This term is not easily defined;
very generally, it refers to a
person’s mental image of him
or herself.
Some psychologists distinguish
between personal identity
(what makes each person
unique) and social identity
(the ways people identify
with particular social groups).
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Identity formation
What shapes a person’s identity?
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Cognition – how you think about things
Emotions – how you feel about things
Experience – your life story
Choice – what you decide
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Most psychologists and sociologists think of identity as dynamic
and fluid rather than static or fixed.
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Many sociologists think that personal and social identity are
tightly interconnected.
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Research suggests that a person’s identity changes during the
course of the lifespan.
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The language/identity connection
Think about these quotes:
“Language learning is a site of identity construction.”
(Pavlenko, 2002, p. 286).
“Language study is an initiation into a kind of social practice that is
at the boundary of two or more cultures and languages.”
(Train, 2002, p. 13)
“Learners make a foreign language and culture their own by
adopting and adapting it to their own needs and interests.”
(Kramsch, 1998, p. 81).
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The language/identity connection
Regardless of ...
… your reasons for choosing
to study French OR your
sense of yourself as a student
of French …
… your identity is being
shaped by your experiences
as French language learner.
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The bigger picture
What is your place as a
speaker of French in the
larger Francophone world?
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French in the world
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Approximately 70 million people are native speakers
of French; about 220 million people speak it as a
second language.
French is an official language in 29 countries and also
the official language of all United Nations agencies
and a large number of international organizations.
Demographic research suggests that French speakers
will number approximately 500 million people in 2025.
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French in the world
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French language and identity
French-speaking people in France show their
identity through behavior, dress, and
LANGUAGE (among other things) …
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French language and identity
French-speaking people in countries that are
former colonies may have mixed feelings
about when, where, and why they speak
French.
Jërejëf
(Merci en Wolof)
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French language and identity
The 6 million native speakers of French in
Canada have strong feelings about the
connection between language and identity.
reminds
ancient
memories of
The motto “je me souviens”
them to remember their
lineage, traditions, and
the past.
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So, learning French is …
je suis
tu es
il/elle/on est
nous sommes
vous êtes
ils/elles sont
… more than learning
grammar.
… more than learning
vocabulary.
la bouche
l’oreille
… more than learning
culture.
l’oeil /les yeux
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When choosing to study French…
… you are joining a community of French-speaking people.
… you are developing an awareness about what you think and how
you feel about French language and cultures:
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you may have a pre-conceived set of notions about how French-speaking
people look, dress, and speak.
you may want to try to speak/act/be like French-speaking people in an
effort to be accepted.
you may want to retain dimensions of your own language and culture and
establish a boundary between yourself and French-speaking people.
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Ultimately, learning French …
“… engages the identities of learners because language itself is
not only a linguistic system of signs and symbols, it is also a
complex social practice in which the value and meaning ascribed
to an utterance are determined in part by the value and meaning
ascribed to the person who speaks…. Thus, language learners
are not only learning a linguistic system, they are learning a
diverse set of sociocultural practices, often best understood in
the context of wider relations of power.”
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(Norton & Toohey, 2002, p. 115)
Reflection topic
Read “The Quebec National Identity” from the Encyclopedia of
Canada’s People: www.multiculturalcanada.ca/Encyclopedia/AZ/c4/3
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Write a 1 ½ page essay in English answering these two
questions:
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1) The article mentions the idea that "identity is defined by
borders and based on political power, which is the
only real guarantee of its maintenance and
longevity" (paragraph 2). Do you agree with this
idea? Can you think of any examples of social identity
that is not based on political power?
2) Does your emerging identity as a member of a community
of French-speaking people shape how you
understand the language issues in Canada? Explain.
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Bibliography
Kramsch, C. (1998). Language and culture. New York: Oxford UP
Norton, B., & Toohey, K. (2002). Identity and language learning. In R. B.
Kaplan (Ed.), The Oxford handbook of applied linguistics (pp. 115-123).
New York, Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Pavlenko, A. (2002). Poststructuralist approaches to the study of social
factors in second language learning and use. In V. Cook (Ed.), Portraits
of the L2 User (pp. 277-302). Clevedon, UK: Multilingual Matters.
Train, R. W. (2002). The (non)native standard language in foreign language
education: A critical perspective. In C. Blyth (Ed.), The sociolinguistics
of foreign-language classrooms (pp. 3-39). Boston, MA: Heinle.
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