Language Identity and Racism in Postsecondary Classrooms

International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism, 2014

This article explores the relationship between language, hegemony and identity in a desegregated school in suburban Johannesburg, South Africa. Drawing on poststructuralist theories of language learning and identity that evaluate cultural models of literacy, ideologies and institutional discourses, this article examines how multilingual learners' identities are discursively constructed during specific classroom activities. I take the perspective that identity construction is inextricably interwoven with ideology. Disavowal of identities that are deemed institutionally less desirable and affirmation of valued identities are thus a function of hegemony and language policies, inasmuch as they are a marker of institutional boundaries and contextual applications of multilingualism. Furthermore, this article is concerned with how access to institutionally valued linguistic resources shapes learners' identities and reifies practices beyond the learning context. Drawing on data collected using a qualitative ethnographic approach, I will argue that identities are continually negotiated and constantly being shifted moment by moment, depending on social and learning imperatives prioritised in a multilingual context. My analysis suggests that subject positions are influenced by how language/literacy resources are situated, thus regulating access to certain resources such as English proficiency. All told, contextual subject positions delimit the scope of nomination in relation to types of identity positions learners could claim.

This paper explores how the Lebanese students struggle in the use of “Verbal Discrimination” through language. The study discusses how students convey either a racist or a non-racist identity through their talk and conversation. The research addresses the following questions: (1)Do the social background and past experiences play a role in the construction of a "racist identity or non-racist" that are reflected in the language of the speaker? (2) Are these identities formed affected by other cultures and ideologies? (3) How do the "interpretive repertoires" play a role in the formation of the ideology of the speaker? (4) And how is that reflected in his or her surroundings? I argue that as a result of the interpretive repertoires that position the speakers, participants suffer from a struggle in the formation of their identities. Interviews and narratives in the research will aid my argument, supported by theories suggested by pioneers in Discourse Analysis and Discursive Psychology.

This chapter reviews and synthesizes the most applicable, useful, and practical methods and tools in researching identity in language and education. To this aim, this chapter starts with an introduction to the field of identity in language and education followed by early developments and major contributions. As the main focus of this chapter, the major methods, approaches, and tools to researching identity in language and education are then presented. Narrative inquiry, ethnography, interviewing, questionnaire, and diary keeping as the main methods of data collection are introduced. In each method presented, a few sample studies with their results are also provided. The strengths and shortcomings of each of these methods in researching identity are included in each section. In the last section of this chapter, some works in progress and future directions for research are given.

Spolsky/Handbook, 2008

Profile: Issues in Teachers' Professional Development

Racial identity, as well as other social identities, is intrinsically related to language learning. Nevertheless, this relationship has been taken for granted. Despite research done in the area, not a lot has centred explicitly on finding the connections between race and language learning. This article addresses that point in an attempt to shed light specifically on English language learning and teaching. We used a qualitative research methodology to analyse oral and written narratives that were produced by participants telling their experience as English language learners. This article underscores the results that relate language learners’ racial experiences as a crucial factor in the configuration of their identity as well as the economic, social, and cultural factors involved.

Per Linguam, 2011

The study on the relationship of identity, language and teaching and learning was conducted by a team of eight members at a higher education institution in the Western Cape. The aims of the research were to investigate the relationship between language, identity and learning, to show how this investigation can benefit dialogue about transformation, and to facilitate the research development of the team. The research design made use of narrative and educational biography in semi-structured interviews with 64 staff members and 100 students.

International Journal of Linguistics, Literature and Translation

This research explores the relationship between language and identity; with more than 7,000 spoken languages in the world today, we can transmit our identities and thoughts by using our language, and that is one of the strongest human abilities as far as the language is different as much as the transmitted can be different too since the language is a main and an important method to express our identities in any culture and society. Language is either individual words, connected speech, or even writing. While we use written or spoken language, we do not only express our thoughts, culture, society, intentions but also who we really are and how we want people to see us. We both perform and produce specific identities depending on the context. I used a survey (quantitative data), and I published it on different media, so I could gather as many participants and cover a large number of experiences. It included both open and closed questions and also included possible answers (multiple c...

Proceedings of the Thirteenth Conference on Applied Linguistics (CONAPLIN 2020), 2021

The lack of facilities and quality education in some rural areas has been a notorious problem in our education. Students sometimes choose to migrate to a new place to fulfil their human rights in getting a quality education that takes place in multicultural settings in order to gain a new identity construction. This study was done to examine the relationship between English as language learning in a multilingual context and identity in EFL classroom interactions. Furthermore, this study examined whether English as language learning and identity have a balanced contribution in EFL classroom interactions and how students are from different regions representing their identities in diverse groups' communication. Under the framework of a descriptive qualitative study, this study was conducted by observation, closed-ended and open-ended questionnaire. The result of this study is expected to show the balance between identity and English as students' communication language learning in EFL classroom interactions that students' identities reflect their home cultures and languages from diverse groups.

GEMA: Online Journal of Language Studies, 2003

This paper will explore the interconnectedness of language and culture, and how language and culture impact upon one's identity. It will first define the three constructs -language, culture and identity. This will be followed by an overview of the work of social theorists and educationists. The paper will then present a review of literature of research studies in the field. Recent studies on the interplay of language and culture and its impact on social and cultural identity in the field of Second Language Acquisition will be highlighted. Lastly the paper concludes with a discussion of recent research studies on language and identity in the Malaysian context.